In today's digital landscape, maintaining privacy alongside open data efforts is essential. It involves safeguarding personal information from unauthorised access or sharing, ensuring individuals have control over their data. However, as open data initiatives become more widespread, managing the balance between privacy and data accessibility presents new challenges. Open data initiatives seek to make data findable and datasets interoperable with a view to maximising their reuse both alone and in combination with other datasets. However, these projects involve sharing extensive datasets, some

Today we celebrate the World Health Day 2024 , a powerful reminder of the of the importance of public well-being and the challenges it faces worldwide. From emerging diseases and environmental disasters to the devastating impacts of conflicts, the basic right to health faces escalating threats. Amidst growing global health concerns, the severity of the situation is highlighted by alarming statistics : every five seconds, someone dies due to indoor or outdoor air pollution caused by the continuous burning of fossil fuels. Despite health being acknowledged as a fundamental human right in the

What makes 2024 a big year for the digital landscape in Europe? Maybe the AI Act , the first-ever legal framework on AI, or recent progress in the health data space comes to mind. All good suggestions – but there is more. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Open Data Maturity (ODM) assessment, our flagship publication that documents the year-on-year progress of European countries in making data openly accessible and stimulating its reuse. When it was first launched, ODM measured two dimensions of maturity in 31 countries. Today, it assesses maturity across the entire open data value

In today's busy cities, managing traffic flow is a constant challenge, but advancements in technology offer promising solutions. Open data is emerging as a valuable tool in this endeavour. By strategically utilising open data, traffic managers can not only alleviate immediate congestion but also make long-term infrastructure improvements. Analysis of travel times and other factors, such as route reliability , traffic conditions and alternate routes, helps drivers make informed decisions about when and where to travel. Real-time data alerts drivers to potential delays due to congestion or

On 12 April 2024 from 10:00 to 11:30 CET , join us for the webinar on ‘Personal data management and altruism: how and when are individuals empowered to make data sharing decisions?’. Building upon the foundation laid in our previous webinar, this second session in our series exploring data governance delves deeper into the intricacies of the Data Governance Act (DGA) and its profound implications for data sharing control, contrasting with the Open Data Directive . This webinar is designed to provide comprehensive insights into the legal framework introduced by the DGA, with a specific focus on

The open data platform for French public data stands as France's cornerstone for open data, fostering transparency and innovation in public services. Launched in 2011 by the Etalab mission and operated by the Interministerial Digital Directorate , this platform democratises access to diverse datasets, promoting collaborative data use and citizen engagement. The French open data portal caters to data producers, re-users, and citizens alike. It empowers producers to share data transparently, enables re-users to access and utilise diverse datasets, and provides citizens with a gateway to explore

On 22 March 2024, from 10.00-11.30 CET, the data.europa academy hosted the webinar ‘ Data sovereignty & data governance: how can data holders stay in control?’, marking the beginning of a series on the Data Governance Act (DGA). This first session delved into the DGA's legal framework, aiming to enhance data sharing in a secure and granular way, and explored the contrasts with the Open Data Directive . The webinar explored new institutional strategies for data sharing among organisations, both in business-to-business and administration-to-business contexts. With the introduction of the DGA

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is a regulatory framework aimed at ensuring fair competition and protecting the consumer in the digital economy, particularly by imposing specific obligations on large online platforms designated as "gatekeepers". These include facilitating interoperability, providing access to user-generated data, and ensuring transparency in advertising practices. As of March, the designated gatekeepers , including Apple, Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and ByteDance, are required to comply with the DMA requirements. These platforms, having significant market influence, must

On Friday 15 March 2024, Data.europa Academy hosted the webinar ‘ Data spaces: experiences from the European Green Deal’ which gave an overview of the critical intersection between sustainability and data sharing. The webinar, featuring an expert on the Green Deal Dataspace programme, delved into the imperative need for a holistic approach to sustainability, emphasising the significance of common European data spaces as catalysts for achieving ambitious environmental objectives. At the core of the discussion was the Green Deal Dataspace (GDDS), an initiative designed to serve as an open

Today we celebrate the International Day of Happiness , a global initiative dedicated to promoting joy, well-being, and compassion. Instituted by the United Nations, this annual observance underscores the significance of happiness in individuals' lives and encourages collective action to enhance happiness and well-being across communities and societies. Since it was established in 2013, the International Day of Happiness has grown into a widespread movement, engaging millions worldwide in activities aimed at fostering happiness and well-being. Emphasising happiness as a fundamental human right