anaghz
568b819b80
continuous-integration/drone/push Build is failing
Reviewed-on: #5928 Co-authored-by: anaghz <anaghz@fsfe.org> Co-committed-by: anaghz <anaghz@fsfe.org>
110 lines
5.1 KiB
HTML
110 lines
5.1 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
|
||
<html newsdate="2026-06-03">
|
||
<version>1</version>
|
||
|
||
<head>
|
||
<title>EU Tech Sovereignty: A milestone for Public Code? Now implementation is key</title>
|
||
</head>
|
||
|
||
<body>
|
||
|
||
<h1>EU Tech Sovereignty: A milestone for Public Code? Now implementation is key</h1>
|
||
|
||
<p> The European Commission published its Technological Sovereignty
|
||
Package on 3 June 2026, containing the new "Open Source Strategy". If
|
||
implemented, it could mark a paradigm shift by adopting the Free
|
||
Software Foundation Europe’s “Public Money? Public Code!” principle.
|
||
Its success will depend on binding rules, long-term funding, and
|
||
meaningful civil society involvement. </p>
|
||
|
||
<figure>
|
||
<img src="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/1b/d9/d996b92ce2dc7513cce6b6ae939b.png" alt="FSFE Press Release picture"/>
|
||
|
||
</figure>
|
||
|
||
<p><small><strong>UPDATED ON 15 JUNE 2026</strong></small></p>
|
||
<p>The European Union currently spends an estimated €264 billion per
|
||
year, predominantly on proprietary IT products and services, cementing
|
||
systemic dependencies and vendor lock-in. To counter this, <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-tech-sovereignty">the European
|
||
Commission’s new strategy</a> positions Free Software, also known as Open
|
||
Source, as a strategic enabler for European competitiveness, explicitly
|
||
recognising the freedoms to use, study, share, and improve software. The
|
||
upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) introduces a Free Software
|
||
first principle for “public cloud and AI software procurement”,
|
||
requiring public administrations to make software purchased with public
|
||
funds available for reuse. However, loopholes might be exploited and the non-binding Strategy now needs strong backing by the Commission to achieve technological sovereignty through Free Software.
|
||
</p>
|
||
|
||
|
||
<blockquote>
|
||
<p>“The European Commission’s explicit recognition of <a href="https://publiccode.eu/">‘Public Money?
|
||
Public Code!’</a> in this strategy, nine years after the FSFE launched the
|
||
initiative, could become a major step forward for software freedom in
|
||
Europe. However, the Commission still falls short on concrete goals,
|
||
milestones, and secure funding for Free Software. The procurement reform
|
||
will be a test: ‘Public Money? Public Code!’ must become a mandatory
|
||
requirement for public tendering. Redirecting even half of Europe’s €264
|
||
billion in IT spending from proprietary lock-in to Free Software
|
||
would boost European tech sovereignty”, </p><cite>says Johannes Näder, FSFE Senior
|
||
Policy Project Manager.</cite>
|
||
</blockquote>
|
||
|
||
|
||
<blockquote>
|
||
<p>“We welcome the Commission’s commitment to invest across the entire
|
||
software stack, including Free Software operating systems for mobile
|
||
devices, which is essential for device neutrality and user choice. It
|
||
also creates opportunities for individuals, public administrations, and
|
||
companies to develop and maintain technology under their own control.
|
||
What matters now is implementation. These commitments need secured,
|
||
long-term funding, meaningful involvement of independent experts and
|
||
civil society, and effective enforcement of the Digital Markets Act to
|
||
ensure Free Software can thrive in a fair market”, </p><cite>says Lucas Lasota,
|
||
FSFE Legal Programme Manager.</cite>
|
||
</blockquote>
|
||
|
||
<h2>Key elements of the Tech Sovereignty Package</h2>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li>To counter the structural disadvantages faced by European SMEs, and
|
||
Free Software companies in particular, under frameworks historically
|
||
tailored to proprietary vendors, CADA introduces a Free Software first
|
||
requirement, supported by new tendering guidelines to eliminate vendor
|
||
lock-in, but mainly for public cloud and AI contracts. </li>
|
||
<li>The package prioritises critical technology areas for Free Software
|
||
development, including semiconductors such as RISC-V, cloud stacks, AI
|
||
frameworks, and Free Software mobile operating systems.</li>
|
||
<li>The EU aims to mobilise €2 billion over seven years "for all measures under the open source strategy", including a maintenance instrument to provide sustained
|
||
financial support for critical dependencies – still a small fraction of
|
||
the €264 billion spent yearly on proprietary software and services.</li>
|
||
<li>In partnership with Member States and European Digital
|
||
Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs), the EU aims to reach at least 30
|
||
million active users for Free Software collaboration tools and secure
|
||
messaging by 2030.</li>
|
||
<li>The Commission addresses the lack of independent digital education
|
||
and tools in the education sector by announcing support for a Free
|
||
Software suite for schools and universities, as well as vendor-agnostic
|
||
training.</li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
|
||
<p>The FSFE will actively engage with the European Parliament, Member
|
||
States, and civil society partners to transform these strategic goals
|
||
into concrete, legally binding projects.</p>
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
</body>
|
||
|
||
|
||
<tags>
|
||
<tag key="press">Press Release</tag>
|
||
<tag key="front-page"/>
|
||
<tag key="highlights">highlights</tag>
|
||
</tags>
|
||
|
||
<discussion href="https://mastodon.social/deck/@fsfe/116686496047800732"/>
|
||
<image url="https://pics.fsfe.org/uploads/medium/1b/d9/d996b92ce2dc7513cce6b6ae939b.png" alt="FSFE Press Release picture"/>
|
||
<translator/>
|
||
</html>
|
||
|
||
|