Shake-up planned for EU public sector information

As EC launches consultation on re-use of data

Kroes: Mobile apps market is growth area for business

Public sector organisations could be forced to share more of their data in a shake-up of European law.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the EU directive on the re-use of public sector information (PSI).

PSI covers information generated by public sector bodies including maps, financial and economic information, traffic and weather data. The Commission is strongly in favour of public sector organisations sharing or selling data, so that it can be exploited by business.

Neelie Kroes, Commission vice president for the digital agenda, said: " Better and more use of PSI has great potential to generate new businesses and jobs and to provide consumers with more choice and better value for money."

She added: "The mobile apps market, partly based on PSI-generated data, could grow to €15bn (£9.7bn) by 2013. However, much of Europe's PSI is insufficiently exploited or sometimes not exploited at all. We cannot lose out on this opportunity. We need to consider whether and how the EU rules on re-use of PSI should be amended to fully unlock its economic potential."

Submissions will feed into a review of the PSI directive, which was adopted in 2003 and regulates the behaviour of public sector organisations when they sell or share data. The Commission says the directive has helped to remove some of the barriers to re-use, such as monopoly positions or lack of transparency in the market.

However, it has warned that barriers to use still exist, including excessive charges and lack of awareness that the information is available. This means public sector bodies are failing to realise the economic potential of their data and businesses are missing out, according to the Commission.

Interested parties should submit their views to the EC by 30 November 2010.