Towards the MAP Data Policy implementation in the Mediterranean

For the first time the Barcelona Convention has its own Data Policy, developed by INFO/RAC and approved by the Contracting Parties at the end of 2021 (COP21 – Turkey).

It is a success of the whole MAP Barcelona Convention System, neverthless some steps more still need to be achieved.

With the approval of the general MAP Data Policy in the Mediterranean Sea, it is opening a new phase of bilateral negotiations with INFO/RAC to define and tune the levels of access to the various datasets and data flows.

In the current biennium, Contracting Parties, MAP CU, RACs and Mediterranean experts will cooperate with INFO/RAC in order to identify the datasets to share as public without restrictions and the ones that will be aggregated to be used for the preparation of reports on sustainability and on the state of the marine-coastal environment.

Bilateral meetings with the Contracting Parties will allow the understanding of the national data policies, the definition of a digital transition plan and data embargo rules to bring most of the data to a free license and to identify the rules of sharing and usability for those data that cannot be liberalized. Consequently, a matrix of access levels will be defined for each category of identified datasets, in order to classify the various access rights and use of the data at the various user levels (thematic expert, Thematic Focal Point, Map Focal Point, RACs, citizens).

All the further agreed elements will be part of an Annex developed for each data flow, including possible exclusive and data protection agreements to better articulate roles and responsibilities. The document “Data Management policy”, already approved at the COP21 about the technical rules for sharing the data will guide the definition of the collection and storage formats some data.

In conclusion the process of implementation of the MAP Data Policy has just started and in the coming years each Contracting Party is invited to adapt its data to the sharing policies in place and make available the datasets into the InfoMAP system managed by INFO/RAC in order to make it effective and create a long-term decision support system for the environmental and clime protection.