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<title>FSFE Newsletter - February 2017</title>
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<h1 class="p-name">FSFE Newsletter - February 2017</h1>

<h2 id="why-open-science-matters-and-the-fsfe's-position-on-horizon-2020">
Why Open Science matters and the FSFE's position on Horizon 2020</h2>

<p newsteaser="yes">"Open Science" is an emerging movement that asks to 
transfer the four freedoms that we practice in Free Software into science. 
Although it is still emerging, Open Science receives more and more strategic 
importance for decision-makers. In the eyes of financial ministers of the 
European Union, Open Science produces and uses a lot of Open Data, which 
in turn has the potential for big economic benefits. The "European Cloud 
Initiative", for example, is part of the European Commission's strategy 
for Open Science, intended for building a <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/open-science">"competitive data 
and knowledge economy in Europe"</a>. It aims at strengthening Europe's 
position in data-driven innovation and is thus considered to become an 
important part of the European Digital Single Market. Or, as the Organisation 
for Economic Co-operation and Development puts it: <a href="https://www.oecd.org/sti/oecd-science-technology-and-innovation-outlook-25186167.htm">"Encouraging the 
sharing and re-use of research data could generate more value for public money"</a>.</p>

<p>With this in mind, the FSFE targets Free Software to be part of this 
emerging field of European Open Science from the beginning. As all 
research, data processing and archiving nowadays heavily depends on 
software, it is a chance to jump on the bandwagon and define Free Software 
as a precondition of Open Science. As one course of action, we <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2017/news-20170105-01">wrote a position 
paper for the interim evaluation of Horizon 2020</a>, the biggest EU Research 
and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://fsfe.org/activities/policy/eu/Horizon2020-Position-Paper">FSFE's position paper 
explains how Free Software and Open Standards are fundamental to Open 
Science</a> and we therefore ask for all publicly-funded research in Europe 
to mandatorily use and develop Free Software and Open Standards. With 
the "European Cloud Initiative" in mind, we explicitly ask that <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2017/news-20170105-01">"Data and 
software repositories and Data Management Plans (DMPs) must employ Free 
Software in order to ensure unfettered access to their contents and long 
term preservation"</a>.</p>

<hr/>
<p>Help us now to grow bigger and make a difference in 2017<a href="https://fsfe.org/join/nl2017-02"> https://fsfe.org/join</a></p>
<hr/>

<h2 id="what-else-have-we-done?-inside-and-Outside-the-fsfe">What else have we done? Inside and Outside the FSFE</h2>
<ul>
<li>To underpin the demands of the position paper we wrote for the interim 
evaluation of Horizon 2020 (see above), we <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2017/news-20170110-01">filed a Freedom 
of Information request to the European Commission’s Directorate-General 
for Research and Innovation</a> to ask about the use, development and 
release of (Free) software under Horizon2020. We will keep you updated 
about any response.</li>
<li><a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2017/news-20170109-01.en.html">We published 
our annual report</a> with insights about our policy work, campaigns and 
events in 2016 as well as a preview for 2017.</li>
<li> In August 2016, <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2016/news-20160817-01">the FSFE joined the Advisory Board of 
The Document Foundation</a>. Now, <a href="https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2016/12/27/the-document-foundation-opens-libreoffice-certification-for-migrations-and-trainings-to-all-project-volunteers-to-members-of-not-for-profit-bodies-and-to-individuals-of-proven-competence/">The Document 
Foundation opens up the LibreOffice Certification for Migrations and 
Trainings</a> to members of not-for-profit organisations on their Advisory 
Board, including the FSFE.</li>
<li><a href="https://fsfe.org/community/events/2016/summit/backsight">We published 
a report of the first ever FSFE summit</a> that happened in September 2016. The 
report includes reflections, impressions, pictures and the full schedule 
with links to the abstract, slides and video recordings of each talk, if 
available. If you missed the summit, this report is your chance to catch 
up on it.</li>
<li><a href="https://events.ccc.de/congress/2016/wiki/Assembly:Free_Software_Foundation_Europe">The FSFE's 
assembly during the 33rd edition of the Chaos Communication Congress (33C3)</a> was a 
big success thanks to our highly motivated team behind the booth and the 
high quality of 21 sessions in three days that have been realized by our 
session hosts. <a href="http://blog.3rik.cc/2017/01/worked-for-us-thank-you-33c3/">Read Erik's 
report and see the pictures for more insights</a>.</li>
<li>Like every year, FSFE staff and many team members will be at FOSDEM 
and we have a big booth <a href="https://fosdem.org/2017/practical/transportation/">in the K building</a>. If you 
come to FOSDEM take the chance to meet the FSFE or individual members.</li>
<li><a href="http://bcnfs.org/">"Barcelona Free Software"</a> is a local 
group in Barcelona and an open space for coders and users who love Free 
Software. Following a team decision at the end of 2016, Barcelona Free 
Software now is an <a href="https://fsfe.org/associates/associates">associated 
organisation of the FSFE</a>.</li>
<li>Would you like to work with us in the FSFE or you know somehow who 
would like to? <a href="https://fsfe.org/news/2017/news-20170116-01">In 2017, 
we are looking for new student interns</a> to join our team and who like 
to get to know a world full of Free Software.</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="get-active">Get active</h2>
<p>February 14 is "I love Free Software day", the day to say thank you to 
all the people behind Free Software. Use this day to show your love for 
your favorite Free Software and check out our campaign page in advance 
to get some ideas and inspiration: <a href="http://www.ilovefs.org">http://www.ilovefs.org</a></p>

<h2 id="good-free-software-news">Good Free Software News</h2>

<p>The <a href="https://en.ogpsummit.org/paris-declaration/">Paris Declaration on Open Government</a>, introduced 
during the OGP Paris Summit last December, aims at establishing cooperation 
between countries and civil societies throughout 2017. The Declaration is 
composed of 21 collective action items with the <a href="https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/community/opengov/news/paris-declaration-promote-collective-actions-open-government">accomplishment 
of open public procurement and formation of effective Free Software 
policies listed among them</a>.</p>


<h2 id="help-us-to-improve-our-newsletter"> Help us to improve our newsletter</h2>
<p>
Do you think we have missed some news, or you'd like specific news to appear in the next newsletter? Please share this and any other feedback by writing to newsletter@fsfe.org
</p>
<p>
Thanks to all the
<a href="https://fsfe.org/contribute/contribute.en.html">volunteers</a>,
<a href="http://fellowship.fsfe.org/join/nltr16">Fellows</a>
and
<a href="https://fsfe.org/donate/thankgnus.en.html">corporate donors</a>
who enable our work,
</p>
<p>
your editors Erik Albers, Olga Gkotsopoulou and Fernando Sanjurjo,
<a href="https://fsfe.org">FSFE</a>
</p>

<hr/>
<p>Help us now to grow bigger and make a difference in 2017<a href="https://fsfe.org/join/nl2017-02"> https://fsfe.org/join</a></p>
<hr/>
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