On Friday, 10 July, the data.europa academy hosted a webinar titled ‘Data without borders: the role of non-EU countries in European data initiatives’. The session brought together experts and participants to explore how cooperation with non-European Union countries supports transparency, innovation, and evidence-based policymaking. Speakers from Ukraine and Serbia shared their experiences in advancing open data ecosystems while aligning with European standards, highlighting why international collaboration is essential for a stronger European data landscape. During the session, participants

For more than 40 years, the European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) initiative has highlighted the richness and diversity of Europe’s cultural heritage. Established in 1985, the programme gives selected cities the opportunity to showcase their cultural assets through a year-long series of events with a strong European dimension. Beyond promoting arts and culture, the initiative aims to strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging to a shared European cultural space while fostering dialogue across borders. Over the years, the title has evolved into one of the European Union’s most visible cultural

Data is becoming a key resource for innovation, public services, and economic growth. To unlock its full potential, the European Commission launched the concept of Common European Data Spaces as part of the European Strategy for Data . These data spaces are designed to make data more accessible and reusable across borders and sectors while ensuring that users retain control over their data and that European rules on privacy, security, and competition are respected. The initiative focuses on strategic sectors including health, energy, mobility, agriculture, manufacturing, finance, public

The Serbian Open Data Portal is strengthening access to public sector information by bringing together datasets, application programming interfaces (APIs), and examples of data reuse in a single, user-friendly platform. Designed as a central access point for open government data in Serbia, the portal enables citizens, businesses, researchers and public authorities to discover, access and reuse information from a wide range of institutions. It also supports community engagement by allowing registered users to publish datasets and showcase examples of how open data can be used in practice

Summer offers a chance to look beyond day-to-day work and reflect on the trends shaping the global data landscape. Over the past six months, international organisations , research institutions, and public bodies have published articles and reports for our users to explore how data is shared, governed, and reused to address societal challenges. Enjoy these reads during these months and learn more about the impact of open data on your everyday lives. The Atlas of Global Development 2026 : this storytelling and data visualisation tool can be used to explain global trends in poverty, education