"Open Source Observatory Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

OSOR Newsletter: Important Update (04/07/2024)

OSOR Newsletter Joins Interoperable Europe!

Back to work, the next steps for OSOR (07/06/2024)

Dear OSOR Readers, the OSOR newsletter is returning to your inboxes, and we’re excited to share the work we’ve accomplished over the past months and what lies ahead.

Switzerland mandates software source code disclosure for public sector: A legal milestone (07/06/2024)

Switzerland has enacted the "Federal Law on the Use of Electronic Means for the Fulfilment of Governmental Tasks" (EMBAG), establishing a mandatory requirement for open source software within public sector bodies. This legislative shift, championed by key figures such as Professor Dr. Matthias Stürmer, head of the Institute for Public Sector Transformation at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, signifies a paradigm shift in how governmental software development and procurement are approached.

Overview of EU legislation on free and open source software (25/06/2024)

There has been a lot of digital regulation created in the EU in the past three years. Some of these texts include clarifications that certain obligations, in certain situations, do not apply to free and open source software (FOSS). With this legislative cycle ending, and with many public sector entities looking to the European Union for guidance or inspiration, we've decided to gather the most recent texts which deal with defining FOSS in legislation.

Networking OSPOs in the EU (07/06/2024)

Open source programme offices (OSPOs) in public services from across the European Union are meeting regularly, aiming to align their approach on open source best practices. The exchange helps to build practical programs on free and open source in public services.

Dutch Government Publishes the second part of DigiD’s Source Code (25/06/2024)

In a move to enhance transparency and promote an open government, the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has released the second part of DigiD’s app Source Code. This decision follows a request made under the Open Government Act (Woo) in 2022, aiming to make the inner workings of the DigiD system available to the public.

Danish Government Explores Public Sector Open Source Solutions as Part of New Digitalisation Strategy (25/06/2024)

The Danish Government is embarking on a new initiative to explore the use of open source software in public administration. This decision follows a political agreement reached earlier this year within the governing coalition, setting in motion a broader digitalisation strategy.

New collaboration between Commit Global and Germany's Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (25/06/2024)

The "Digital Infrastructure for Humanitarian Assistance" project was officially launched at the German Embassy in Bucharest, bolstered by a €1.35 million commitment from Germany's Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This initiative, spearheaded by Code for Romania in partnership with Commit Global, seeks to create a global platform to enhance the delivery of humanitarian aid during crises.

SEMIC 2024 - join the session on Sharing and Reuse: boosting European interoperability (27/06/2024)

In this panel, high-level representatives of EU public services will discuss the potential of sharing and reusing IT solutions and the role of open source as drivers and technical pillars of the Interoperable Europe Act and its implementation. We will also explore the potential of multi-country initiatives (both existing and emerging) as effective tools to enhance the reuse of digital solutions and the interoperability of public services. Examples of initiatives are the European Digital Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs), the GovTech Incubator or the EU Open Source Catalogue.

Pass the SALT conference (03/07/2024)

Pass the SALT is a free, English-speaking conference focusing on free software and security. It features high-quality talks and workshops led by experts.

FrOSCon 2024 (17/08/2024)

FrOSCon is back for its 2024 edition these 17 and 18 August. Located in Bonn in Germany, the conference features a few talks in English and most in German. Last year, an entire track was devoted to the question of open source in the public sector and the European Accessibility Resource Centre AccessibleEU held a workshop on digital accessibility.

New country report on Bolivia (07/06/2024)

OSOR just published its new report on the state of OSS in Bolivia. With strong democratic and economic incentives and thanks to the work of the local open source community, Bolivia was prioritising open source as early as 2011. But what is mostly interesting about this case is how, through a comprehensive enforcement, the Agency for e-Government and Information and Communication Technologies (AGETIC) and the Council for Information and Communication Technologies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (CTIC-EPB) are facilitating the adoption and use of open source. For those of you who are curious, the CETIC-EPB collects each administrations’ Free Software and Open Standards Implementation Plan, which can provide valuable insight into the way administrations are adapting.

New country report on Singapore (07/06/2024)

OSOR also published its new report on Singapore.In this report, you will learn more on how an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset has allowed for innovation and the development of many OS tools thanks to the Open Government Products team. In a drastically different approach to the previous report, Singapore has created a separated unit as part of its digital agency to design new solutions without the burden of the administration's processes.

Solution of the month - June 2024 (25/06/2024)

Diia is developed by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, it is an app with access to citizen’s digital documents and government services. The application was created so that Ukrainians could interact with the state in a few clicks. Administrations can reuse the source code of this app as they long as they subscribe to the licensing agreement.

