The European Commission steps forward on Open Data and PSI re-use

As so often repeated these days, data is the new fuel for the digital age. Considering the wide spectrum of opportunities Open Data may bring, it is no surprise that the EC plans how to keep shaking up the way public authorities share data. The following lines aim to be an overview of the EC developments so far on Open Data and Public Sector Information, as well as a review of future planned actions.

Logo European Commission

A Landmark Event: Data Workshop at the Digital Agenda Assembly 2011

The EC organized the first Digital Agenda Assembly in June 2011 to discuss advances with regards to the Digital Agenda objectives for Europe. With that aim, twenty-four thematic workshops and two plenary sessions were conducted. One of those events was the Open data and Re-use of Public Sector Information workshop, where different types of stakeholders congregated to collaborate with the Commission on developing its strategy for Open Data in the EU.

Khalil Rouhana (DG Information Society and Media Content & Cognitive Systems of the European Commission) made several key announcements in relation to Open Data policies in the EU during that workshop. We will focus briefly on these in the forthcoming sections.

The role of European Open Data portals

Open Data portals are aimed to be a key referral of the digital infrastructure bound for facilitating access to and re-use of Public Sector Information. Open Data portals have been -and are being- created around many EU Member States at all governmental levels. Given that the quantity of data published so far is relatively limited as compared to that potentially available for publication, the EC plans to publish two new central Open Data portals to facilitate access to European Open Data:

data.gov.eu screenshoot

  • The European Commission Open Data portal data.gov.eu, a portal easing the search for Commission data, as well as other EU institutions, bodies and agencies to citizens and industry. The portal, currently under developement, is expected to be released soon in 2012.
  • Pan-European Open Data portal, to make data from EU, national, regional and local administrations more easily available and re-usable. A prototype is expected to be released in 2013.

Review of the Directive on the Re-use of Public Sector Information

First adopted on November 17, 2003 and by now completely transposed to all member States, this original PSI Directive provided a minimal harmonisation of rules and procedures across the EU in order to facilitate cross-border re-use of the PSI. A proposal for a revision of the Directive, which is currently being discussed by the Union legislator, was presented in December 2011 to further open up the market for services based on PSI by:

  • Including new bodies in the scope of application of the Directive such as libraries, museums and archives.
  • Determining limits on the fees that can be charged by the public authorities at marginal costs.
  • Introducing independent oversight re-use rules in the Member States.
  • Making standard machine-readable formats for information held by public authorities.

Other Meaningful Previous Steps

That first Open Data and PSI workshop was a landmark event both in Open Data and PSI policies in the EU as well as in the way that the EC communicates these policies and interacts with the different stakeholders. Nevertheless, several steps forward were also made by the EC on the Open Data and PSI matters before this first Digital Agenda Workshop, such as:

December 2011: The Communication on Open Data

Following the first Digital Agenda workshop, the Commission adopted a Communication on Open Data by December 2011. In this Communication, the Commission proposes several actions to accomplish the objectives previously announced in the aforementioned DAE workshop:

  • To create a portal site for Commission-held information aiming at an expansion to other EU institutions, bodies and agencies at a later stage.
  • To work with the Member States on data formats and interoperability between existing sites.
  • To create a Pan-European umbrella site linking information held by EU institutions, bodies and agencies and by Member States.

First Update: New Data Workshop at the Digital Agenda Assembly 2012

In June 2012, the Digital Agenda Assembly 2012 housed a new Data Workshop where the European Commission Open Data and PSI roadmap was presented again, mainly:

It is also remarkable to recall the European overall bet for data handling, Open Data and Open Access, not only by Open Data policies and a regulatory strand (PSI Directive), but also by means of research, innovation and ICT deployment pilots and portals implemented through financial support instruments such as the FP7 and CIP-ICT-PSP 2011-13 R&D&I multiple programmes, that are currently almost gone but will have continuity with the new Horizon 2020 programme.

Horizon 2020 logoSome of the questions that lead this Workshop where:

European Data license

There is a strong need to investigate requirements for an European Data License, given that if we want to encourage use and reuse of data across European borders, there may be the need for a single cross-border license. Several questions then arise: Will one of the existing licenses do the job, or do we need a new one? If we do need a license, is there an obvious choice, or is something new required?

