The IPA Network is keen to encourage the use of its data for conservation purposes and planning purposes. To ensure that the user understands and complies with the conditions of use of the data, all users are required to complete a copy of the data access contract before access to data will be granted.

Data will be provided after a completed and signed data access contract has been received and the following conditions have been agreed to:

1.1 The data must not be passed to third parties.

1.2 The data will not be used for purposes other than those specified on the data access contract. 

1.3 The use of IPA data shall be acknowledged in all publications and reports and must include a suitable citation, which will be provided on the data access contract.

1.4 The following credit must be included:

 Includes information provided by partners of the Global IPA Network and accessed via the IPA database Plantlife Important Plant Areas (plantlifeipa.org)

 With thanks to all the individuals and institutions of the Global IPA Network who have been involved in the identification of IPAs and provided data to the Plantlife IPA database.

1.5 Permission to use the supplied data shall expire after completion of the work for which the data were supplied, or after one year, whichever is the shorter. (If you need to use the data for a longer period, please contact Plantlife International on enquiries@plantlife.org.uk

1.6 No income shall be obtained from use or provision of the international dataset without the agreement of Plantlife International.

1.7 Recipients of the data shall inform Plantlife International of any errors detected or more recent information that they know to be available.

1.8 The statements made on the data access contract must be correct.

1.9 The following paragraph can be used to support supplied IPA data and explains what Important Plant Areas are:

IPAs are the most important places in the world for wild plant and fungal diversity. They are key sites for exceptional botanical richness, rare, threatened and socio-economically valuable plant species as well as rare and threatened habitats.  For more information, please click here.

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2. Data Access for interested parties within the IPA network* (the IPA Network includes Partners who have worked with Plantlife historically and provided information (site and GIS) for inclusion in the database 

2.1 Within the network of National IPA Partners the principle of “no restrictions to use” applies.

2.2 National IPA Partners may use the international dataset for purposes that support the aims of the IPA Programme including supporting implementation of regional work plans, production of internal reports, supporting funding proposals and putting national data in regional or global context.

2.3 Plantlife may use the international dataset for supporting implementation of the European Plant Conservation Strategy and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation strategy, periodic international overviews, scientific papers and summary reports, either on paper or electronically (including the Plantlife and Planta Europa web sites).

2.4 Each National IPA Partner may make their national dataset available for non-commercial conservation¹ purposes outside of the IPA Network, either on paper or electronically.

2.5 Plantlife may make the international dataset available for non-commercial conservation¹ purposes outside of the IPA network, either on paper or electronically.

2.6 Each National IPA Partner may make their national dataset available for commercial conservation³ purposes outside of the IPA Network², either on paper or electronically.

2.7 Plantlife may make the international dataset available for commercial conservation³ purposes outside of the IPA network², either on paper or electronically ONLY after consultation with, and agreement of, the National IPA Partners.

2.8 Before data are provided outside of the IPA Network², where appropriate, a data access contract must be completed, including acceptance of the conditions of use.

2.9 Plantlife will consult with the National IPA Partners before acting on any data request that is in contradiction of the IPA Programme.

¹ non-commercial conservation Examples of non-commercial conservation purposes would include making datasets available to the following types of organisations: - International non-governmental conservation organisations e.g. IUCN, Fauna and Flora International, WWF, Wetlands International, etc - Secretariat's of international conventions e.g. Ramsar, CMS, CITES, Berne - International scientific and research institutions, libraries and universities requesting data for non-commercial conservation purposes

² outside of IPA Network - scientific/research organisations/individuals, governments and governmental agencies, conventions and treaties, consultants, general public

³ commercial conservation Examples of commercial conservation purposes would include making datasets available to the following types of companies: - manufacturing industry, petrochemical/pharmaceutical/mineral extraction companies Note: These lists are by no means comprehensive. It is also realised that the use to which the data requested will be put may be of greater importance than the type of organisation requesting the data i.e. a non-commercial organisation may be using data for commercial gain and vice versa. Therefore this should be assessed on a case by case basis.

3. Costs and Charges 

3.1 Within the IPA Network access to all data is free.

3.2 Outside of the IPA Network access to the international dataset is, in principle, free. However, Plantlife may charge for analysis and data handling costs and these charges will be retained to manage and maintain the international dataset.

3.3 Each National IPA Partners may charge for access to their national data outside of the IPA network, where appropriate. Each National IPA Partner decides such charges.