The EU will make its open source available to several segments free of charge

The European Commission, which represents an executive body within the Union, has decided to make the software solutions it uses, which are built on open-source, available free of charge. At the same time, it selected several recipients who can start using it.

Development, innovation and the public interest

The European Commission also decided, on the basis of its own study, which mapped the impact of hardware and software on technological freedom, to make the software solutions it uses available to several segments of society. And so it’s all like that open-source software from the Commission will be available for download and use by innovators, developers or public interest activities.

Through its Head of Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, the Commission adds:

“The Commission’s aim is to lead by example in the digital transformation of Europe. Thanks to the new rules, the Commission will open up its software solutions, which will bring significant value to companies, SMEs and innovators, as well as to citizens and public administrations. This decision will also stimulate innovation thanks to the Commission’s publicly available code. “

There are already many platforms that the Commission has put into circulation for public administrations, but also for citizens and businesses. One is, for example, an electronic signature, which is recognized and valid in all EU member states, or also LEOS, which is actually software for drafting legislation (intended mainly for public administration).

The whole model will be run through a single web link, in a single repository. It will be made available by open source, which is used, developed or co-developed by the European Commission, and at the same time the Commission will ensure that any published software can be legally downloaded and used, or even improved, without interfering with copyright.

The rules that will govern such software publication and distribution will be as follows:

• Dissemination of open source software will be possible without a Commission decision,
• the Commission services will, as far as possible, progressively check all software programs developed before the adoption of these new rules and select those that can also be used by people outside the Commission,
• Commission software experts can now contribute to open source projects with the improvements they make in their work

The single web link to the download itself has not yet been identified by the Commission.