Release of Core Data

A first-priority task will be to identify and evangelise Open release of Core Reference Data, given that European Member States have already huge quantities of valuable data. Some of this data is now becoming freely available in certain Member States, but too much of it remains locked up behind odd rules and unsustainable cost-recovery models. It is also difficult to compare data between Member States.

Future Steps

In addition to all the work in progress that has been previously mentioned, and as announced by the Vice President of the Commission Mme Neelie Kroes, the EC also plans to continue developing their European strategy for the publication and reuse of public sector data from European institutions and the Member States, as established with Commission’s commitment to turn public data into business included in action 3 of the Digital Agenda for Europe Communication.

Some highlights of the future planned distributed actions include:

Services for publication, access and reuse of EU Open Public Data

A series of services will be purchased aimed at supporting the EU-wide availability of PSI and Open Data from public bodies at different governmental levels. These services will include:

  • The provision of data preparation, transformation and publication services, with a commitment to publish at least 15.000 new data sets from all EU Member States in machine readable formats, including Linked Open Data technologies.
  • Training services in the area of Open Data, in particular to favour the uptake of Linked Open Data technologies by public bodies within the European Union.
  • Provision of an IT advisory and consultancy service in the area of Open Data, and in particular on Linked Open Data technologies, including specific software development tasks.

The Open Data Reuse Incubator

Financial support instruments will continue to support several Open Data developments, notably, the FP7-ICT Work programme 2013 will help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to develop innovative applications in structured and unstructured digital content management and, particularly, in the reuse of open data through an Open Data Incubator.

This Incubator will establish an environment to:

  • Solicit open data reuse ideas from the general public and conduct a European wide open data reuse information campaign.
  • Publish and manage regularly scheduled calls for SMEs to submit mini-proposals to be funded for a period between six and twelve months.
  • Create a computing infrastructure where the winning mini-proposals will find accurate and up-to-date versions of the data they need for their services.
  • Establish a mechanism for connecting open data demand and supply by systematically contacting European public bodies for their open data and assisting them in the efficient and sustainable publication of such data.

Harmonization of Open Data initiatives

In response to the increasing clamour in search of harmonising Open Data initiatives, the European Union is financing projects such as “Harmonising Open Data in the Mediterranean through better access and Reuse of Public Sector Information – Homer”, which aims mainly to set up an effective strategy able to harmonise Open data policy and portals across the Mediterranean area, supporting regional and local governments.Homer Logo

New paths for growth

As important as political, structural and educational efforts, uncovering new paths for growth, in which Open Data possibilities about a given topic are explored, is also critical in order for Open Data and PSI re-use to advance. Some Open Data and PSI topics that are currently being explored by the European Commission are:

  • Cultural Data: The EU’s digital libraries initiative sets out to make all Europe’s cultural and scientific resources accessible to all, and preserve them for future generations. In this area it should be pointed out that recent Europeana’s move to CC0 is a step change in open data access, given that releasing data from across EU country sets an important new international precedent and a decisive move away from the world of closed and controlled data.

Europeana

  • Smart Cities: One of the greatest challenges facing the EU is how best to design and adapt cities into smart intelligent and sustainable environments. Smart urban technologies can make a major contribution in tackling urban challenges by breaking down boundaries between the sectors involved, ensuring adaptable and interoperable solutions and finding a way to use data transparently and openly, without breaching privacy.
  • Open Science: The European Commission outlined measures to improve access to scientific information produced in Europe. Broader and more rapid access to scientific papers and data will make it easier for researchers and businesses to build on the findings of public-funded research, boosting Europe’s innovation capacity and give citizens quicker access to the benefits of scientific discoveries. The Commission will make open access to scientific publications a general principle of Horizon 2020, the EU’s Research & Innovation funding programme for 2014-2020.

Networking, awareness raising and Dissemination

As seen from the last Digital Agenda Assembly Open Data conclusions above, networking, awareness raising, dissemination and outreach activities are considered key elements for the Open Data and PSI re-use market success at the EU. Complementary to legislation, the Commission supports deployment, support, awareness raising, and networking actions such as:

  • The Public Sector Information Group, an PSI expert group which includes representatives of 27 Member States that was set up by the EC to exchange good practices and initiatives supporting public sector information re-use and discuss and recommend solutions to challenges such as charging, exclusive agreements, development indicators for measuring public sector information and technology.
  • LAPSI, The European Thematic Network on Legal Aspects of Public Sector Information to become the main European point of reference for high-level policy discussions and strategic action on all legal issues related to the access and the re-use of the PSI, namely in the digital environment.
  • The European Data Forum, with a first meeting in Copenhagen (June 2012), and the next scheduled for Dublin in April 2013. It is a forum in which business actors, including a large number of SMEs, researchers and other stakeholders can come together to work out what a data economy really looks like.

