EMOD-PACE

The EMODnet PArtnership for China and Europe, EMOD-PACE, is one of the two collaborative projects set up by EU and China to facilitate marine data exchange and diplomacy. The project is a  concrete step towards achieving the objectives of the Blue Partnership for the Ocean, signed by the EU and China on the 16th of July 2018. The Partnership followed the high-level conferences and forums during the EU-China Blue Year 2017 and was set out for a comprehensive and holistic cooperation in the domain of the oceans.

EMOD-PACE has been funded under the EU Partnership Instrument since 31 October 2019. In this project, partners are committed to looking at ways to optimise data sharing and user access between the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) and the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS). In particular the focus is on the interoperability between EMODnet geodata servers and NMDIS geodata servers. 

EMODnet is the long-term initiative launched in 2009 by the EU Commission's Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to ensure that European marine data will become easily accessible, interoperable, and free of restrictions on use. With EMODnet, EU has gained considerable experience over the past decade with providing users access to a wide range of multidisciplinary open high-quality data at European level.                                                                                               NMDIS, founded in 1958, is a government funded public institution subordinated to the Ministry of Natural Resources of China. It is responsible for the management of national marine data and information resources, providing scientific stewardship for the national marine data as well as information and technical support for marine and maritime policies. 

Part of EMOD-PACE is to examine the suitability of different aspects facilitating the exchange and interoperability of data from different sources, such as open geospatial consortium web services, metadata and file format standards. The project delivers a searchable catalogue of EMODnet and NMDIS data that can be either downloaded or displayed in a web map. This catalogue exists in duplicate on both the EMODnet Central Portal and NMDIS portal.