Europe: Open data the default from 2017

The European Commission announced its intention to make open data the default for all EC-funded research from 2017 onwards. 

See the announcement.  

EC: Open access report 2011

National Open Access and Preservation Policies in Europe.
Analysis of a questionnaire to the European Research Area Committee

Open access report 2011

EC launches Open Data Strategy for Europe

News from the blog of Neelie Kroes:

"This opening up can generate tax revenues which far exceed revenue from any fees previously charged for the data.
But the benefits aren’t just economic. They improve the transparency of our democratic and public institutions. They can improve the quality of decision-making within public administrations themselves – through informed, evidence-based policymaking. And they can help those from all sectors of society – like apps that help people with disabilities find wheelchair-accessible buildings.
Today’s legal proposals are in two parts. First, the Commission itself will be practising what we preach, putting our own data on a single portal, free, open, easy to use. And we are pushing the EU’s other institutions and agencies to join us too.
Second, we are proposing changes to the Public Sector Information Directive. Changes which will make accessing public data from any level within the EU:

• Cheaper (with fees, if anything, set at just marginal costs)
• Easy to use, with an automatic right to re-use, no need for complicated authorisations
• Wider in scope – as we include valuable cultural material, from libraries, archives and museums – although for these institutions, it will be under rules which respect their particular commercial vulnerability"

You can see Digital Agenda: Turning government data into gold

European Commission to adopt Open Data Strategy

"... the European Commission, ... has announced that they will be adopting a new Open Data Strategy from the 29th November. The aims of the strategy are to increase government transparency, and hopefully generate overall economic gains ... there is much more work to be done in standardising rules around issues such as licensing and pricing, as well as promoting better practices across the Union. ... there is much more work to be done in standardising rules around issues such as licensing and pricing, as well as promoting better practices across the Union."
The original post by Theodora Middleton