EU Commission Launches Consultation for Open Source Strategy to Enhance Digital Sovereignty
The EU Commission has launched a consultation to develop a new Open Source strategy aimed at enhancing Europe's digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on US software. Open until February 3, the initiative seeks to bolster the Open Source ecosystem, promote its commercial viability, and encourage public sector adoption, with potential changes to EU procurement rules proposed for Q2 2025. Support from companies like Nextcloud and input from various organizations highlight the importance of funding and security in the development of European Open Source solutions.
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The EU Commission aims to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty and reduce dependencies by promoting European Open Source Software (OSS) as an alternative to proprietary US offerings. A consultation began in early January to gather input for a new Open Source strategy, open until February 3.
The Commission emphasizes the need to strategically strengthen the Open Source ecosystem, encouraging commercial viability of Open Source projects and improving organization and supply chain security. It aims to motivate the public sector, including itself, to adopt Open Source solutions.
The German company Nextcloud GmbH supports this, advocating for European governments to prioritize Open Source procurement. Proposed changes to EU procurement rules in Q2 2025 may include a 'Buy European/Open Source' approach.
Thales Defense demonstrated a successful transition to Open Source, highlighting security benefits. The consultation also received input from organizations like the University of Oslo and the Czech NGO node9.org, emphasizing the need for funding and support for OSS development.
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