INSPIRE Knowledge Base

Malta - 2022: Country Fiche

Table of Contents
  • Introduction
  • State of Play
    • Coordination
    • Functioning and coordination of the infrastructure
    • Usage of the infrastructure for spatial information
    • Data Sharing Arrangements
    • Costs and Benefits
  • Key Facts and Figures. 
    • Monitoring Indicators
Introduction

As per Subsidiary Legislation 549.82 Infrastructure for Spatial Planning Regulations, as of 2021 the Planning Authority (PA) has assumed the role of the competent authority with regards to the INSPIRE Directive. The Directive sets the minimum conditions for interoperable sharing and exchange of spatial data across Europe as part of a larger European Interoperability Framework and the e-Government Action Plan that contributes to the Digital Single Market Agenda. Article 21 of INSPIRE Directive defines the basic principles for monitoring and reporting. More detailed implementing rules regarding INSPIRE monitoring and reporting have been adopted as Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1372 on the 19th August 2019.

This country fiche highlights the progress in the various areas of INSPIRE implementation. It includes information on monitoring 2021 acquired in December 2021 and Member States update.

State Of Play

A high-level view on the governance, use and impact of the INSPIRE Directive in Malta. More detailed information is available on the INSPIRE knowledge base.

Coordination

National Contact Point
Name of Public Authority: 
Planning Authority
Postal Address: 

Planning Authority

St.Francis Ravelin

Floriana

Malta

Contact Email: 
Click to email
Telephone Number: 
+356 2290 1650
Telefax Number: 
+356 2290 0000
National INSPIRE Website: 
https://msdi.data.gov.mt/
MIG Contacts: 
Contact Person: 
Omar Hili
Email: 
inspire@pa.org.mt
Contact Person: 
Frankie Farrugia
Email: 
inspire@pa.org.mt
Contact Person: 
Joseph Gauci
Email: 
inspire@pa.org.mt
Telephone Number: 
+356 2290 1578
MIG T Contacts: 
Contact Person: 
Omar Hili
Email: 
inspire@pa.org.mt
Contact Person: 
Frankie Farrugia
Email: 
inspire@pa.org.mt
Coordination Structure & Progress: 

Name of the public authority

Planning Authority

Contact information:

Mailing address

Planning Authority

St.Francis Ravelin

Floriana

Malta

Telephone number

+356 2290 0000

Email address

inspire.malta@pa.org.mt 

Organisation’s website URL

https://www.pa.org.mt/

Contact person (MIG-P Contact person)

Joseph Gauci

Telephone number

+356 2290 1578

Email address

Joseph.gauci@pa.org.mt

Contact person (MIG-T Contact person)

Omar Hili

Substitutes

Frankie Farrugia

Leanne Caruana Gould

Telephone number

 

+356 2290 1650  

+356 2290 1652

+356 2290 1651

Email address

omar.hili@pa.org.mt

frankie.farrugia@pa.org.mt

leanne.dalli@pa.org.mt

 

Progress

  • PA co-ordinates the implementation of the SDI programme. Through the Technical Governance Advisory group, it provides advisory services to the INSPIRE Team. The INSPIRE Team, which falls within PA, is a multi-disciplinary team that provides the resources for the programme. The INSPIRE Team also has the main co-ordination function that brings together the members of the INSPIRE Group. The INSPIRE Group is a multi-disciplinary group which is made up of representatives from various entities including public authorities (data owners and data providers) and data consumers.
  • Through the well-established structures and co-ordination of related initiatives, Malta has managed to achieve significant progress in the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive.

Functioning and coordination of the infrastructure

  • The Malta Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI), found at https://msdi.data.gov.mt , is a portal that shares geospatial information through graphical user interface and web services to the general public, public service and public sector organisations.
  • Further improvements were seen in data sharing and data/service compliance when compared to previous analysis, considering that; the spatial data infrastructure is continually being updated and the challenges encountered to gather and publish relevant geospatial data. Related metadata was made compliant to MD v2.0. The MSDI also acts as a common infrastructure that provides data sharing facilities to local public authorities that do not have the necessary geospatial infrastructure. 
  • Apart from the available network services, the MSDI offers a simplified approach to data sharing and use through the provision of an online electronic form request (eGoverment’s electronic forms), which automatically processes online requests for; metadata, download and view information. This service was upgraded to the new government’s Workflow Automation Service platform.
  • INSPIRE Directive and Data sharing updates are continuously performed through various communication channels to public authorities.
  • Connection to the MSDI is continually ensured with the EC INSPIRE geoportal and access to the infrastructure, datasets and metadata is available through the EC geoportal. 

Usage of the infrastructure for spatial information

  • The use of the INSPIRE infrastructure and its corresponding datasets, enabled Malta to obtain a clear picture of its available spatial data and identify gaps to ensure a complete spatial infrastructure. It has also brought together a network of data providers with the aim of streamlining spatial requirements in the creation of new data. This can be seen from the diversified and continuous requests for personal use and requests from the industrial and academic sector.

Data sharing arrangements

  • In order to have a common approach to data sharing agreements, a set of data sharing guidelines have been referred to all government entities which serves as a common guide when creating agreements for data sharing. The guidelines are based on “INSPIRE Guidelines on the Regulation on access”, “INSPIRE – Good practice in data and service sharing”. Furthermore, the initiatives to transpose the guidelines into Government policy was concluded.
  • All the current downloadable and viewable datasets within the Malta INSPIRE Geoportal (MSDI) are available at no cost.

Costs and benefits

  • The cumulative estimated costs, covering the period from January 2016 till December 2021, consist of:  IT infrastructure costs €53 000 interoperability/compliance cost €226 000 and human resource effort costs €824,000. The effort cost is an aggregation of the efforts used for administration and upkeep of the Malta geoportal, Monitoring and Reporting, general co-ordination and support and co-ordination of horizontal measures. The human resource effort costs exclude effort required for the INSPIRE Directive implementation by stakeholders (data owners and public authorities).
  • There are many benefits that can be derived from the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive, some of which include the relocation of spatial datasets to a central repository which facilitates data discovery, the use of common technical standards that allow interoperability amongst public authorities and member states, and the sharing and reuse of spatial data using a common infrastructure.
Key facts and figures