Address by the Minister for the Environment,
Mrs. Sigrídur Anna Thórdardóttir

Ladies and gentlemen.

Allow me to extend a heartfelt welcome to you all to Iceland on the occasion of the Gi Norden Conference 2005. Some of you were here five years ago, whereas some are here for the first time: again, welcome to you all. I hope you will enjoy your stay in Iceland and that it may be memorable, both those of you who are here for the second time, and those who are now visiting Iceland for the first time. I am honored to address this conference and have noticed in the conference documents that we not only have participants from the Nordic countries, but also quite a group of European experts in geographical information.

The last five years since the GI Norden conference was held in Iceland, we have seen some important bricks being laid in the structure of geographic information here in Iceland.

The first edition of the digital mapping database, IS 50V, in the scale of 1:50 000 has been completed for the entire country. The database covers seven layers, namely the elevation contours, the hydrology of Iceland, structures, the communications system, the municipal boundaries, the geographical surface and place names. At last we have access to a coordinated digital database covering the whole of Iceland for use in various projects relating to geographical information.

Back in 1993, the first basic topographical network was established, facilitating geodetic surveying fairly simultaneously. This basic network was revised in the summer of 2004. The surveys carried out for the revision provided various new interesting information, among other things, about the continental drift, but as you know Iceland is located at the juncture of the tectonic plates, namely we are at the continental limits between Europe and America. The surveys in the summer of 2004 will be further presented here at the conference; hence I will not discuss them in detail in my short address.

A collaboration committee of ministries and the municipalities on the development of geographic information, which worked under the auspices of the Ministry for the Environment, has presented its proposals about the main focal points by the Icelandic authorities in geographical information. Not surprisingly, one of the central issues of these proposals pertains to the coordination of data registration and data communications within and between the various administrative levels. In order to obtain maximum utilization of information, as well as ensuring and facilitating public access to environmental information, the committee presented proposals on the need to strengthen standardization and to promote data coordination. This is indeed an international development and among the primary issues of the INSPIRE project on coordinated geographical information. Therefore I find it particularly interesting for Iceland that this conference has a workshop especially discussing the status and progress of the Nordic countries in these matters.

Furthermore, it is equally important to facilitate easy access to public information; even to see to it that public databases are indeed public property, and that the pricing of public information is based on open access by everyone in return for reasonable service fees. Such an arrangement is deemed to be a way to considerably increase the value of information. In continuation of the committee work on the pricing of public information, a committee under the umbrella of the Prime Ministry is currently preparing a bill on such pricing.

In conclusion, I wish to express my appreciation to all of you who prepared this important conference - a conference I know will strengthen the foundations of international communications in geographical information.

Thank you