Digital Agenda - letter to the European Commission

Paris, March, the 30th, 2010. Press release.

April publishes a letter to the European Commission supporting Commissioner Neelie Kroes' approach in favor of open standards and interoperability in the digital agenda.

At the European level, open standards and interoperability are endangered and could disappear from European Union's digital policy agenda. Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner in charge of Digital Strategy (and former European Commissioner for Competition), is currently drafting the agenda for Europe's digital policy.

PC INpact revealed last week a working version of the document titled "A Digital Agenda for Europe - A policy for smart growth and innovation in a digital society". The article indicates that Neelie Kroes suffers pressure through the Directorate General Enterprise to remove open standards and interoperability concepts from the agenda.

These pressures come within a context in which proprietary software lobbies, Microsoft at their head, are trying to revise downward the open standard definition. See especially "EIF 2.0: lettres ouvertes à la Commission européenne pour sauvegarder l'interopérabilité".

« Open standards undeniably play a positive role for digital economy. April therefore rejoices to see that Commissioner Kroes identified them as such and wishes to use them to fullful EU's digital agenda. Given the crucial interest of open standards for competition, innovation and inclusion of all in the European market, we don't doubt that Commissioners Almunia Mira, Tajani and Barnier will support Mrs Kroes taking steps » declares Tangui Morlier, president of April.

« By appointing a vice-president to the digital agenda, president Barroso showed its will to promote competitive, innovative, open and inclusive digital societies in Europe. The published draft shows that th Commission can make this policy come true. Its adoption as is would prove that when it comes to the digital agenda, it is now out of question to opt for status quo and therefore to give in to private interests whose rent-seeking beahviours are based on control and lock-in » adds Frédéric Couchet, executive director of April.

In today's "Document Freedom Day" April brings its support to Neelie Kroes and wrote to Commissioners Joaquín Almunia Mira (competition), Michel Barnier (market), Antonio Tajani (industry) and of course Neelie Kroes (digital strategy).

The letter

We are writing to you to express our concern over the content of "Digital Agenda for Europe" that shall be presented in late April. According to information we have received the commission may not include a reference to the importance of open standards for interoperability in the final communication. Such an omission would be damaging to the interest of our members, the European software sector and users.

The development of eGovernment and the interconnection of businesses, citizens and public administrations are two chalenges Europe will face. To address them, governements need to work on several mesures: data durability, interoperability, accessibility, information system sustainability. Open Standards and Free Software are the best way to fulfill these requirements. Especially Interoperability is best guaranteed and facilitated by open standards. They provide also freedom of choice and prevent single vendor lock-in.

An open, dynamic, competitive software market relies on the legal and technical possibility to innovate and interact with existing solutions. Open Standards gives free rein to innovation and creativity on the software market.

The European Commission is a long standing supporter of open standards, IDABC adopted an extremely clear and appropriate definition of Open Standards in EIF v1.0 (*). in addition, numerous member states have adopted policies explicitly promoting open standards.

We fear that the lack of clear support of open standards and interoperability would bear regrettable confusion among the member states, Europe's citizens and businesses. We therefore believe necessary to make a clear stance on open standards and even strengthen the previous positions defined by the IDABC and the Information Society DG.

We support the promotion of open standards in the policies, new legislation, future IT developments, procurement procedures and funding of the EU in order to provide citizens with a choice and to support innovation.

References :

IDABC adopted an extremely clear and appropriate definition of Open Standards: "European Interoperability Framework for Pan-European eGovernment services v1.0": http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/servlets/Doc?id=19529

The following are the minimal characteristics that a specification and its attendant documents must have in order to be considered an open standard:

  • The standard is adopted and will be maintained by a not-for-profit organisation, and its ongoing development occurs on the basis of an open decision-making procedure available to all interested parties (consensus or majority decision etc.).
  • The open standard has been published and the standard specification document is available either freely or at a nominal charge. It must be permissible to all to copy, distribute and use it for no fee or at a nominal fee.
  • The intellectual property - i.e. patents possibly present - of (parts of) the open standard is made irrevocably available on a royalty free basis.
  • There are no constraints on the re-use of the standard.
  • This definition of open standards enables competition, innovation and especially the construction of sustainable IT infrastructure. It does not need to be changed so as to adapt to proprietary models: it is proprietary models that are to change so as to comply with this definition.

About April

Pioneer of free software in France, April has been since 1996 a major player in the democratization and the spread of Free Software and open standards to the general public, professionals and institutions in the French-speaking world. In the digital era that is ours, it also aims to inform the public on the dangers of an exclusive appropriation of information and knowledge by private interests. The association is made up of more than 5,000 individuals, 292 companies, 154 associations, 5 local government bodies and 8 educational organizations, all sharing the values of freedom.

April's last contribution to the European Commission's consultations

April is a registered interest representative (ID: 30399252478-91) in the EU.

About April

Pioneer of free software in France, April has been since 1996 a major player in the democratization and the spread of Free Software and open standards to the general public, professionals and institutions in the French-speaking world. In the digital era that is ours, it also aims to inform the public on the dangers of an exclusive appropriation of information an knowledge by private interests.

The association is made up of more than 5300 Free Software authors and users.

Press contacts :

Tangui Morlier, president tmorlier@april.org +33 6 81 88 02 98

Frédéric Couchet, executive director, fcouchet@april.org +33 6 60 68 89 31