Interoperability, tools, and food for thought (28/02/2024)

With European elections in June and a changing of the Commission in winter, the legislative work in the institutions is entering a slower period. A new five-year cycle will begin in the summer, and many are using this time to pour their imagination into what could be achieved through a renewed Parliament and Commission.

The Interoperable Europe Act and the open source community, adoption, FOSDEM, and assessment guidelines: (16/02/2024)

The IEA adoption will impact the open source community. If you missed the details of this legislation and the potential it offers for the open source community, you can review the European Commission's presentation at FOSDEM in February 2024.

EDPB Unveils a new open source website auditing tool for data protection compliance checks (16/02/2024)

The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has introduced a user-friendly website auditing tool designed to enhance compliance checks for data protection. Developed under an SPE project contract by Jérôme GORIN, the EDPB Website Auditing Tool (EDPB WAT) is an open source project aimed at simplifying the collection, analysis, and reporting of evidence related to website trackers.

Finnish University of Applied Sciences Offers Free Courses to Support Open-Source Business Uptake (16/02/2024)

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) and the Finnish Centre of Open Systems and Solutions (COSS) have developed a series of lectures on the potential of open-source technologies for small businesses' digital transformation efforts and business development.

Reflecting on the First Session of the BDTI Essentials Online Course (16/02/2024)

Last week, we kicked off "Enabling a Data-informed Public Sector: An Introductory Course to BDTI Essentials" with an engaging first session. With a turnout of over 170 people from EU Member States and around the world and spanning sectors, the session was packed full of learning and interaction.

Open Source Camp for Kubernetes (18/04/2024)

Join this year's Open Source Camp on Kubernetes to learn more about the modern use of Kubernetes and cloud-native solutions in companies. By participating in the camp, you will get a chance to delve into the fascinating world of digital transformation and explore how companies, both local and global, continue to write their success stories through the clever use of these technologies.

Case Study:Open Source supporting Bratislava’s Innovation Strategies (16/02/2024)

The case study on Bratislava focuses on the varied ways in which open source is used in the city’s innovation strategies. In Bratislava, the Department of Innovation and Digital Services spearheads the city's digital transformation. Established in 2018, the department initially focused on revamping the city's website, bratislava.sk, and has since expanded its mandate to include projects like the Bratislava ID.

Slovakia Country report and factsheet update (16/02/2024)

The country report and the accompanying factsheet show how Slovakia is making gradual progress in open source policy development and implementation under the lead of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation (MIRRI).Slovakia’s legal framework contains commitments and mandates for increased OS use in public administration, although a greater takeup of OS has been mixed due to challenges in political commitment.

New country report on Singapore (19/02/2024)

OSOR just published its latest report on the state of open source in Singapore. You can learn about how the Smart Nation Digital Government Group is organising the state digitalisation. It is being supported by innovative organisation like the Open Government Products unit, which is the main creator of open source for the government.

LocalGov Drupal (19/02/2024)

LocalGov is a set of modules to provide services often provided by local governments. The modules work with the Drupal platform. The LocalGov community of individuals and companies work on development and each new customer finances a new feature which is then available to all existing users. With both Drupal and LocalGov released under the GNU GPL, all versions that are published are free and open source software.

OSOR’s and FOSS community’s 2024 work has already begun (30/01/2024)

Dear OSOR readers, 2024 is already off to a good start with partnerships, analysis and participation in events. A lot of the great work of 2023 in the public sector went into organisation of the use of open technologies - both for developing strategies and for implementation. We look forward to seeing what will be built on top of that work in 2024 and in OSOR we hope we contribute by making people aware of what's happening in other parts of the EU.

New partnerships for the french OSPO (30/01/2024)

The OSPO of the French government’s Interministerial Digital Directorate, DINUM, has announced a partnership with “DesCodeuses”. This continues DINUM’s approach to working with the open source community through formal partnerships. In particular, this partnership is expected to be a first step for longer-term collaboration between DINUM and DesCodeuses (Women Who Code) to facilitate participation of women in software development projects.

SCHOOLABY - Open Source distance learning (30/01/2024)

Known for the quality of their education system, Estonia provides its online E-education tool SCHOOLABY under the European Union Public Licence (EUPL).

Open Source and Free Software: Perspectives and Visions of Open Source Actors (30/01/2024)

A recent paper titled: “Open Source and Free Software: Perspectives and Visions of Open Source Actors” (in French) has been published by the OpenStudio group. Compiling 15 interviews, and providing an analysis of them, this white paper gives an overview of various actors of the French open source community. OpenStudio, a digital services company engaged in open source and a member of OW2 since 2023, has sought to contribute in its own way by publishing a white paper.

