European Forest Information System — EFIS. a Step towards Better Access to Forest Information

Abstract

The 1989 EU regulation (EEC) No. 1615/89 stated that the European Commission should set up a European Forest Information and Communication System (EFICS) in order to address the need for sound forestry information at the European level. The main objective of EFICS is to collect, co-ordinate, standardise and process data concerning the forestry sector and its development. Existing data should be utilised and in particular, statistics compiled by the European Community’s statistical office and information from the Member States and other available and accessible data bases, both at the national and international level. The main objective of the European Forest Information System (EFIS) project is to design and build a fully operational prototype of a reliable forest information system. The functionalities of the system include the compilation, processing, analysis and dissemination of available forestry information from various data sources and of various data formats on an international, national and regional level. The challenge for EFIS lies within the creation of an information system that allows flexible analysis options addressing diverse user needs, access restrictions and rights, and adequate and appropriate technological possibilities for the creation and presentation of value-added products. This paper describes the present state of the project and the challenges in improving the access and distribution of forest related information available through the Internet.