10 December commemorates Human Rights Day , honouring the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) . This landmark document, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, stands as a testament to the intrinsic rights and freedoms for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, opinion, or status. This year's theme, 'Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All,' reiterates the global commitment to universal human rights, emphasising dignity, equality, and justice across the globe. Within this celebration, the UN spearheads a year-long initiative

The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) has taken significant steps towards its mission of fostering a sustainable and safe railway system without frontiers. At a dedicated press briefing yesterday, ERA announced the official launch of the ERA Railway Factsheets , an intuitive tool providing railway statistics and insights from several sources in an accessible format. Importantly, ERA presented its fundamental work on linked data and the ERA knowledge graph , a data architecture that reduces fragmentation and enables efficiency gains for the entire European railway sector. The ERA

Central to the European Commission's agenda for innovation and progress is a firm commitment to leveraging geospatial data and harnessing Artificial Intelligence's (AI) power. The recent report, 'Geospatial Trends 2023: Opportunities for data.europa.eu,' delves into emerging trends in the geospatial community, aiming to explore the transformative potential of geospatial trends and AI integration, reshaping the landscape of data-driven initiatives. The report emphasises the versatile applications of geospatial data in addressing global challenges, spanning maps, satellite imagery, and location

The Data Spaces Blueprint , unveiled recently, marks a significant moment in the European Union's expansive data strategy. It is a crucial support system for the development of data spaces within the Single European Market, emphasising secure and trustworthy data transactions, and underlining the importance of data sovereignty and trust. This framework lays the foundation for diverse data ecosystems, ensuring their robustness. As part of this strategic initiative, the Data Spaces Blueprint recognises the vital role of open data principles in the broader landscape of data space evolution

On November 30th and December 1st, the European Day of Persons with Disabilities (EDPD) unfolded in Brussels, marking a significant annual event. This two-day conference, a collaborative effort between the European Commission and the European Disability Forum , brought together over 400 policymakers, high-level experts, and disability advocates. The conference served as a crucial platform to address vital themes, including the right to vote and stand for elections, the European Year of Skills 2023 , and the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021–2030. This yearly gathering

In a comprehensive legal report commissioned by the data.europa.eu initiative , we delve into the complex field of licence compatibility challenges, shedding light on practical implications and unveiling strategies to propel open data collaboration across Europe. The report serves as a crucial resource, offering valuable insights into the nuances of varied licensing approaches and emphasising the need for cohesive strategies to ensure seamless integration for data re-users. Amidst the challenges outlined, a significant trend emerges as we observe a substantial shift towards widely recognised

On 18-19 November 2023, the Council of Europe  held an international hackathon in Paris, France. The event revolved around the topics of digital transformation, human rights, and easier use of case law databases. Titled ‘ Digital Future of Justice ’, the hackathon focused in particular on developing tools for automated indexing of judicial decisions with human rights categories. The event brought together 29 participants, students and researchers from Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Romania, who formed six national teams. They were supported by experts in technology and law

On November 7th, the Open Data Institute (ODI) Summit 2023 convened with a resounding theme: 'Without data, there is no AI.' A virtual gathering of global minds, the summit underscored the crucial link between open data and the trajectory of artificial intelligence (AI). The day-long summit navigated diverse facets of the data-AI landscape. Topics ranged from the collaboration between big tech and the global community to the intersection of creativity and AI, emphasising the pivotal role of open data in technological advancements. The summit's culmination involved a dialogue between Sir Nigel

To strengthen local and regional authorities with advanced digital capabilities, the Local and Regional Digital Indicators framework (LORDI) introduces LORDIMAS. This transformative digital maturity assessment tool, a product of collaboration with Living-in.EU , was officially unveiled with comprehensive demos during online events in October and the Smart City Expo in Barcelona from November 7-9 . LORDIMAS empowers local and regional governments across Europe to assess their digital progress, foster open data sharing and promot e more efficient governance. LORDIMAS , a free and interactive

As winter has already arrived and the holiday season is a pproaching , cosy up with a good read and embark on a literary journey from the comfort of your home. If you are seeking some data-driven reads, check-out the winter reading list curated by data.europa.eu . This list features six engaging reads ranging from articles to books, unveiling intriguing insights about open data, AI, data ethics, and more . High-value datasets , building data in EU Member States Discover the diverse and impactful high-value datasets shaping the EU's digital future in this comprehensive data.europa.eu data story