OW2con'24: European Open Source Conference Announces Call for Presentations (30/01/2024)

OW2con'24 has issued a call for presentations, seeking proposals that contribute to technical skills, imagination, and professional development. The primary theme for this year's presentations is "Open Source Funding."

FOSDEM 2024 (03/02/2024)

The 2024 edition of FOSDEM will be held as usual on 3-4 February 2024. FOSDEM operates as a bustling conference, boasting this edition's inclusion of 515 speakers, 482 events, and 65 tracks.

EU Open Source Policy Summit 2024 (02/02/2024)

The 10-year anniversary of the OpenForum Europe’s EU Open Source Policy Summit is taking place on 2 February 2024, just before FOSDEM. The Summit gathers an assembly of policymakers, open source businesses, community members, developers, foundations, and experts engaged in diverse digital policy matters.

OSPOlogyLive with Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (28/02/2024)

Join the third OSPOlogyLive Europe in Apeldoorn (part presentations, part roundtable sessions) to help organizations navigate Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs) operations and management in European regions. OSPOlogy Live is hosted by the OSPO at the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) and co-organized with Linux Foundation Europe, InnerSource Commons Foundation, Foundation for Public Code, LF Energy, OpenChain, SPDX, CHAOSS, TODO Group and OpenSSF projects.

Munich's Long History with Open Source in Public Administration (31/01/2024)

This case study is a retrospective on the policies and use of open source solutions in public administration in the German city of Munich. The OSOR team had the chance to exchange with the Munich City Hall’s IT Team, it@M. You will learn about Munich's ongoing 25+ year history of open source in public administration and its future.

New county report on the state of OSS in Nigeria (30/01/2024)

OSOR has just published the first version of its report on the state of open source in Nigeria. This report offers an overview of the country's recently initiated digital government reforms. Structuring 36 federated states, the Nigerian central government is also coordinating a wider policy work with the other member states of the African Union.

Signal (30/01/2024)

The Signal app allows for end-to-end encrypted messaging between devices, primarily phones. There are similar apps which are also free and open-source software but Signal is one of the few for which the server software is also free and open-source software. 2024 is its tenth year of active development. Signal was recommended by the European Commission in 2020.

A very positive 2023, thank you for 12 great months (19/12/2023)

As 2023 draws to a close, we look back and see a lot of positive news. Free and open source software is helping to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty, it's increasing transparency of government, it's giving public sector entities more control over their spending, and it's drawing countries and regions closer together through cooperation.

New study on the use of open source in German administrations (18/12/2023)

The recently published Bitkom Open Source Monitor 2023 highlights the surge in the adoption of open source software (OSS) across various sectors in Germany, particularly within public administration. The study, sponsored by PwC Germany and meticulously designed by industry experts, provides comprehensive insights into the trends and developments surrounding OSS in Germany.

Licence compliance for open source users (18/12/2023)

As we see a rise in the use of open source across EU administrations, the question of licence compliance is increasingly important. Hermine is an open source software aimed at assisting in the formulation of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) policies. Its primary objective is to provide a structured framework for systematically analysing FOSS licences. “The Hermine project originated from the aspiration to have a fully open source toolchain for handling open source compliance. During our work, we realised that most of the required building blocks for this toolchain were already available as open source and needed one last link on the licence analysis side.” Camille Moulin, project manager for Hermine at Inno³

France officials to use an open source alternative: Olvid (18/12/2023)

The French Prime Minister instructed government officials to uninstall popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal from their mobile devices due to security vulnerabilities. This directive came through a circular dated November 22nd. Instead, officials are mandated to switch to Olvid, a French-developed OS messaging application. The decision to promote Olvid is a significant boost for the app, created by cybersecurity experts Thomas Baignères and Matthieu Finiasz.

OASC Conference 2024 (16/01/2024)

Co-organised by the city of Rotterdam and Open & Agile Smart Cities, the OASC “Become Better Connected” conference will be held on 16-17 of January 2024. The global network is dedicated to aiding cities and communities worldwide in their digital transformation journey. Emphasizing collaboration and network strength, the conference's primary focus is on recalibrating and fortifying the network. Attendees are invited to contribute to this transformative conference, recognising the critical role of a robust network and collaborative approach in reshaping cities' digital landscapes.

New report on the state of open source in the Philippines (19/12/2023)

OSOR has just published its new report on the state of open source in the Philippines. It delves into the multiple attempt at regulating open source in the government and shows the resilience of its open source community throughout the decades.

Updated report on Belgium (19/12/2023)

With this update of the 2019 report, you can learn more about the open source initiatives in Belgium and its three regions. This update focuses on the grassroots movements that have shaped the current use of open source in public administrations.

