EUROPA - Press Releases - Neelie Kroes Vice President European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda Opening up Europe: from Common Standards to Open Data OpenForum Europe Summit 2011, Brussels 22nd September 2011

"We are going to take action: we are going to open up Europe's public sector. I am convinced that the potential to re-use public data is significantly untapped. Such data is a resource, a new and valuable raw material. If we became able to mine it, that would be an investment which would pay off with benefits for all of us. Benefits for the citizen and for society, because making good use of public data can make your life better....Second, benefits for the economy....Third, benefits for science. Because research in genomics, pharmacology or the fight against cancer increasingly depends on the availability and sophisticated analysis of large data sets. Sharing such data means researchers can collaborate, compare, and creatively explore whole new realms. We cannot afford for access to scientific knowledge to become a luxury, and the results of publicly funded research in particular should be spread as widely as possible. Fourth, of course there is some self-interest in this as well: there are benefits for the public sector itself....And, perhaps most importantly, benefits for democracy because it enhances transparency, accessibility and accountability. After all, what could be more natural than public authorities who have collected information on behalf of citizens using their tax money giving it back to those same citizens. New professionals such as data journalists are our allies in explaining what we do...."