= Interoperable Europe Act: Committee of the Regions fails to substantially promote Free Software =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2023/news-20230524-01.fi.html ]
The Committee of the Regions approved its opinion on the Interoperable
Europe Act. The EU representative body has failed to recognise the
importance that Free Software has for interoperability and thus for
digitalisation and innovation. This underlines the relevance of Free
Software Community's participation in the planned Interoperable Board.
With the EU's objective of establishing a legal framework on
interoperability through the Interoperable Europe Act, today the
Committee of the Regions has adopted its opinion in plenary. While the
opinion has feebly mentioned the role of Free Software in achieving
cross-border interoperability and avoiding vendor lock-in in its policy
recommendations, the Committee of the Regions has failed in
substantially improving the original text and bringing up more solid and
necessary measures. It lacks to introduce a “Free Software first”
approach and the involvement of stakeholders in the Interoperable Europe
Board, an intended body that shall decide on upcoming steps arising from
this legislation.
/““It is incomprehensible that the institution who has the
responsibility to bring up the demands of thousands of local and
regional administrations fails in featuring the importance of Free
Software for interoperability. Hence, this decision only reaffirms the
importance of the involvement of stakeholder, who have actual
competence, in this decision making processes . We, therefore, urge the
European Parliament to include the Free Software community in the
Interoperable Europe Board to guarantee sustainability and innovation in
digitalisation. Furthermore a 'Free Software first' approach still needs
to be introduced", explains Lina Ceballos, FSFE Policy Project Manager./
The role that Free Software plays in the digitalisation of local and
regional administrations has shown to be of the great importance,
especially during the corona pandemic. Among other, it strengthens
digital sovereignty allowing administrations to have control over the
software they are using, while it enables that public funds are spent in
the most efficient way. For these reasons, over the last years the FSFE
has been demanding with its 'Public Money? Public Code!' initiative [1]
that publicly financed software should be made publicly available under
a Free Software licence. It is now up to the European Parliament to
ensure interoperability is introduced by a “Free Software first”
approach while including the Free Software community on the path to
digitalise European public administrations. First Amendments in this
direction have been introduced already, however, the position has to be
further improved. Further read [2].
1: https://publiccode.eu/
2: https://fsfe.org/news/2023/news-20230323-02.fi.html
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our
lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than
restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,
understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other
fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.
The FSFE helps individuals and organisations understand how Free
Software contributes to freedom, transparency and self-determination. We
enhance users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software adoption,
encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and provide resources
to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.
https://fsfe.org
= European citizens demand Router Freedom =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2023/news-20230515-01.fi.html ]
A pan-European survey, run by the Free Software Foundation Europe, has
collected information from more than 1600 end-users and highlighted
several obstacles to Router Freedom, such as lack of freedom of choice,
provider lock-in and promotion of equipment running exclusively
proprietary software.
More than a thousand consumers from across Europe have shared their
experience of the commercial practices of Internet Service Providers
(ISPs) in the most comprehensive end-user survey regarding freedom of
terminal equipment to date [1], resulting in a call for Router Freedom.
The responses from end-users all over Europe demonstrate how network
operators still hamper consumer freedom of choice, exercise lock-in over
internet equipment and promote proprietary devices, negatively affecting
consumer welfare, security, privacy and data protection.
Router Freedom is the right that customers of any internet service
provider have to be able to choose and use a private modem and router
instead of equipment provided by the ISP. Freedom of choice for routers
and modems has been regulated in the EU since 2015 (Net Neutrality
Regulation) but national implementation has led to fragmentation of the
digital markets, negatively impacting end-users’ rights. The survey
demonstrated that Router Freedom is not only a technical issue, but also
a policy demand [2]. More than 90% of the survey participants agreed
that freedom of terminal equipment is key for net neutrality and open
internet, security and data protection, fair competition and digital
sustainability.
/“The outcome of this survey serves as key insight for policy makers
regulating Router Freedom and consumer organisations protecting and
promoting the rights of end-users. Critically important are the reported
practices that could be considered infringements against Router Freedom.
Limitation to freedom of choice, ISP’s lock-in, provision of proprietary
devices, security issues and unlawful practices are some of the threats
reported against end-users”, states Lucas Lasota, FSFE’s senior project
manager./
1: https://fsfe.org/news/2023/news-20230515-02.fi.html
2: https://download.fsfe.org/routers/rf-survey-report-2023.pdf
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our
lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than
restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,
understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other
fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.
The FSFE helps individuals and organisations understand how Free
Software contributes to freedom, transparency and self-determination. We
enhance users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software adoption,
encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and provide resources
to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.
https://fsfe.org
= EU Parliament wants to protect Free Software in AI regulation =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2023/news-20230511-01.fi.html ]
Today the European Parliament's responsible committees voted by a large
majority to protect Free Software in the AI regulation. The plenary is
called upon to uphold the idea. Likewise, this principle must be
anchored in the ongoing Cyber Resilience Act and Product Liability
Directive and their upcoming votes.
The two lead committees for the AI legislation, the Committee on
Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), today voted by a large
majority in favour of protecting Free Software in this legislation. Non-
profit organisations and small Free Software projects up to the size of
micro-enterprises, are largely to be exempted from this regulation.
/Alexander Sander, FSFE's Senior Policy Consultant, explains: "Instead
of putting the responsibility on the Free Software developers, it should
be put on the companies that profit from it on the market. Smaller
organisations and non-profit activities, for example by foundations,
must be excluded. With this vote, the Members of the European Parliament
are thus recognising the reality of Free Software development and trying
to protect it. The principle of transferring responsibility and
liability to those who profit on the market instead of focusing on
developers must also be anchored in the Cyber Resilience Act and the
Product Liability Directive. This is the only way to not only protect
Free Software and its contributors but also consumers and customers"./
The final vote on the AI Act is expected in the coming weeks, after
which the trilogue with Parliament, Council and Commission on the final
text will take place. With regard to the Cyber Resilience Act and the
Product Liability Directive, the EU Parliament is currently discussing
the recently submitted amendments. Further information [1].
1: https://fsfe.org/news-20230323-01.fi.html
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our
lives; and it is important that this technology empowers rather than
restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use,
understand, adapt and share software. These rights help support other
fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and privacy.
The FSFE helps individuals and organisations understand how Free
Software contributes to freedom, transparency and self-determination. We
enhance users' rights by abolishing barriers to Free Software adoption,
encourage people to use and develop Free Software, and provide resources
to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.
https://fsfe.org