92002E2368

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2368/02

by Richard Corbett (PSE) to the Commission

(2 August 2002)

Subject: Pooling Open Source Software

Has the Commission given formal consideration to the report published by IDA (Interchange of Data between Administrations) called Pooling Open Source Software an IDA feasibility study on interchange of data between administrations (DG Enterprise) which recommends the creation of a software clearing house to which administrations can donate software? Does it agree with the study's suggestion that software developed for and owned by public administrations should be issued under an open source licence?

What action is the Commission intending to take on this?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(3 September 2002)

The feasibility study Pooling Open Source Software was initiated under the IDA (Interchange of Data between Administrations) programme to consider how the re-use of software applications developed by and for public administrations could be improved.

IDA launched this study:

- to explore opportunities for greater cost-efficiency in Information Technology implementations in the European public sector;

- to respond to the eEurope 2002 action plan's call to promote the use of open source software in the public sector;

- and to assess the feasibility of a recommendation resulting from the IDA symposium on open source in public administrations (held in Brussels in February 2001).

The contractor carrying out the study (Unisys) was asked to assess the technical, organisational, legal and financial aspects of the sharing of software. The recommendations that have been issued are those of the contractor. No formal position has been taken by the Commission on these recommendations. However, a number of options for practical action are currently being considered by the Commission. Where these concern the IDA programme, proposals have to be approved by Member States, represented in the Telematics between Administrations Committee (TAC).

Software licences and software sharing are interrelated, and the study's call for software owned by public administrations to be issued under open source licences should be seen in this context. For software to be shared among administrations, access to the source code needs to be granted (for modification purposes), and no restrictions should apply to the distribution of the software. Both conditions are met by open source software licences.