🇪🇺 European Commission launches Call for Evidence on Open-Source Digital Ecosystems
The European Commission has opened a public Call for Evidence as a preparatory step toward a future European Open Digital Ecosystem Strategy.
With this initiative, the Commission invites input from open-source communities, companies, public authorities, research institutions and civil society on how open-source software and digital ecosystems can better support Europe’s digital sovereignty, competitiveness and innovation capacity.
The consultation focuses on identifying structural barriers, governance models, funding mechanisms and policy actions that can strengthen Europe’s role in open-source development and reduce strategic dependencies on non-European technologies.
Stakeholders can submit their feedback via the “Have Your Say” platform. The results will feed directly into a formal EU strategy expected in Q1 2026.
📌 Project-based analysis (SMART framework)
S – Specific
Develop a coherent EU-level strategy that:
-
Strengthens European open-source digital ecosystems
-
Improves adoption of open-source solutions in the public and private sector
-
Aligns policy, funding and governance around open technologies
M – Measurable
-
Volume and diversity of stakeholder submissions (public sector, SMEs, large enterprises, OSS communities)
-
Clear policy outputs: defined actions, funding instruments and governance models
-
Inclusion of concrete KPIs in the final strategy (e.g. adoption rate of open-source solutions in public IT)
A – Achievable
The initiative builds on existing EU programs and communities (digital innovation hubs, research networks, public sector IT collaboration), making coordinated execution realistic within the proposed timeframe.
R – Relevant
Open-source software underpins a large share of Europe’s digital infrastructure. Strengthening its ecosystem directly contributes to:
-
Digital and technological sovereignty
-
Cost-efficient public IT systems
-
Innovation, cybersecurity and vendor independence
T – Time-bound
-
Call for Evidence: open until early February 2026
-
Strategy drafting and consolidation: Q1 2026
⚠️ Key risks and challenges
-
Stakeholder fragmentation
Diverging interests between communities, enterprises and governments may complicate consensus-building. -
Sustainable funding models
Open-source projects often rely on short-term or research-oriented funding, which may limit long-term maintenance and scaling. -
Governance and legal complexity
Differences in procurement rules, licensing interpretation and IP frameworks across Member States could slow implementation. -
Security and supply-chain risks
Without coordinated maintenance and auditing, critical open-source components may remain under-resourced and vulnerable. -
Execution pressure
Translating broad consultation input into concrete, actionable policy within a tight timeframe requires strong project governance.
Bottom line
This Call for Evidence is a strategically important step toward positioning open-source as a core pillar of Europe’s digital future. For organizations active in software, digital infrastructure or public IT, this is a timely opportunity to directly influence EU policy and shape the conditions under which open-source ecosystems in Europe will evolve.
Reacties
Een reactie posten