F2For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions as well as the theme-specific definitions set out in the Annexes shall apply:

1. 1.

   ‘abstract type’ means a type that cannot be instantiated, but which may have attributes and association roles,

2. 2.

   ‘association role’ means a value or object, to which a type has a relationship F10between spatial objects,

3. 3.

   ‘attribute’ means a characteristic F11which may have an impact on the environment,

4. 4.

   F3...

5. 5.

   ‘code list’ means an open enumeration that can be extended,

6. 6.

   ‘data type’ means a descriptor of a set of values that lack identity, in accordance with F2ISO/TS 19103:2005,

7. 7.

   ‘enumeration’ means a data type whose instances form a fixed list of named literal values. Attributes of an enumerated type may only take values from this list,

8. 8.

   ‘external object identifier’ means a unique object identifier which is published by the responsible body, which may be used by external applications to reference the spatial object,

9. 9.

   ‘identifier’ means a linguistically independent sequence of characters capable of uniquely and permanently identifying that with which it is associated, in accordance with F2EN ISO 19135:2007,

10. 10.

    ‘instantiate’ means to create an object that is conformant with the definition, attributes, association roles and constraints specified for the instantiated type,

11. 11.

    ‘layer’ means a basic unit of geographic information that may be requested as a map from a server in accordance with F2EN ISO 19128:2008,

12. 12.

    ‘life-cycle information’ means a set of properties of a spatial object that describe the temporal characteristics of a version of a spatial object or the changes between versions,

13. 13.

    ‘metadata element’ means a discrete unit of metadata, in accordance with F2EN ISO 19115:2005/AC:2008,

14. 14.

    ‘package’ means a general purpose mechanism for organizing elements into groups,

15. 15.

    ‘register’ means a set of files containing identifiers assigned to items with descriptions of the associated items, in accordance with F2EN ISO 19135:2007,

16. 16.

    ‘spatial object type’ means a classification of spatial objects,

17. 17.

    ‘style’ means a mapping from spatial object types and their properties and constraints to parameterized symbols used in drawing maps,

18. 18.

    ‘sub-type of’ means a relationship between a more specific type and a more general type, where the more specific type is fully consistent with the more general type and contains additional information, as adapted from F2ISO/TS 19103:2005,

19. 19.

    ‘type’ means spatial object type or data type,

20. 20.

    ‘voidable’ means that, for an attribute or association role a value of ‘void’ may be made available if no corresponding value is contained in the spatial data sets maintained by the F12appropriate authority or no corresponding value can be derived from existing values at reasonable costs. If an attribute or association role is not voidable, the table cell specifying its voidability is left blankF2,

21. 21.

    F4‘property’ means attribute or association role,

22. 22.

    ‘union type’ means a type consisting of one and only one of several alternatives (listed as member attributes), in accordance with ISO/TS 19103:2005,

23. 23.

    ‘association class’ means a type that defines additional properties on a relationship between two other types,

24. 24.

    ‘coverage’ means a spatial object that acts as a function to return values from its range for any direct position within its spatial, temporal or spatiotemporal domain, in accordance with ISO 19123:2007,

25. 25.

    ‘domain’ means a well-defined set, in accordance with ISO/TS 19103:2005,

26. 26.

    ‘range’ means a set of feature attribute values associated by a function with the elements of the domain of a coverage, in accordance with EN ISO 19123:2007,

27. 27.

    ‘rectified grid’ means a grid for which there is an affine transformation between the grid coordinates and the coordinates of a coordinate reference system, in accordance with EN ISO 19123:2007,

28. 28.

    ‘referenceable grid’ means a grid associated with a transformation that can be used to convert grid coordinate values into values of coordinates referenced to an external coordinate reference system, in accordance with EN ISO 19123:2007,

29. 29.

    ‘tessellation’ means a partitioning of a space into a set of conterminous subspaces having the same dimension as the space being partitioned. A tessellation in a 2D space consists of a set of non-overlapping polygons that entirely cover a region of interest,

30. 30.

    ‘narrower value’ means a value that has a hierarchical relationship to a more general parent valueF1,

31. 31.

    F5‘end point’ means the internet address used to directly call an operation provided by a spatial data service,

32. 32.

    ‘access point’ means an internet address containing a detailed description of a spatial data service, including a list of end points to allow its execution,

33. 33.

    ‘Invocable spatial data service’ means all of the following:

    1. (a)

       a spatial data service with metadata which fulfils the requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1205/20083,

    2. (b)

       a spatial data service with at least one resource locator that is an access point,

    3. (c)

       a spatial data service in conformity with a documented and publicly available set of technical specifications providing the information necessary for its execution,

34. 34.

    ‘interoperable spatial data service’ means an invocable spatial data service which fulfils the requirements of Annex VI,

35. 35.

    ‘harmonised spatial data service’ means an interoperable spatial data service which fulfils the requirements of Annex VII,

36. 36.

    ‘conformant spatial data set’ means a spatial data set which fulfils the requirements of this Regulation,

37. 37.

    ‘operation’ means an action supported by a spatial data service,

38. 38.

    ‘interface’ means the named set of operations that characterise the behaviour of an entity as defined by ISO 19119:2005.

39. 39.

    F9“appropriate authority” means—

    1. (a)

       in relation to England and Wales and Northern Ireland, the Secretary of State;

    2. (b)

       in relation to Scotland, the Scottish Ministers;

40. 40.

    any reference to a protected site designated under, or in relation to, Natura 2000 is to be read as a reference to a site which formed part of the Natura 2000 network immediately before exit day or which forms part of any similar or equivalent network under the legislation of any part of the United Kingdom after exit day.

Types that are common to several of the themes listed in F13Annexes 1, 2 and 3 to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1205/2008 shall conform to the definitions and constraints and include the attributes and association roles set out in Annex I.

The metadata describing a spatial data set shall include the following metadata elements required for interoperability:

1. Coordinate Reference System

Description of the coordinate reference system(s) used in the data set.

2. Temporal Reference System

Description of the temporal reference system(s) used in the data set.

This element is mandatory only if the spatial data set contains temporal information that does not refer to the default temporal reference system.

3. Encoding

Description of the computer language construct(s) specifying the representation of data objects in a record, file, message, storage device or transmission channel.

4. Topological Consistency

Correctness of the explicitly encoded topological characteristics of the data set as described by the scope.

This element is mandatory only if the data set includes types from the Generic Network Model and does not assure centreline topology (connectivity of centrelines) for the network.

5. Character Encoding

The character encoding used in the data set.

This element is mandatory only if an encoding is used that is not based on UTF-8.

F46.Spatial Representation Type

The method used to spatially represent geographic information.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The invocable spatial data services relating to the data contained in at least one conformant spatial data set shall fulfil the interoperability requirements set out in Annexes V and VI and, where practicable, the harmonisation requirements set-out in Annex VII.

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