European Organisation for Experimental
Photogrammetric Research1)
97
Prof. dr. ir. W. SCHERMERHORN:
In 1951 the Belgian delegation in the Committee for Scientific and
Technical Matters of the OEEC launched a proposal to create „a group
of experts to study important cartographic questions". In view of the
need of maps in developed and in underdeveloped new countries and
of the necessity to increase productive capacity of existing mapping
agencies, it was considered desirable to coordinate the experiments
carried out so far and to give them a more systematic character. The
limited scope of experimental work, in particular in the application
of air photography to map making, was considered as a hindrance to
production. The results obtained so far were considered as fragmentary
and progress was not in accordance with the needs of many agencies
in spite of the high costs involved in experimental work carried out by
individual institutes and agencies. The Belgian Delegation proposed
originally the creation of a European Experimental Centre for Photo
grammetric Studies and Development, operated jointly by the countries,
interested in this question. This was meant as an example of a solution,
which might make it possible to remove the obstacles in development
and effectively to speed up the necessary cartographic production.
After a proposal to establish a working group had been accepted by
the Council of the OEEC the member-countries of this organisation
were invited to appoint representatives in working group No. 7 of
the Committee for Scientific and Technical Matter of the OEEC.
This working group started its discussions on January 21, 1952.
In several following meetings delegates from Austria, Belgium, Can
ada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland,
the United Kingdom and an observer from the United States very
soon came to the conclusion that the establishment of an entirely new
institute for this purpose would be impossible and even undesirable.
The main activity of an official intergovernmental organisation would
be the coordination of experimental work, collecting results of this
work which should be carried out in accordance with certain directions,
set up by an international scientific committee in order to obtain
sufficient data for statistical treatment of the results which would
permit to draw certain conclusions. A second strong point in favour of
an intergovernmental organisation was a better chance for the ex
change of photographic material between the various countries and
providing the national agencies with the means necessary to take-part
in such an international program of experimental research.
In this respect many discussions took place about the relation be
tween such an organisation and the International Society of Photo-
grammetry. The difference is that the latter is an organisation without
1) Overgenomen uit „Photogrammetria" 1952-1953 nr. 4.
