European Network for Biodiversity Information

Why ENBI ?

ENBI major objectives

• European (EU/EC) contribution to GBIF.

• Open regional network of biodiversity information centers and projects.

• Interaction with EU/CHM, EEA, EIONET, and EPBRS. (Memorandum of Understanding with the European Environment Agency).

What will ENBI do?

• ENBI is a network, not a single research project.

• Obtain a picture of the future challenges and opportunities.

• Identify current and planned activities, as well as gaps.

• Agree on priorities and on options for future cooperation.

• Define and implement a number of feasibility and pilot projects.

• Interact with related information domains.

• ENBI will (presently) not act as the European GBIF node.

• Promote the continuity of ENBI.

Work plan

• The establishment of a strong Europe-wide biodiversity information network.

• Common approaches for the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity databases.

• Integration and interoperability of large-scale distributed database sites.

• Mechanisms to support the development of e-services and products.

Project components

Maintenance and enhancement of databases

Co-ordinationactivities

Forum for GBIFNational nodes

Dissemination IPR, Copyrights & financial issues

Sustainability &continuity

Products and e-services

Data integration, interoperability, and analysis

I

II

III

IV

Current Scope of ENBI

13 work packages accommodated in 4 clusters.

36 months, starting 1 January 2003

65 institutes, representing 24 countries.

- GBIF national nodes- Co-ordinators of relevant EU projects- Other stakeholders

Cluster I

- Network co-ordination- Co-ordination with GBIF- Strategies for sustainability and continuity of

European activities

ENBI Forums & Inventory of state-of-art.

Dissemination.

IPR, copyrights & business issues.

Co-ordinating activities.

Cluster II

Co-operation of pan-European checklist and ‘Species bank’ database projects.

Co-operation of pan-European databases on biological collections and specimens.

Observational survey data.

Maintenance, enhancement and presentation of bio-diversity databases.

Cluster III

Data management in large distributed biodiversity database systems.

Interoperability and common access.

Generic analysis tools and data mining.

Data integration, interoperability and analysis.

Cluster IV

Multi-lingual access.

Information services on European biodiversity data.

Making non-European biodiversity data in European repositories globally available.

Products and e-services.

Management structure

Members

Steering Committee (WP leaders)

Coordinator andManagement Committee

Links

Advisory Groups

Interaction with GBIF

• ENBI members will promote that more European countries will sign the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding.

• Transparency between the two communities of GBIF and ENBI to avoid duplication of effort or competing models.

• Option that ENBI will represent the European Commission in NODES (GBIF national nodes committee).

• Joint activities and sharing of budgets in common activities.

• Exchange experiences and compare models and activities with other regional networks (such as IABIN).

Looking ahead

• 6FP (ERA) initiatives– Integrated project ‘European Virtual Biodiversity Laboratory’

– Integrated project ‘Assembling the Tree of Life’

– Network of Excellence ‘Biodiversity databases’

• ERANET– Promote related national activities

– Multinational cooperation

• 7th Framework Programme

Contact: ENBI@SCIENCE.UVA.NL

The ENBI Coordinators:

Wouter Los & Cees HofUniversity of Amsterdam

P.O. Box 947661090 GT Amsterdam

The Netherlands

http://www.enbi.info/