[A2k] EU consultation on reuse of public sector info

[Michelle Childs]

<snip>
The European Commission has recently published an online public
consultation to gather information from stakeholders on the
implementation, impact and scope of the Public Sector Information
Directive. The consultation is open until 31 July 2008 and its results
will feed into the review of the Directive.



http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=3DIP/08/1017&format=
=3DHTML&aged=3D0&language=3DEN&guiLanguage=3Den

Information from the Public Sector now easier to re-use in all Member
States. Easy enough? asks Commission in a new public consultation

Reference:  IP/08/1017    Date:  26/06/2008

IP/08/1017

Brussels, 26 June 2008
Information from the Public Sector now easier to re-use in all Member
States. Easy enough? asks Commission in a new public consultation
Public bodies produce, collect and share vast amounts of information,
such as meteorological, traffic and financial data, digital maps or
tourist information. This valuable Public Sector Information can be
the basis of new added value services, but it is often difficult for
businesses and individuals to re-use it. The EU's Public Sector
Information Directive of 2003 enhances the re-use of such information
across the EU. Transposition of the Directive has now been completed
in all 27 EU Member States, as the European Commission has now closed
an infringement case against Belgium for non-transposition of the
Directive. The Commission is currently evaluating the corresponding
national laws in preparation of a review of the Public Sector
Information Directive which is due by the end of 2008. It has launched
a public consultation towards this aim, which is open until 31 July
2008.

"When using your car navigation system, you are enjoying the services
built on public sector information. This is only one example out of
thousands. Public sector information is a very important resource for
Europe's digital industry," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for
Information Society and Media. "Now that the legislation is in place
in all Member States, we need to ensure that it is working in practice."

Public sector information is an extraordinary resource for the EU's
digital content industry. According to a survey made in 2006, the
overall market size for public sector information in the EU is
estimated at =80 27 billion. The EU's Public Sector Information
Directive aims to overcome market barriers such as unfair competitive
advantage for those public organisations that themselves commercialise
the information they generate over private companies through for
example cumbersome licensing procedures and high charges. Exclusive
arrangements awarded by public organisations to one company for
exploiting public sector information are to be terminated by end of
2008, thus unlocking important information resources for many re-
users. The Directive also obliges Member States to overcome lack of
information on availability of public sector information and to
clarify the conditions for its re-use. These measures are necessary to
create a single market for information and provide European companies
with a single set of rules.

All 27 EU Member States have now transposed the Directive in their
national laws. Belgium announced that it had done so on 8 May 2008,
following the judgement of the European Court of Justice of 13
December 2007 (C-2006/528).

The European Commission has recently published an online public
consultation to gather information from stakeholders on the
implementation, impact and scope of the Public Sector Information
Directive. The consultation is open until 31 July 2008 and its results
will feed into the review of the Directive.

Background:

The Public Sector Information Directive was adopted by the European
Parliament and the Council of Ministers in November 2003. It is aimed
to offer means for public sector bodies to enhance the re-use of their
information resources by setting up rules to deal with requests for re-
use or availability of documents. Member States had 18 months (until 1
July 2005) to transpose the Directive into their national laws. The
European Commission is monitoring the implementation of the Directive
in the Member Sates. The closure of the Belgian case (started by the
Commission on 12 October 2005 and submitted to the European Court of
Justice on 12 December 2006 (IP/06/1891) paves the way for a more
efficient application of these rules across the EU.

The Commission's public consultation document on the review of the
Public Sector Information Directive can be found on:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/psi/index_en.htm

Contributions to the public consultation can be sent to:

infso-psihelp@ec.europa.eu

---------
Michelle Childs
Head of European Affairs
  Knowledge Ecology International
www.keionline.org / www.cptech.org
Phone:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252
Email: michelle.childs@keionline.org