The focus of the IOER Monitor and its system of indicators is to provide spatial information describing the condition (including the quality), the potentials, the environmental risks and the development of settlements, specifically the building stock, open spaces, the roadway network and the landscape quality.

According to the DPSIR-concept of the European Environment Agency particular attention is paid to the “state” (ratios of land usage, density of transport network, land productivity) as well as “pressure” (such as fragmentation, Zersiedlung (splintering) and land consumption) and remedial measures (“response” in particular ratios of protected areas).

Indicator values are calculated by evaluating land use data (land ratios), their relation to socio-economic data (number of residents and workplaces, GDP) as well as environmental data (soils, protected areas, etc.). Criteria for the selection of indicators are: data is available for the entire country and for various topics of interest; spatial comparison is enabled (homogeneous base data); temporal comparison is enabled (permanent availability of base data).

The IOER Monitor provides aggregate information to the INSPIRE topics of transport networks, waterway networks, protected areas (Annex 1), ground cover (Annex 2) as well as buildings, land usage, population distribution, protected areas, areas with natural risks (Annex 3).