[FYI] Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the re-use of public sector documents

["Axel H Horns" <axel.h.horns@gmx.net>]

http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/st07/st07946en03.pdf

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COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION  

Brussels, 21 May 2003  

(OR. en) Interinstitutional File: 2002/0123 (COD)  

7946/03  

TELECOM 49  

PI 31  

CODEC 379 LEGISLATIVE ACTS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS  

Subject :  Common position adopted by the Council with a view to the 
adoption of a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 
on the re-use of public sector documents   

[...]  

Whereas: 

(1)  The Treaty provides for the establishment of an internal market 
and of a system ensuring that competition in the internal market is 
not distorted.  Harmonisation of the rules and practices in the 
Member States relating to the exploitation of public sector 
information contributes to the achievement of these objectives. 

(2) The evolution towards an information and knowledge society 
influences the life of every citizen in the Community, inter alia, by 
enabling them to gain new ways of accessing and acquiring knowledge. 

(3) Digital content plays an important role in this evolution.  
Content production has given rise to rapid job creation in recent 
years and continues to do so.  Most of these jobs are created in 
small emerging companies. 

(4) The public sector collects, produces, reproduces and disseminates 
a wide range of information in many areas of activity, such as 
social, economic, geographical, weather, tourist, business, patent 
and educational information.  

(5) One of the principal aims of the establishment of an internal 
market is the creation of conditions conducive to  the development of 
Community-wide services.  Public sector information is an important 
primary material for digital content products and services and will 
become an even more important content resource with the development 
of wireless content services.  Broad cross-border geographical 
coverage will also be essential in this context.  Wider possibilities 
of re-using public sector information should inter alia allow 
European companies to exploit its potential and contribute to 
economic growth and job creation.  

(6) There are considerable differences in the rules and practices in 
the Member States relating to the exploitation of public sector 
information resources, which constitute barriers to bringing out the 
full economic potential of this key document resource.  Minimum 
harmonisation of national rules and practices on the re-use of public 
sector documents should therefore be undertaken, in cases where the 
differences in national regulations and practices or the absence of 
clarity hinder the smooth functioning of the internal market and the 
proper development of the information society in the Community.  

[...]

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