Simplifying Rules for Sharing Environmental Maps

What the problem is
The INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC) was created to let European public bodies share environmental spatial data. Over 15 years it has become very detailed and technical.

• Member States must set up network services, create many specific interoperability rules, run a Commission‑run geo‑portal and submit detailed reports.
• These requirements are duplicated by newer EU data laws (Open Data Directive, High‑Value Datasets Regulation, Data Governance Act, Interoperable Europe Act).
• The 2022 evaluation found that the Directive still meets its goals but its legal framework is “overly prescriptive” and creates high administrative costs for governments and businesses.

How the problem is being solved
The Commission proposes a Directive that removes the old, technical parts of INSPIRE and replaces them with the simpler, already‑existing rules in the newer data legislation.

• Delete the obligation to run a dedicated INSPIRE geo‑portal – data will be available through the existing EU open‑data portal (data.europa.eu).
• Remove the technical interoperability specifications, network‑service requirements and detailed reporting obligations.
• Keep only the core data‑sharing principle: spatial data must be open‑by‑default, with standardised metadata (ISO 19115, DCAT‑AP) and accessible via APIs.
• Align the remaining INSPIRE obligations with the Open Data Directive and the High‑Value Datasets Regulation, so that the same rules apply to all public‑sector data.
• Give Member States a 12‑month transposition period to adjust their national systems.

What changes as a result of this document

• The Directive will no longer require the Commission to operate a geo‑portal, to maintain four technical implementing regulations, or to collect detailed reports.
• Member States will report only on the high‑value datasets listed in the 2023/138 Regulation, not on the old INSPIRE reporting scheme.
• Annual administrative costs for INSPIRE across the EU‑27 are expected to fall by 24 % to 64 % (average 44 %).
• This translates into yearly savings of roughly EUR 6.36 million to EUR 16.96 million, or about EUR 11.66 million on average.
• The total baseline cost of INSPIRE implementation is estimated at EUR 4.967 million to EUR 48.926 million; the simplification cuts this by the amounts above.
• No new budget lines are needed; the savings come from removing duplicated obligations and using the existing open‑data infrastructure.

These changes keep the core goal of INSPIRE – making high‑quality environmental spatial data freely available and reusable – while making the legal and administrative framework simpler, cheaper, and fully aligned with the EU’s current data strategy.