Citizen Card Middleware (19/12/2023)

Citizen Card Middleware is the set of middleware software packages developed for Portugal's national ID card. It is released under the EUPL-1.2 and builds on top of other free and open source software packages. In Portugal it is used for document signing, tax declarations, healthcare and online banking. The software ensures the personal data is available to the owner but is protected from third parties. These same services are needed in all Member States and regions of Europe, making this package a candidate for software reuse and collaboration.

Good news as winter begins (27/11/2023)

The OSOR Turns 15 event was a big success, both online and in Brussels, and we wish to thank all the participants and congratulate the winners GeoTrek, gvSIG Suite and BlueHats. The importance of open source was highlighted right from the start, with the opening speeches of Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Veronica Gaffey, Director-General for Digital Services. The dynamic and progressive keynote by Francesca Bria, innovation economist and digitalisation expert, set the tone for further discussions. This was followed by Dutch Minister for Digitalisation Alexandra van Huffelen discussing transparency and UN Technology Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill explaining the need for international cooperation.

New report on the state of open source in China (30/11/2023)

OSOR has just published its new report on the state of open source in China. This report shows the particular approach adopted by the Chinese government when it comes to open source and innovation. Showcasing the recent international developments of China's open source policy, as well as its implication in wider organisations. The report also portrays the heavy involvement of the Chinese government in its industrial open source policy.

OSOR turned 15 and the OSOR Awards (23/11/2023)

On the 21st November OSOR celebrated 15 years of open-source advancement in public services with the OSOR Anniversary Conference and OSOR Awards 2023. Discover the highlights of the event and the three winners on the categories of 'OSOR Community Vote', 'Best open-source initiative', and 'Best open-source solution'.

CryptPad (27/11/2023)

CryptPad allows collaborative work on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. While it does not yet match all the features offered online by some well-known proprietary companies, it does cover the basic features and could be used wherever importance is placed on data security and on keeping data internal (thus preferring to avoid third-party services).

Dutch agenda for Digital Open Strategic Autonomy (27/11/2023)

The Dutch government, in October, published its agenda for Digital Open Strategic Autonomy (DOSA) alongside a letter to the House of Representatives from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate. The policy framework aims to address strategic dependencies in the digital sector while promoting open strategic autonomy.

New report on the state of open source in Mexico (30/11/2023)

This new report from OSOR on the state of open source in Mexico portrays how the government recently promoted the adoption of open source software at the federal level. It also retraces the history of the FOSS movement in Mexico's member states which influenced today's national policy.

European Parliament Adopts 2024 Budget: FOSSEPS 2 Pilot Project transitions to a Preparatory Action (27/11/2023)

In a decisive move underscoring their commitment to critical areas, the European Parliament (EP) and the Council formally ratified the EU's 2024 budget, marking a significant milestone in addressing pressing global challenges while bolstering support for research initiatives, youth empowerment, and combating external adversities.

Slovenia’s Na-prostem.si project - FOSS for the digital inclusion of NGOs and its users (27/11/2023)

Na-prostem.si was created in 2022 to facilitate an autonomous digital transformation for non-governmental/voluntary organisations and enhance the digital inclusion and proficiency of their users. Co-funded by the Ministry of Public Administration, the two-year project budget is 200,000.00 EUR. It was created with two primary objectives.

Moldova FOSS repository (27/11/2023)

Announced in June 2023, Moldova has now launched its OpenCode.md platform. This initiative, spearheaded by the company Diginet, centres on open source solutions which aim to achieve “Digital Public Goods” classification. Furthermore, the platform provides access to open content collections and open data.

Deutsche Bahn publishes an open source manifesto (27/11/2023)

German national railway company Deutsche Bahn wants to put its digitalisation on the right track. In early November, the company's digital arm, DB Systel, announced its open source manifesto. With the transition to open source, the logistics company plans to accelerate innovation, increase efficiency, ensure interoperability and build the organisation’s IT capabilities. DB Systelis Deutsche Bahn’s daughter company responsible for the digitalisation of the train giant.

"OSPOs for Good": Achieving SDGs with open source (27/11/2023)

A new report co-authored by researchers from the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), OSPO++ and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) highlights the benefits that open source can bring to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

EmacsConf 2023 (02/12/2023)

EmacsConf 2023 is taking place fully online. With a collaborative developer community that has been active for four decades, this two-day conference (Saturday & Sunday) may be beneficial for those in the public sector who are interested in how FOSS development communities work.

German OS AI startup raises €486 million in Series B financing (27/11/2023)

Aleph Alpha, a Heidelberg-based startup focused on open source large language models (LLM), has raised €486 million in its Series B financing round. Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck called the startup an “incredible success story.” Indeed, this was one of Europe’s largest AI rounds ever – Mistral AI, the French startup which also relies on open source for its model made a splash this June when it raised €105 million in its seed funding round.

