In this #33 issue of “Lexing Insights,” the members of the network focus on “Open Data and the Public Sector”.
Open data and public sector: an extraordinary source of data
Open data refers to digital data produced by public actors (ministry, local government authority, public organisation) and by private actors (company, association, citizen) in an open format that can be freely used, re-used and shared by anyone for any purpose.
Public sector information represents an extraordinary source of data. The public sector collects, produces, reproduces and disseminates a wide range of information in many areas of activity, such as social, political, economic, legal, geographical, environmental, meteorological, seismic, touristic, business, patent-related and educational areas.
In France, for example, open data has enabled transparent monitoring of the COVID-19 pandemic (CovidTracker) and improved transparency of justice (Judilibre search engine).
The Lexing® network members provide a snapshot of the current state of play worldwide:
- –What are the open data obligations of the public sector?
- –What are the conditions of re-use and the charging rules that apply?
- –What about the licenses used
A world tour of open data in the public sector
Our Lexing members for France, Spain, and Greece take turns examining the practical details of the transposition in their countries of European Directive 2019/1024 (Open Data Directive), which recasts and repeals Directive 2003/98/EC (PSI Directive).
Our members for South Africa and China offer us an international perspective, describing respectively open data in the public sector with regard to the right of access enshrined in the South African Constitution and embodied in the Promotion of Access to Information Act, and the opening of “public data” by the Shanghai municipality.
The following countries have contributed to this issue: China, France, Greece, South Africa, Spain.
Lexing International Newsletter “Lexing Insights” No. 33 – May 2022