Open Data in the EU © Photo Credit: lassedesignen - stock.adobe.com

Open Data in the EU

The public sector produces enormous quantities of data that forms valuable raw material for a data-based economy in Europe. The review of the PSI-Directive shows how this data can be made even more widely available.

Together with Deloitte (Belgium), WIK-Consult has prepared a study to review the PSI Directive, which now forms the basis for the proposals of the EU Commission. The Commission suggests extending the scope of the PSI directive (RL 2003/98/EG) to include data from public companies and publicly funded research projects. Furthermore, it sets out transparency requirements for public-private agreements to avoid exclusive arrangements for the use of public sector data. A next step will be a delegated act listing a set of high-value datasets that are to be provided in a timely manner and free of charge for re-use. As a result, the Commission expects 1.7 billion Euro in cost savings for EU public administrations.

 

Final report

Abstract

The 2003 Directive on Re-Use of Public Sector Information (PSI Directive) contributed to change Public Sector Bodies’ approach towards data, making them more open and re-usable. Further modifications in the Directive in 2013 also helped public authorities to become key players in the rising data economy. Today, considering the fast changing nature of the data market and the emergence of new trends, there is a new need of evaluating the performance of the PSI Directive and analysing how to make it relevant for the next 10 years. Based on the best data available, this study provides an assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and added value of the PSI Directive and builds on this to offer some policy options and perspectives for the future.

Study prepared for the European Commission DG Communications Networks, Content & Technology.

The study is available for download.