Finnish large language model Poro to jolt the open source AI race (27/11/2023)

Finnish artificial intelligence startup Silo AI published a new open source large language model (LLM) on 12 November. The new model Poro, named after the typical Nordic tundra roaming reindeer, is the second significant open source LLM hailing from Europe after French Mistral AI. For the moment it covers Finnish, English and some coding languages, but Silo AI’s plan is to expand it to work for all 24 official European Union languages.

So many people, so many projects (26/10/2023)

With less than 4 weeks to our "OSOR turns 15" conference, we are thrilled to unveil our programme, crafted to inspire, inform, and ignite collaboration. Come to Brussels and listen to a visionary keynote from Francesca Bria, President of the Italian National Innovation Fund, and the line-up of national, regional and EU level public officials, researchers, and open source experts. Check the agenda for details and register here: https://osorturns15.eu/

Arthub Flanders- Collaboration for conservation (25/10/2023)

Arthub Flanders, developed in 2016, is a collaborative project between the Flemish Art Collection (VKC) and the Flemish archive institute. This innovative open source platform serves as a public discovery interface, offering users access to comprehensive information about the collections of Flanders' museums.

Linux Foundation publishes a report on OS challenges and opportunities in Europe (25/10/2023)

Linux Foundation (LF) published the European edition of its Global Spotlight 2023 Survey, “Exploring the State of European Open Source Innovation, Opportunities, and Challenges.”. The report highlights that while the value of open source is growing, the public sector is not seeing the growing value of OS perceived by others.

Open Source AI - Defining the public sector's future tool (25/10/2023)

The Open Source Initiative, which is responsible for overseeing the open source definition, has embarked on an initiative to define Open Source AI, including a series of workshops, webinars, and extensive discussions.

German state plans to build open source AI tool for public administration (25/10/2023)

The Schleswig-Holstein State Chancellery wants to create a language model that will assist the state administration in text production and processing. The tool, tailored specifically for public servants, aims to tackle text generation tasks.

Estonia invests €20 million into open source AI (25/10/2023)

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna announced the investment at the United Nations SDG Action Weekend. “By the end of this year, open source, reusable AI solution building blocks will be developed and made available as digital public goods with a total budget of 20 million euros” Minister Tsahkna said.

Where do we stand with the OS software supply chain? (25/10/2023)

Last week, Sonatype presented their annual Report on the State of the Software Supply Chain which looked at the patterns of open source (OS) maintenance, adoption and consumption.

From Strategy to Students: An Example of Practical Open Source Education (25/10/2023)

The Academy of Paris is using the open source Basthon software for Capytale - an online platform teaching digital skills to students in secondary school. Not only is the software open source, released under GPLv3, but the content shared on the platform is generally under the Creative Commons share-alike licence.

Register for the biggest 2023 open source conference in Brussels! (28/08/2023)

Registration for the conference "OSOR Turns 15: From Pioneering to Mainstreaming Open Technologies in Public Services” is now open. The OSOR community, together with open-source practitioners and enthusiasts, will gather on 21 November in Brussels to celebrate the European Commission Open Source Observatory’s (OSOR) 15th anniversary.

State of the Map Europe 2023 (10/11/2023)

After last year's session being held in Florence, this year, State of the Map Europe is coming to Antwerp, Belgium, to gather the OpenStreetMap community for three days. A combination of maintainers, OpenStreetMap users, and mappers, the conference also has a scientific track running for a whole day. Taking place from Friday 10th November to Sunday 12th, this event will provide the opportunity for its community to exchange best practices and use cases.

Updated report on the state of open source in Bulgaria (25/10/2023)

OSOR has just published the updated report on the state of open source in Bulgaria. This report shows the recent evolution of open source policy in Bulgaria and consolidate earlier finding on the enactment of the 2016 amendment to the eGovernment Act which mandated the use of open source software in public administration. The report also underscores the active involvement of the open source community in Bulgaria and projects such as the OpenFest or the work of the association Society.

Updated report on the state of open source in the Netherlands (25/10/2023)

The Netherlands has been actively promoting open source software (OSS) adoption within its government and public administration. This initiative is led by the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The BZK has conducted in-depth studies and reports to assess the feasibility of implementing an "open unless" policy, which mandates information sharing with citizens and, in turn, the sharing of source code. To drive this agenda, the BZK has established the BZK Open Source Programme Office (OSPO).

