Open Source in European Public Administrations

If you're trying to keep up with the increasing number of public administrations in Europe discovering the joys of free software, here's a handy resource: the Open Source Observatory and Repository.

The OSOR provides a platform for the exchange of information, experiences and FLOSS-based code for the use in public administrations. Your are invited to participate in this exchange and make use of the OSOR services:

* international news on Open Source topics;
* a repository with code and documentation on software for public administrations;
* a state-of-the art forge for working together.

The value and usefulness of the platform will increase with the number of contributors and of contributions that are offered for sharing.

Everybody is welcome as a user. However, if you want to upload code and information or intend to open a community project, you will have to register on the forge. In case you come from the business sector, you will be required to reference a sponsor from the public sector.

The OSOR admits all free, libre, and open source software that is distributed under licenses that are recognised by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) or the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and code that is released under the European Union Public License (EUPL).

And remember: it's all about sharing....

EUPL Gets the Big "Yes"...Well, One of Them

So EUPL - the European Union Public Licence - is now approved, by the European Commission at least:

The Commission has approved the EUPL on 9 January 2007, as a licence to be used for the distribution of software developed in the framework of the IDABC programme.

The only trouble is, it's not actually on the list of OSI-approved licences. This leaves it precisely where...? (Via Andrew Katz.)

EUPL: European Union Public What?

Here's one that completely passed me by: the European Union Public Licence. There's a very full discussion of why the EU is doing this, as well a rather sceptical comment from the FSF on the subject. But probably the best place to go for a succinct discussion is this one from Matt Asay, which is where I came across the idea in the first place.