Building digital sovereignty through authoritative European geodata

What if Europe spoke one consistent geographic language? That is the ambition behind EuroCoreReferenceMap, a new pan-European dataset now under development by the national mapping authorities of France, Germany and the Netherlands, working together with their membership association, EuroGeographics.

Designed specifically to support EU policymakers, the initiative will combine authoritative national data into a single, harmonized large-scale reference dataset. For the first time, core geospatial information from across all EU Member States and Switzerland will be brought together in a consistent and trusted framework for cross-border decision-making. The longer-term ambition is to expand coverage further across geographical Europe through official sources.

Three priority themes

The dataset focuses on three EU priority themes that underpin many policy decisions: administrative boundaries, transport networks, and hydrography. Developed through a production process rooted in national expertise, it integrates these essential layers into one coherent framework.

The initiative builds on the success of Open Maps For Europe 2 and will run until the end of 2028. The EuroCoreReferenceMap Consortium – IGN France, Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, Kadaster and EuroGeographics – has committed significant investment to its development, with endorsement from Europe’s National Mapping, Cadastral and Land Registration Authorities at the association’s 2025 General Assembly.

“Geospatial data from our members is a vital component of Europe's critical infrastructure and one of its most valuable sovereign assets for evidence-based decision-making," says Angela Baker, head of operations and data at EuroGeographics.

"EuroCoreReferenceMap further strengthens Europe's digital sovereignty by making authoritative pan-European data more interoperable, accessible and useable. This enhanced capability supports EU‑wide systems and enables cross‑domain applications for Europe’s strategic priorities – from security and climate resilience to sustainable mobility.”

New era for authoritative geospatial data

Nicolas Paparoditis, deputy director‑general, IGN France and Member of EuroGeographics Management Board, explains: “OME2 showed how effectively Europe’s national mapping authorities can collaborate to transform EU high‑value data requirements into a practical solution aligned with UN-GGIM recommendations. Our continued work in geospatial data harmonization supports Member States by reducing duplication and promoting reusable techniques and shared good practices.”

Pier-Giorgio Zaccheddu, head of the General Policy Geoinformation unit and member of EuroGeographics management board, adds: "EuroCoreReferenceMap marks a new era for authoritative geospatial data, establishing a pan‑European geospatial reference framework. As the foundation for a future European geospatial data infrastructure, this enables the integration of critical environmental and statistical datasets, empowering decision-makers to respond to cross-border challenges with confidence.”

Cora Smelik, member of the executive board of Kadaster Netherlands and member of the EuroGeographics management board, concludes: “High quality and reliability define the work of EuroGeographics members. Through our production process, harmonization and generalization tools, EuroCoreReferenceMap delivers consistent, authoritative data, enhances decision-making by simplifying complex geographic information, and improves usability whilst also strengthening the data‑sharing capabilities essential for the single market.”