Open data as the standard for Europe? A critical analysis of the European Commission’s proposal to amend the PSI Directive
Abstract
In December 2011, the European Commission adopted its Open Data Strategy, aiming to make open data the standard in the Member States of the European Union. The strategy included a proposal to revise the 2003 Directive on the re-use of public sector information (PSI directive). This proposal has been discussed in a trialogue procedure and the Council's Committee of Permanent Representatives has adopted a final text on the 10th of April.
This paper critically analyses the proposed amendments of the European Commission, the Parliament and the Council, against the background of the policy and practice experiences relating to PSI in the Member States and the recent developments relating to open data. It assesses to which extent the possible changes to the directive will impact open data policy and practice and whether the legal barriers that are currently in place will actually be removed.
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