This badge is awarded to users who have successfully completed the ‘Essentials of open data’ learning path of the data.europa academy. It reflects a strong foundation in understanding, using and publishing open data, tailored especially to public sector professionals at the national, regional and local levels. Badge holders have demonstrated competencies in understanding the principles of open data and applying technical skills in data management, and have gained knowledge of data interoperability and standards. They are also able to analyse open datasets, create visualisations and apply open data in practical contexts