REMSSBOT: a general survey

Most public administrations have already some environmental management systems or subsystems in place, which are usually incompatible. An obvious way to remedy this patchwork of systems and information would be to redesign and implement a new IT system from scratch, taking all user requirements into account. The REMSSBOT project (EU DG XIII, Telematics Application Programme) aims at overcoming these disadvantages by offering integral management using an innovative telematic solution. Public administrations of the regions Piemonte (IT), Attica (GR) and Scheldt (NL, B) participate in the project. The REMSSBOT approach is based on a catalogue conforming to the guidelines of the European Environment Agency (EEA). The project‐supporting tools and building blocks allow users to navigate through the catalogue and explore information sources, regardless of environmental topic and location. Based on such a design approach, three software applications (demonstrators) have been implemented in the participating regions, which prove the feasibility of using a catalogue‐driven approach to implement worthy applications at relatively low cost and with reduced effort.