A preview of the 'OneGeology-Europe' (1GE) portal was organised on the first week of November 2009 at the Science Festival of Genoa, Italy.

The 1GE project aims to create dynamic geological map data of Europe available via the web. It will be an integrated data system which will allow to freely utilise through the web the first continental digital geological map at 1:1 000 000 scale, built up from 29 countries and European organisations. In order to achieve its target and obtain the geological picture of the whole of Europe, the project adopts the so called GeoSciML common language, which is currently being implemented worldwide.

Once 1GE is finalised, it will be possible to make comparisons, from a geological point of view, between the various EU countries, facilitating dialogues and benefiting of different experiences. It will be easier to draw strategic policies at community level and to define European best practices. Above all, the project will bring a substantial contribution to the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive, which aims to define at EU level the technical specifications for the exchange of spatial data and information.

The definitive version of the portal will be online at the end of 2010.

The 1GE project was officially launched on 11 September 2008 in Rome in the Institute for the Protection and Environmental Research (Instituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, ISPRA) Auditorium.

Further information:

• Website of the OneGeology-Europe project