The European Parliament's Environment Committee (ENVI) on 1 June 2026 debated the revision of the INSPIRE directive as part of the environmental omnibus simplification package, alongside an exchange of views on integrated wildfire risk management. Rapporteur Emma Wiesner (Renew, Sweden) presented a draft report that broadly supports the Commission's aim to simplify and align INSPIRE with horizontal data legislation, but warns against removing core instruments ensuring effectiveness. She proposes retaining targeted INSPIRE-specific requirements for interoperability and data sharing among public authorities.
Shadows from EPP (Esther Herranz García), S&D (Analisa Corvado), Greens/EFA (Rasmus Nordqvist, Denmark), and The Left (Valentina Palmisano, Italy) all welcomed simplification but stressed the need to preserve data quality, comparability, and specific spatial data standards. Greens/EFA questioned whether deleted articles on network services and data sharing are fully covered by the Open Data Directive, and raised concerns about water service providers' request to limit public access to spatial data. The Left emphasized not dismantling a functioning system. Commission representative Ewa Malz (Head of Unit) confirmed alignment with the rapporteur's approach, noted member states' support for keeping data-sharing provisions, and advised leaving third-party data issues to the parallel Data Governance Act revision. Amendments are due 10 June, with a vote in ENVI scheduled for 10 September and plenary in October.
The committee also held an exchange of views with Commissioners Hadja Lahbib (Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality) and Jessika Roswall (Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy) on the communication on integrated wildfire risk management. Lahbib stressed better coordination, preparedness (including AI-based early warning), and response (expanding the rescEU fleet). Roswall emphasized prevention through landscape management, CAP support, and ecosystem restoration, noting that land abandonment increases fire risk. MEPs broadly supported the integrated approach, with EPP calling for better cross-border coordination and linking prevention to existing rules.
The debate revealed a broad consensus on the need for simplification, but with a clear cleavage between those prioritising regulatory efficiency and those insisting on maintaining robust environmental data standards. The Commission's alignment with the rapporteur's cautious approach suggests a balanced outcome, though the Greens/EFA and The Left remain vigilant against any dilution of data-sharing obligations. The wildfire discussion saw cross-party support for an integrated strategy, with no major disagreements.
EU member states would benefit from reduced administrative burden under the INSPIRE revision, but environmental NGOs and data users may face reduced data quality if core requirements are weakened. The water service sector could gain from limited public access to spatial data, while the broader geospatial industry may face uncertainty pending alignment with the Data Governance Act. The wildfire proposals would primarily affect national civil protection agencies and farmers (via CAP landscape management), with positive impacts on ecosystem restoration and fire prevention.