One of the first steps for the set up of a spatial data infrastructure is obviously the creation of metadata standards and corresponding metadata catalogue. In Italy, the “Committee for technical rules for public administration spatial data”, established according to the national law on “Digital Administration Code” and including the participation of many public administrations involved in spatial data production, has worked on the development of rules for defining the metadata content of the National Metadata Catalogue, as well as the technical rules for the creation and updating of this catalogue of spatial datasets and services of general interest.
This document has been recently updated with the provisions of the INSPIRE Implementing Rules for Metadata. The main aim of the catalogue is to share and make easier the access to the spatial information created, maintained and updated by the Public Administrations: access to spatial data and services is possible through searching metadata. The access to the National Metadata Catalogue is totally free for everyone.
The present paper will present the work done within the project D.I.V.A. of the Italian Ministry of Environment and Protection of Land and Sea in order to achieve a full compliance of the Italian Metadata Catalogue with the INSPIRE Implementing Rules and its application for environmental purposes.
Several comparisons have been performed at different levels in order to check the level of conformity, including, INSPIRE Implementing Rules and Guidance, National proposal, ISO standards and common practise metadata information.
Particular attention has been given to practical tests of filling in metadata for environmental data. Several difficulties have been pointed out, that need to be well addressed with guidances in order to obtain correct metadata and correct use of data classification.
Furthermore, in order to connect the “official” catalogues with every day life, a subset of metadata with will be requested also at single-user level. The aim is to accustom GIS users to attach to all their files appropriate metadata without burden the same user with information not needed, or even not available, for a more restricted use
