The European Commission is committed to protecting and fostering democracy as the EU faces challenges like election interference, threats against journalists and the spread of manipulative information . After introducing the European Democracy Action Plan in 2020, the Commission adopted the Defence of Democracy Package in 2023. These initiatives promote citizen and civil society participation in policymaking to empower them. This participation is enabled by the Citizen’s Engagement Platform of the Commission. Here, citizens can engage and debate with each other on EU policies, which are then

Ireland’s commitment to open data is demonstrated by the Open Data Portal, data.gov.ie , a central point for information via public sector datasets. The portal offers over 18,000 datasets from 147 publishers, helping to make governmental data accessible, reusable, and available in free open formats. Furthermore, it serves as an ecosystem for sharing data about a broad range of topics, like the legal system and public safety , health , and regions and cities . Ireland’s journey with open data started in 2014 and the Irish government is dedicated in being a European leader in open data . Ireland

Data citation is crucial in the scientific research process, providing proper acknowledgment of sources and facilitating easier identification and reproduction of research results. By citing data, researchers can track the impact of data, promote its discoverability, and reward data creators. Though citing data is not a new practice, using persistent identifiers has gained importance due to the increased need to track citations and understand their impact. To support researchers in effectively citing data, data.europa.eu offers a comprehensive guide on data citation: Data Citation: A Guide to

On 28 June 2024 from 10.00 to 11.30 CEST , join us for the webinar 'Stories from the Use Case Observatory - Volume 2 '. This session delves into the significant effects of open data reuse across Europe, part of the ongoing Use Case Observatory project. The Use Case Observatory , active from 2022 to 2025, evaluates the economic, governmental, social, and environmental effects of open data. Monitoring 30 selected reuse cases, the project aims to highlight the transformative potential of open data. Building on the first volume published in 2022, this second volume assesses 13 reuse cases

In an era of digital transformation, the European Union is at the forefront of unlocking the potential of public sector data, with high-value datasets (HVDs) being particularly impactful due to their substantial social and economic benefits. As these datasets are essential for enhancing digital services, the HVD Implementing Regulation was introduced to standardise the publication and reuse of HVDs across Member States. If you want to know the significant changes introduced by this regulation, read our previous news piece . Despite the enforcement on 9 June 2024, the Open Data Maturity Report

On 21 June from 10:00 to 11:30 CEST , join us for the webinar ‘ The European Drug Report: using an open data approach to improve data visualisation ’. In this engaging session, the report of the European Drug Agency will be presented, allowing you to learn from the latest experiences and insights. The webinar is suitable for public health professionals, policymakers, data enthusiasts, and anyone interested in leveraging open data to improve the clarity and impact of the European Drug Report . This webinar will explore how open data can be used to enhance the report's data visualisation, making

The last few months have been focused on the European elections , which take place once every 5 years. This year, EU citizens could vote from 6 to 9 June on their party of preference. With their vote, citizens can decide which Members of the European Parliament represent them to adopt laws and shape the future of the EU. Today, the provisional results have been published, which show that the Group of the European People's Party has received the most votes (184 out of 720 seats) in the European Union, followed by Renew Europe with 80 seats. With the help of real-time data, a map from the

Open standards are publicly available specifications and guidelines designed to ensure that different systems, software, and technologies can communicate and operate seamlessly together. These standards foster interoperability, reduce costs, and avoid dependencies on a single software vendor, thereby enhancing flexibility and innovation across various sectors. By adhering to open standards, organisations and governments can promote a more collaborative and integrated digital environment. The Interoperable Europe Act , which entered into force in April 2024, represents the advancement of

Today we celebrate the World Environment Day , where the global community emphasises the need to restore ecosystems. This year's theme, 'Our Land. Our Future’ highlights the importance of reversing land degradation, a situation impacting nearly 3.2 billion people, or 40 % of the world's population and threatening food security, livelihoods, and biodiversity. This shows why changes in the way of life are needed from this generation to ensure a more balanced earth. Leveraging data is essential for supporting effective restoration. Interestingly, trees play a big part in this data extraction

The European Commission is ensuring that Europe is becoming a union that aims to provide justice for everyone. Using funds for several activities to protect EU citizens and EU values, for example supporting the European Health Union in responding to cross-border health crises, creating a strategy for the future of Schengen for easy travel, and setting up the European Security Union to address security challenges. Each of these activities has a long-term schedule; therefore, it is important that citizens know about the progress that is made. To inform on the EU Security Union Strategy 2020-2025