GNU social (26/10/2023)

GNU social is software for running a social media platform which can be public-facing or internal. It thus allows public administrations to use the features of a social network for communication among government entities, without any data having to leave their network, thus contributing to security and data privacy. This software was previously known as StatusNet and is funded by NLnet's NGI0 Discovery Fund, which in turn is financed by the European Commission's Next Generation Internet initiative

What data is your data? (02/10/2023)

What is data ownership? How do new regulations impact data ownership? Join data.europa academy’s webinar taking place online on Friday 8 December from 10.00 to 11.30 CET!

OSOR awards: Voting is open! (02/10/2023)

The OSOR Community Award, chosen by you out of 20 best projects preselected by the OSOR team and experts from the European Commission is open until 26 October 2023, 23:59 CEST. Pick your favourite solution or initiative to win the OSOR Community Award! You can read more about the projects by clicking on their individual entry pages and learning more through their websites.

Swedish public broadcaster serves audience with OSS (29/09/2023)

According to a recent report on the perceptions of open source at the Swedish national broadcasting company SVT, the organisation’s responsibility to the public goes hand in hand with a wider adoption of open source (OS) solutions. According to SVT, open source is “not only a matter of technology, but just as much a matter of transparency and public service.” The paper, prepared by Frida Hjelm, the OSPO lead at SVT, highlights the organisational attitudes and challenges of adopting OS solutions in the public sector. In a series of interviews with developers, managers and platform developers working at SVT, the author presents the difficulties of contributing to OS projects at SVT. SVT strongly depends on open source software, with the organisation’s GitHub containing 28 original repositories.

SWHID: Tracking past software for future humans (29/09/2023)

While most open source users in public administrations are developing better strategies for the future, there are also initiatives to document and catalogue its past. The Software Heritage initiative recently released its unique identifier system, the “SoftWare Hash IDentifiers” (SWHID), with the objective of creating a generalised way of tracking software packages and versions for users and developers. Similar to ISBNs for books or ISMNs for music, the SWHID would allow for a greater certainty in the use of software packages, creating a reliable identity for all users.

Digital Services Act Transparency Database (29/09/2023)

Established by the provisions of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the content moderation Transparency Database has been shared as open source. The DSA creates content moderation obligations for “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) and search engines (VLSEs). The objective of the regulation is to mitigate disinformation and harm online. Created so that companies identified as very large online platforms and search engines (VLOPs & VLSEs) can fulfil their obligations to communicate on their moderation decisions, this database will enhance transparency towards consumers. Platforms are required to submit their statements without undue delay after making a decision to take down content, and the Transparency Database’s software systems thus need to allow for nearly real-time updates.

Specificities of public sector OSPOs (29/09/2023)

There are a lot of discussions happening about forming public sector OSPOs. One question is how to define, or design, a public sector OSPO, and how the concept differs from a private sector OSPO. The distinction is not always clear, and there are sectors, such as academia, where the mixing of public and private is quite deep-rooted. But there do seem to be some general trends and these should be of interest to anyone thinking about the planning of a public sector OSPO. (OSOR also has a page of general information about OSPOs.)

France announces investment on open source in Artificial Intelligence (02/10/2023)

During a conference in June, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, took part in a discussion where he announced an investment of €40 million in open source large language models for AI. This announcement was made alongside Arthur Mensch, one of the co-founders of the recently established and well-funded open-source AI company, Mistral AI.

Germany invests in TYPO3 CMS (29/09/2023)

Earlier this year, OSOR reported the German Government's intention to transition its official content management system, the Government Site Builder (GSB), to a TYPO3-based system. The tender to make this plan a reality is now available on Germany's official procurement portal.

Interoperable Europe Academy launches a course in open source licensing (29/09/2023)

Interoperable Europe Academy released a new, free online course entitled “Introduction to open software licenses,” which covers the basics of open source licensing. The class targets IT professionals, policymakers and public servants working in the field of digitalisation and integration of public services who wish to better understand and apply OS licences in their ICT products and solutions. The lesson offers an interactive learning environment and should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

Presentations from the OSOR 27 September Webinar (02/10/2023)

OSOR organised its final webinar in its series on Policy & Strategy Aspects of OSS in Public Administration which took place online on 27 September from 13:00 - 15:00 CET. After looking at existing problems and describing the needs of the Public administration when it comes to open source, this last webinar focused on existing and future solutions for the Public sector.

South Tyrol Free Software Conference (SFSCON) 2023 (10/11/2023)

The South Tyrol Free Software Conference 2023 is a two-day event taking place in Italy. It is originally aimed at participants from Northern Italy, Austria and Switzerland ut has gain momentum over the years. You can still register to participate.

Ubuntu Summit 2023 (03/11/2023)

The Ubuntu Summit is an event focused on the Linux and Open Source ecosystem, beyond Ubuntu itself. Taking place in Latvia, this conference is the occasion for developers, industry stakeholders, and passionate people to meet.

