| Abstract |
The first phase of the INSPIRE (INfrastructure for SPatial InfoRmation in Europe) initiative was devoted to the preparation of a proposal for a Community framework legislative act. Legislation alone cannot give access to the disparate sets of data that have been accumulated across Europe; standards that address data discovery and access are also essential components. There is growing awareness across many user communities of the usefulness of spatial data, and with it, increasing demand for access to these complex data sets. In order to fulfil that demand, it is necessary to have an Infrastructure that is accessible, available and that meets the needs of diverse user groups. End users are key to the success of both INSPIRE and ESDI. In order for the full potential of the ESDI to be realized, the GI community must reach out to end users and draw them into the debate regarding how, where, when and for how much spatial data should be made available. The vision is for a network of interoperable components, services and data sets that the end user can browse, download and use at his or her leisure but this model must be validated against the requirements and wishes of the end users. In order for this vision to be fulfilled, the end user must be canvassed for feedback into the process, to ensure that the resulting ESDI is truly "Serving the User".
(Palace of Congress, A Coruna, Spain).
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