Making public data accessible to every citizen is not solely about encouraging a better informed and more transparent society. It can also lead to economic gains, as a result of re-use or recombination of these data in creative ways. This is the perspective that has driven the European Commission to launch an Open Data Strategy, following the examples of other governments’ initiatives in the field – such as the US (data.gov), the UK (data.gov.uk) and very recently also the French Government (data.gouv.fr). This includes a commendable commitment from the Commission to make its own data available, but in the current atmosphere, its plans for open data across the member states may meet resistance.
“The real message I want to send to public authorities today is: don’t wait for this package [the Open Data Strategy] to become law. You can give your data away now, and generates revenue and jobs, and even save money from the better information and decisions that will flow”, Commission Vice-President Neelie Kroes said during a press conference on 12 December…