Lutece Translation Hackathon (16/10/2023)

The City of Paris and BlueHats, invite you to participate in the first ever Lutece Translation Hackathon, lasting one week – commencing the 16th of October. As this project will focus on translation towards Spanish, Swedish, Czech, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, German, and more, we especially believe the OSOR community could be helpful to other fellow open source users and developer.

Firefox Translations (02/10/2023)

Firefox Translations performs in-browser translation for the Firefox browser. This is in contrast to most translation solutions which work by sending the text of webpages to a remote server. This is important for privacy in general, because sending this information equates to constantly informing a third-party of your web browsing activity, but also particularly for public administrations since sending such data to remote servers might raise issues for data protection rules. Development was supported with funding from the EU's Horizon 2020.

Re3gistry (29/08/2023)

Re3gistry is a data management system which can be used to organise and make data available in other systems, such as websites. Data can be tagged and linked and queried. The software, released under the EUPL, is mature and very well documented, including a 13-minute video showing how to set up and use it. It has multi-lingual support, an API, bulk import features and lots of features to make it easy to access your data while avoiding methods that often lead to human error.

15 years of OSOR: Award submissions & conference registration open! (30/08/2023)

Registration is open for the 15th anniversary of OSOR on 21 November in Brussels and online! The conference “OSOR Turns 15: From Pioneering to Mainstreaming Open Technologies in Public Services” will gather movers and shakers of open source in public services and celebrate the best solutions and initiatives in the OSOR Awards Ceremony.

Open Source Software Country Intelligence Report Germany (29/08/2023)

The OSOR team has just released the update on the report concerning the state of open source in Germany. It highlights the recent drive for greater employment of open source at the federal level. Through initiatives like the establishment of ZenDiS, a structure resembling an OSPO, and the progress made in creating a sovereign cloud, you will gain insights into one of the vanguards of open source policy in the EU.

The OSOR Awards 2023 (28/08/2023)

Last month we shared with you the announcement for the OSOR awards 2023. Don't miss the chance to participate until the 21st September and maybe present your project at the 15 years anniversary of OSOR !

Case Study: Open source in Galicia, Spain: The Mancomún Project (29/08/2023)

OSOR published a new case study on Mancomún, an initiative of the Galician Government, launched in 2006, to encourage and facilitate the use of free and open source software (FOSS) in Galicia.This study aims to investigate the origin and evolution of Mancomún and its progress toward its aims.

Register for the OSOR Webinar on OSS strategies: Solutions for the Public SectorOSOR Webinar on OSS strategies: Solutions for Public Sector (28/08/2023)

Join the third and last event of the series on open source software strategies and implementations in the public sector organised by OSOR for the public administrations and private sector actors who directly engage in OSS in digitising EU’s public services. The event will take place online on 27 September from 13:00 - 15:00 CET.

International Open Source Collaboration for Climate (28/08/2023)

An open source software package from the Digital For Climate (D4C) consortium has recently received accreditation as a digital public good for its contribution to mitigating climate change. The accreditation has been done according to the DPGA standards.

Cremona's open source Journey (28/08/2023)

This article takes us back to one of the first case studies published in 2004, focusing on the early days of what would later become OSOR . It examines the case of the province of Cremona and features an interview with Gianni Bassini, who was the system administrator for the province at that time.

Preserving the Estonian language with open source (28/08/2023)

Estonia's newly-launched "Donate a speech" campaign—to improve language-processing technology for the Estonian language—is both hosted on free and open source software, and aims to advance the speech processing capabilities of its free and open source AI virtual assistant.

Spain’s New Open Science Strategy Positions OSS at the Forefront (28/08/2023)

Spain’s Ministry of Science and Technology has launched the country’s first National Strategy for Open Science (ENCA). Published in May, the Strategy aims to ensure that scientific research in Spain incorporates the principles of open science by 2027.

UK government prescribes open source in public procurement (28/08/2023)

The United Kingdom government has published an update to its Digital, Data and Technology Playbook. The document sets out key policies and guidance for how digital projects and programmes are assessed, procured and delivered in the UK government.

EC and UN seek OSS solutions for online safety (28/08/2023)

The European Commission and the United Nations have launched the third edition of Open Source Solutions for Sustainable Development Goals (OSS4SDG), a hackathon that brings together tech innovators to design open source solutions addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The focus of this year's edition is SDG 5, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls with digital solutions.