The European Public Sector Information Platform

The EPSI Platform is Europe’s One-Stop Shop on Public Sector Information (PSI) Re-use which objective is the promotion of a dynamic PSI re-use market across the EU, a place where the different stakeholders can get all the relevant information about the European and international PSI re-use developments, emerging good practices, legislation, legal cases, examples of PSI re-use products and services, etc.

EPSI PlatformThe Platform provides news on European PSI developments, legal cases around re-use, good practices and examples of new products and services, covering the main PSI re-use markets. It follows and reports on a daily basis the developments of the PSI re-use/open-data/government-data policies, initiatives and/or projects in the EU and elsewhere.

Condiciones mínimas para la Estrategia RISP de la Agenda Digital de España

Dada la importancia de la Agenda Digital para España como documento que dirige la estrategia nacional en materia de Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación para los próximos años, no quiero dejar pasar la oportunidad de aportar mis comentarios sobre una de las medidas Open Data que se contemplan, en concreto la que propone la elaboración de una Estrategia y un Plan de acción de reutilización de la información del sector público.

Condiciones mínimas para la elaboración de una estrategia RISP

Mis sugerencias para la elaboracción de dicha estrategia y el consiguiente plan de acción son tan simples como seguir las buenas prácticas que permiten construir los pilares de una iniciativa sólida sobre una serie de condiciones mínimas que garanticen la viabilidad:

  • Contemplar explícitamente la transparencia, eficiencia, participación y el desarrollo económico como objetivos.
  • Fijar un calendario público claro y con objetivos concretos y medibles, teniendo en cuenta tanto los resultados a corto plazo como la sostenibilidad de la iniciativa a largo plazo.
  • Dotar económicamente a la iniciativa, de forma que se garantice su sostenibilidad y la financiación de las acciones previstas.
  • Crear una autoridad central que sirva como guía de los procesos previstos,  promueva las actuaciones necesarias para su ejecución y vele por la obtención de resultados.
  • Acometer la transición hacia una política en la que la publicación de toda la información disponible sea la opción por defecto, salvaguardando adecuadamente la información sensible.
  • Realizar un ejercicio previo de inventariado de la información existente y su descripción para poder planificar la publicación.
  • Incluir listados específicos con los conjuntos de datos que se deben publicar o, al menos, directrices detalladas para la selección de los datos.
  • Habilitar técnicamente la reutilización mediante la utilización de formatos abiertos, la harmonización de la información y de los estándares de publicación, la creación de identificadores únicos para los datos y un esquema de metadatos apropiado.
  • Mantener mecanismos de persistencia de los datos, incluyendo todo el ciclo de publicación, actualización, versionado y archivado, para que se pueda desarrollar un ecosistema capaz de explotar dichos datos.
  • Establecer procedimientos e infraestructuras de catalogación que permitan actualizar la información en tiempo real o con la periodicidad adecuada para cada caso concreto.
  • Proporcionar acceso abierto, completo y permanente a los conjuntos de datos en crudo (raw data) para garantizar el acceso a toda la información, sin detrimento de otros canales como APIs específicas que faciliten la reutilización.
  • Garantizar el acceso a los datos de forma gratuita, ilimitada y sin necesidad de justificación o identificación, eliminando cualquier restricción para la reutilización y estableciendo criterios claros y unificados en cuanto a las licencias aplicables.
  • Incluir el Open Data dentro del ciclo de contratación de la Administración, añadiendo requisitos de apertura y reutilización por defecto para cualquier sistema contratado y extendiendo dichos requisitos a los proveedores.
  • Evangelizar y formar en la publicación y uso de los datos, tanto de forma interna como externa a la Administración.
  • Potenciar sinergias contínuas entre la Administración y otros agentes externos como organizaciones no gubernamentales, instituciones académicas o grupos de expertos, con el objetivo de fomentar la participación pública y la colaboración.
  • Aplicar los principios de transparencia a la propia iniciativa, tanto en los mecanismos de participación y colaboración como con respecto a los resultados obtenidos.

