Metadata discovery service - dataset metadata record required?

[arbakker]

I am currently working on improving the INSPIRE compliance of the Dutch national CSW service. While digging into this issue I ran into some questions.

Our discovery service is described by two metadata records:

• service metadata record
• dataset metadata record

Validating the dataset metadata against the ETF-validator (Conformance Class 2: 'INSPIRE data sets and data set series interoperability metadata') resulted in these errors:

The metadata record set has 1 record(s) with errors for this assertion. XML document '76327507-4be4-4f2a-8d0a-83ec36656177.xml', record '76327507-4be4-4f2a-8d0a-83ec36656177': At least one keyword must have the title 'GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0'.

The metadata record set has 1 record(s) with errors for this assertion. XML document '76327507-4be4-4f2a-8d0a-83ec36656177.xml', record '76327507-4be4-4f2a-8d0a-83ec36656177': The spatial representation type shall be given using at least one element gmd:spatialRepresentationType/gmd:MD_SpatialRepresentationTypeCode.

These validation issues seem impossible to address since:

• there is no suitable INSPIRE Data Theme for this dataset (the total collection of metadata records in the CSW)
• there is not suitable spatialRepresentationType for this dataset see codelist

This raises the question whether it is mandatory at all for INSPIRE compliance to publish dataset metadata of discovery services. I also looked at discovery services of Flanders, Luxemburg and Germany but found no dataset metadata records for discovery services. I could not find any documentation on guidelines describing in what situation publishing dataset metadata is mandatory and in what situation publishing service metadata is mandatory.

So in short, is it required by INSPIRE to publish dataset metadata for a discovery service en where can I find the relevant documentation?

[heidivanparys]

As far as I can see, it is not mandatory to publish INSPIRE dataset metadata for the dataset containing the metadata records of the INSPIRE datasets.

Documentation:

Article 4 of the Directive:

1. This Directive shall cover spatial data sets which fulfil the following conditions: [...] (d) they relate to one or more of the themes listed in Annex I, II or III.
2. [...]

The dataset containing the metadata records does not relate itself to one or more of the themes listed in Annex I, II, or III.

The Annex of the IR metadata says:

If the resource is a spatial data service, this metadata element identifies, where relevant, the target spatial data set(s) of the service through their unique resource identifiers (URI).

The TG for discovery services says that the Coupled Resource is not applicable to discovery services.

So that also proofs that no dataset metadata is expected in the context of INSPIRE.

[arbakker]

@heidivanparys thanks for the detailed explanation why dataset metadata is not mandated by INSPIRE for discovery services! Much appreciated 👍