Festa do Software Livre (15/09/2023)

A Festa do Software Livre is a Portuguese Free Software Festival gathering various communities interested in open source. Started in 2004 by Humaneasy Consulting and ANSOL (Associação Nacional para o Software Livre) with the support of the Municipality of Moita, the Independent University and several entities and communities linked to Free Software, this festival was also held in 2018

Open Source Summit Europe 2023 (19/09/2023)

The 2023 Open source summit Europe of the Linux Foundation will be held in Bilbao, Spain, this September. An umbrella conference of 12 events, the summit will last 3 days and can be accessed virtually.

Bitkom Forum Open Source 2023 (27/09/2023)

With this year theme: "Open Source. Shaping together!". The forum offers a framework for sharing and discussing experiences and ideas. Organised by Bitkom, a digital companies association, the conference is at its 9th edition.

Scaling up our software infrastructure (26/07/2023)

Free and open source software gives everyone a software platform for their projects. It gives you software building blocks, a legal framework, and a tried-and-tested development model with top-class tools and services. This month's newsletter highlights how this allows solutions to scale to the needs of society.

The OSOR Awards 2023 for the best public sector OSS initiatives and solutions - call for submissions now open! (27/07/2023)

The European Commission's Open Source Observatory is excited to announce the call for submissions for the EU Public Sector Open Source Achievement Awards. The contest shines a spotlight on the exceptional open source initiatives and solutions developed for public services throughout Europe and provides a platform to showcase exemplary usage and creation of OSS, supporting its use in the public sector.

Diplomacy through open source: How the EU Digital COVID Certificates can support populations globally (25/07/2023)

The European Commission and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have launched a global digital health initiative aimed at strengthening health security. This collaboration will utilise the successful EU system of digital COVID-19 certification as the first building block of the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN), which aims to develop a range of digital products to improve health services for people worldwide.

Decidim is recognized as a Digital Public Good (25/07/2023)

Decidim has been added to the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA) Registry. The DPGA aims to promote digital public goods and create a fairer world. Recognition as a digital public good enhances the visibility and support for open projects that can address global challenges. To qualify as a digital public good, projects must meet the DPGA Standard, ensuring they embody open-source principles.

An Open source Journey: The case of Entur, a Norwegian example (25/07/2023)

In the latest edition of IEEE's Software, there is a special focus on open source in the public sector, presenting interesting cases of its adoption in Europe and the US. Among the featured case studies, one particularly captivating example revolves around Entur, a Norwegian public transport organisation that employs open source processes and tools to drive its digital transformation. This case study sheds light on the complexities and advantages of in-house open source development.

New paper explores Cybersecurity OSPO as a path to OSS resilience for governments (25/07/2023)

The German think-tank, Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, has released a policy brief suggesting governments establish a cybersecurity Open Source Program Office (OSPO) to enhance the security of Open Source Solutions (OSS). The proposal comes as policy-level demand for OSS cybersecurity continues to grow. The brief asserts that cybersecurity OSPOs could provide an efficient solution to the unique challenges of secure OSS development.

Berlin uses Open Source to fight climate change harms (26/07/2023)

In an effort to combat the impacts of climate change, CityLAB Berlin has developed Gieß den Kiez, a collaborative open-source tool designed to help citizens keep trees in their neighbourhoods healthy during dry periods. This innovative initiative was prompted by the exceptionally high temperatures recorded in 2018 and 2019, which presented a significant risk to the city's green spaces.

Open Source Strategy of the Saxon State Administration (25/07/2023)

A few months ago, OSOR shared the adoption of the Parliament of Saxony Open Source strategy. We then had the chance to discuss with Dr Daniel Gerber, spokesperson for digitalisation and network policy for Bündnisgrüne, who spearheaded the strategy. He recently shared with us the result of this work, and now the complete strategy has been made publicly available.

Decidim Fest 2023 - Call for proposals (18/10/2023)

Decidim Fest just opened its call for proposals. In this conference, the Meta Decidim community will be exploring how open source and democratic initiatives can use AI as a tool to help develop transparency and open technologies for the common good.

Open Source Software Country Intelligence Report Japan (26/07/2023)

The OSOR team has just published the report on the state of open source in Japan. Through regional intergovernmental collaboration, grassroots initiatives spreading across prefectures, and support to secure the software supply chain, this report showcases inspiring initiatives throughout Japan. While demonstrating similarities and differences to European approaches, Japan exhibits a significant investment in the open-source realm. You can also find a user-friendly factsheet summarising these findings.

Label (French Court of cassation) (27/07/2023)

France's Cour de cassation has released the software, named Label, that they use for marking up large bodies of text. The software is of general use but also has features specific for court rulings such as anonymisation and legal categorisation. Released under the MIT licence, this software fulfils a need that exists in every country, at multiple levels, and is a great candidate for wide reuse in the EU.