Open Government, Open Data y Reutilización en la Agenda Digital de España

La Agenda Digital para España es el documento que define las líneas generales de la estrategia del Gobierno en materia de Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) para los próximos años con el objetivo de conseguir un mayor desarrollo económico y social.Agenda Digital para España

Tomado como punto de partida los resultados de diversos diagnósticos sobre la situación de la Sociedad de la Información en España, el Gobierno está trabajando en el desarrollo de una nueva Agenda Digital para España que establezca la hoja de ruta en materia TIC para converger con los objetivos de la Agenda Digital para Europa.

En esta nueva Agenda, podemos encontrar varias referencias a la importancia del Gobierno Abierto, la Apertura de Datos y la Reutilización de la Información en el sector público, áreas comúnmente conocidas como Open Government, Open Data y RISP.

Gobierno abierto, apertura de datos y reutilización en la Agenda Digital

A continuación se enumeran las distintas referencias al Open Government, Open Data y RISP que se encuentran en el documento:

Objetivo 2: Desarrollo de la economía digital

La industria de los contenidos digitales presenta un enorme potencial de crecimiento que la sitúa como uno de los sectores más relevantes para la economía digital y de aplicación transversal al resto de sectores de la economía.

  • 2.3 Impulsar la producción y distribución a través de Internet de contenidos digitales

Medida 3: Simplificar las condiciones para la reutilización de la información del Sector PúblicoParticipa.

  • 2.6 Potenciar industrias de futuro

Medida 3: Definir estándares que faciliten la reutilización de la información generada en el ámbito de las smart cities para el desarrollo de nuevos servicios – Participa.

Objetivo 3 Mejorar la e-Administración

La Agenda Digital considera fundamental conseguir un nuevo modelo de Administración que comparta sus datos con la sociedad para facilitar la generación de valor y conocimiento.

  • 3.1 Avanzar hacia una Administración integrada en la sociedad con servicios públicos de calidad centrados en ciudadanos y empresas.

Medida 4: Desarrollar una Estrategia de Gobierno Abierto en nuestras Administraciones Públicas que potencie la creación de valor público mediante una mayor transparencia, participación ciudadana y colaboración, dando acceso a la información y resultados obtenidos en la actividad administrativa y recogiendo sugerencias, comentarios y críticas que permitan diseñar los servicios en colaboración con los ciudadanos – Participa.

Medida 5: Elaborar una Estrategia y un Plan de acción de reutilización de la información del sector público para permitir el desarrollo de servicios de alto valor que contribuyan al impulso de la actividad económica y/o la generación de servicios de valor para ciudadanos y empresas – Participa.

  • 3.4 Establecer un nuevo modelo de administración electrónica basado en la cooperación y colaboración

Medida 1: Elaborar una estrategia de reutilización que permita compartir y reutilizar proyectos, servicios y aplicaciones de administración electrónica desarrollados por cualquier Administración y establecer foros de compartición de experiencias – Participa.

Medida 3: Crear los instrumentos necesarios para hacer posible una eficaz colaboración público-privada, mediante el establecimiento de un marco de relación que contribuya a dinamizar el mercado de las TIC, y mediante la creación de mecanismos que faciliten la creación y prestación de servicios electrónicos con la participación de terceros – Participa.

  • 3.5 Emplear la tecnología para proporcionar mejores servicios públicos

Área de Sanidad – Medida 7: Acceso en línea de los ciudadanos a su historia clínica digital desde cualquier punto por medio del DNIe – Participa.

Participa con tus propuestas

La elaboración de esta Agenda y los objetivos que en ella se marquen nos afecta a todos colectivamente, es por ello que el Gobierno considera necesario iniciar una consulta pública sobre la Agenda Digital hasta el 30 de Septiembre que sirva para incrementar la transparencia, fomentar la participación ciudadana y recibir comentarios o nuevas ideas y propuestas que permitan mejorar este proyecto común.

Desde proponer la adopción de una licencia única para los datos a nivel nacional, a la aplicación del decálogo Open Data y las Pautas para Políticas Open Data que favorezcan la armonización entre administraciones, pasando por una política de apertura y reutilización de aplicaciones como la aprobada en Euskadi, la creación de un centro de referencia y fomento del Open Data como el existente en el Reino Unido, o la posibilidad de proporcionar datos abiertos de utilidad para los consumidores como un botón azul para la sanidad o un botón verde que favorezca el ahorro energético. Las opciones son múltiples y ahora es el momento de dar tu opinión.

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