European Commission issues call for evidence on open source (lwn.net)

Article summary

The European Commission has issued a call for evidence to help shape its European Open Digital Ecosystem Strategy, aiming to reduce dependence on non-EU software and promote open source solutions. The commission seeks input from stakeholders, including the open-source community, public administrations, and the ICT industry. The feedback period runs until February 3, 2026. The goal is to gather feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the EU open-source sector and identify measures to support its development and growth.

Main themes

• European Open Digital Ecosystem Strategy
• Open Source Promotion
• Dependence on Non-EU Software
• Digital Sovereignty
• EU Tech Policy

What commenters say

• Open source is not equivalent to communism, and such comparisons are misleading and reductive.
• The EU's initiative to promote open source is a step in the right direction, but its success depends on the specifics of its implementation.
• Some argue that open source has a socialist aspect, as it involves collective ownership and control of the means of production, in this case, source code.
• Others believe that the EU's efforts to promote open source may lead to a loss of competition and innovation, as it could result in a monoculture of EU-funded projects.
• There is a need for a nuanced understanding of the relationship between open source, communism, and socialism, and to avoid conflating these concepts.
• The EU's funding of open source projects should be done in a way that respects the autonomy of developers and maintains the diversity of the open source ecosystem.
• Some commenters are skeptical about the EU's ability to effectively promote open source, citing the complexity of the issue and the potential for bureaucratic hurdles.
• The comparison between open source and communism is seen as a distraction from the real issues at hand, such as promoting digital sovereignty and reducing dependence on non-EU software.