National Council of Geolocated Information (CNIG)

The National Council of Geolocated Information (CNIG) is a consultative body placed under the ministers in charge of Ecological Transition and Territorial Development, tasked with (i) informing the government in the field of geolocated information and (ii) coordinating contributions from the relevant stakeholders. The permanent secretariat of the CNIG is provided by Ecolab.

Why CNIG ?

In the era of ecological planning, geolocated data is more essential than ever for steering public action. Energy sobriety and efficiency, preservation of agricultural lands, forests and natural areas, biodiversity conservation, development of sustainable agriculture, risk prevention, civil and military security, organization of our healthcare systems, developing infrastructure and more sustainable mobility, etc. All our policies rely on geolocated information. Beyond technical issues, mastering geolocated information is a strategic challenge.

The establishment of precise, interoperable, and widely shared databases is therefore fundamental in the face of increasingly complex systemic phenomena. In a world where public, private actors, and even individuals are data producers, establishing governance frameworks that preserve the sovereignty of our data and therefore the public policies that nourish them is essential to ensure a just and balanced democratic functioning. That is the entire role of the CNIG !

The specificity of the CNIG is to gather in one unique place the very wide variety of actors that make up the geodata ecosystem in France : ministries, public establishments, local authorities, private companies, professional associations, trade unions, citizen associations, who can meet, decide and co-produce together. More than 600 people have contributed in recent years to the work of the various CNIG commissions.

Its missions

Provide the Government and Parliament, particularly in the context of drafting laws, with the technical elements concerning geolocated information that can be mobilized in support of public policies;

Organize consultation and coordination among producers at all levels, particularly with local authorities;

Produce standards, guides, and recommendations for the production, dissemination, use, and processing of geolocated data to promote its use and guarantee its sovereignty;

Facilitate exchanges, foster innovation, animate the ecosystem, and serve as a place for forward-looking reflection;

Promote communication, information, awareness, and skill development on geolocated information.

Its values

Openness and collaboration: CNIG is a place for exchanges and consultation that is widely open; it has strength only in the gathering of actors who come to work together. It is a space for open and serene discussion, leading to co-constructed decisions.

Transparency: the minutes of the sessions are public and disseminated on the CNIG website. Participants declare their affiliations or interests.

Expertise: the best experts in their field participate in the working groups and commissions of the CNIG to produce standards, guides, technical opinions, forward-looking orientations…

Contact

For more information on the CNIG website : https://cnig.gouv.fr
The CNIG publishes a monthly newsletter info-CNIG. To subscribe : https://cnig.gouv.fr/info-cnig-la-lettre-d-information-du-cnig-a25957.html