ENFORCE Launches Survey on Data Readiness Levels for Environmental Data
ENFORCE has launched a new survey aimed at supporting the co-development of a Data Readiness Level (DRL) framework for community-generated environmental data and its use in compliance, judicial, and regulatory contexts.
The DRL framework seeks to provide structured criteria for assessing how ready environmental data—particularly data produced through citizen science and community-led initiatives—is for use in enforcement, policy-making, and legal processes. To ensure the framework is both robust and practically applicable, ENFORCE is gathering insights from professionals and experienced practitioners working across environmental science, citizen science, policy, law, and technology.
About the Survey
The survey has been designed to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of data use in environmental compliance. As such, some questions may be challenging by design. There are no right or wrong answers; instead, respondents are encouraged to share candid perspectives based on their expertise and experience.
The final open-ended question offers participants the opportunity to provide constructive feedback on the proposed DRL framework, including suggestions for refinement or potential changes.
- Estimated time required: approximately 20 minutes
- Deadline: 31 January 2026
- Language: English
- Survey link: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/EC_DRL_survey
Who Should Participate
Due to the complexity of the questionnaire, this survey is primarily targeted at professionals and/or experienced citizen scientists. At this stage, it may not be suitable for occasional volunteers or contributors with limited experience in environmental data collection or use.
Participants are also encouraged to share the survey within their professional and citizen science networks, helping to ensure that the DRL framework reflects a wide range of perspectives and real-world needs, particularly in environmental compliance contexts.
What’s Next
Survey participants will be invited to take part in future online stakeholder workshops in 2026 and may also have the opportunity to contribute to a dedicated ENFORCE roundtable at ECSA 2026, taking place in Oulu in March 2026.
Through this collaborative process, ENFORCE aims to strengthen pathways for the effective use of community-generated environmental data in decision-making, enforcement, and policy implementation across Europe.
