Restricted access to european meteorology data
Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2004 3:39 pm
Hi all
For a long time in this forum the european amateurs in meteorology have discussed about the legal restrictions to the access of raw meteorology data in Europe.
Last year I have made an administrative request about this matter to the spanish parlament and this week I have received the answer.
In few words meteorology data are considering in Spain, and of course also in Europe, a dangerous item in hands of the general public and all the information must be previously filtered by specialized people that works in the Spanish Meteorology Service. In words of the political authorities:
"The forecast of meteorological risk situations involve complex activities. The complexity of the data need a scientific and specialized interpretation that is out of the capacities of the ordinary people and that in cases, could generate negative effects if this information would be pubblic.
In risk situations must be avoided the diffussion of contradictory informations, needed in these cases the existence of only one official voice"
This service has the obbligation to inform only the Civil Protection Administration and the Local and National autorities in case of meteorology risk.
The question now is if the National Meteorology Service doesn't inform in time, as in the Biesca case (99 deaths), should have some legal responsability?
As last thing you can have all this meteorological information paying a high fee. This also is a big gap, because the information should be restricted ever (as explained by the political authorities) in order to avoid the diffussion of contradictory voices.
Angelo
For a long time in this forum the european amateurs in meteorology have discussed about the legal restrictions to the access of raw meteorology data in Europe.
Last year I have made an administrative request about this matter to the spanish parlament and this week I have received the answer.
In few words meteorology data are considering in Spain, and of course also in Europe, a dangerous item in hands of the general public and all the information must be previously filtered by specialized people that works in the Spanish Meteorology Service. In words of the political authorities:
"The forecast of meteorological risk situations involve complex activities. The complexity of the data need a scientific and specialized interpretation that is out of the capacities of the ordinary people and that in cases, could generate negative effects if this information would be pubblic.
In risk situations must be avoided the diffussion of contradictory informations, needed in these cases the existence of only one official voice"
This service has the obbligation to inform only the Civil Protection Administration and the Local and National autorities in case of meteorology risk.
The question now is if the National Meteorology Service doesn't inform in time, as in the Biesca case (99 deaths), should have some legal responsability?
As last thing you can have all this meteorological information paying a high fee. This also is a big gap, because the information should be restricted ever (as explained by the political authorities) in order to avoid the diffussion of contradictory voices.
Angelo