From data to impact – shaping the digital age

The dynamic field of open data is changing the way in which we understand, engage with, and shape our world. From fostering transparency and fuelling research to triggering technological advances and informing policymakers, the potential of open data is unlimited.  

The Publications Office of the European Union, is thrilled to announce the 2025 edition of EU Open Data Days, scheduled for 19-20 March 2025 at the European Conference Centre in Luxembourg (ECCL) and online. The registrations will open in December. This event, organised by the team at data.europa.eu, the official portal for European data, aims to promote the harnessing of open data's power and will bring together data providers, enthusiasts, and re-users from Europe and beyond. 

Whether you’re part of the private sector working as a data publisher, a data analyst, or a public policymaker, an academic, or even just a passionate advocate for open data, this event is for you. 

What to expect:

• Success stories & best practices: Hear first-hand experiences from the front lines of European data policy and the work involved in the compilation of high-value datasets, discover insights on data reuse in business models and the new frontiers of AI. 
• Challenges & solutions: Learn to navigate the challenges of open data, with perspectives from publishers and users. 
• Visualising impact: Explore how data visualisation is reshaping communication, policymaking, and citizen engagement. 
• Data literacy: Unlock the full potential of open data through skill-building and innovative initiatives. 

Stay tuned for more details. Together, let's shape a future where data is not just open but optimally leveraged for an empowered society. 

Call for proposals: your insights wanted! 

Take the floor at EU Open Data Days 2025! 

Are you an expert in the field of open data and related domains such as data visualisation or topics linking data to AI? We encourage you to share your innovative initiatives and successful projects to inspire the open data community on how to contribute to making the EU a society empowered by data. 

Contributors are welcome from all over the world and from all sectors: international, EU and national public organisations, research and academia, the private sector, journalists and data visualisation experts.  

We invite speakers from inspiring projects that showcase the impact of using open data in innovative and engaging ways, to help shape an exciting conference programme. These projects should demonstrate how reusing open data can have a practical impact on the EU and beyond, building a stronger community, serving citizens, improving lives and supporting forward-looking business models.   

Submit your proposal for a conference contribution here.  

Key dates 

• Submission deadline for proposals: 22 October 2024 
• All participants will be notified of the evaluation outcome in November 2024 
• The selected contributors will submit a draft presentation of their speech by 15 January 2025 
• The selected contributors will submit a final presentation of their speech by 18 February 2025
• EU Open Data Days conference: 19-20 March 2025 

How can you contribute? Conference topics  

Contributions will take the form of speeches and/or presentations in a plenary session. Those speeches and/or presentations should last between 20 and 35 minutes (including questions and answers) and will be confirmed once your proposal is retained by the evaluation committee.  

Your contribution can be linked to one of these themes:  

1. Open data ecosystems & governance: presentations in this category will focus on the policy aspects of open data, including data governance, the creation and management of open data spaces (e.g. the European open data space), and the implementation of open data legislation. Your proposal should spark discussions on data strategy and the sharing of best practices on policy implementation and monitoring, such as the regulation of high-value datasets.  
2. Data reuse & impact: this category covers success stories, best practices, and high-impact reuse examples from government, academia and the private sector. It encourages submissions that reuse open data from the official European data portal, data.europa.eu, and that highlight how open data initiatives support policymaking, enhance transparency, and drive innovation in various domains as well as how AI can be used to analyse open data. 
3. Data access, quality, & interoperability: submissions in this category will address the technical challenges and solutions related to making open data more accessible, interoperable and reusable. Topics can include overcoming data accessibility challenges, implementing standards for data and metadata quality, best practices for re-using open data to train AI systems and promoting linked open data practices. 
4. Data visualisation & communication: focusing on the art and science of visualising (open) data, this category is suitable for presentations on successful projects, innovative tools, technologies, and trends in data visualisation. It aims to explore how data visualisation can facilitate communications about complex topics, foster better policymaking and increase citizen engagement.  
5. Data literacy & community building: aimed at fostering a strong community around open data, presentations in this category will emphasise skill-building and knowledge sharing. This category is suitable for inventive initiatives that promote data literacy and best practices on effective ways to build related skills, especially within the public sector in Europe. 

Evaluation criteria 

The proposals received will be evaluated by the Conference Programme Committee, according to the following criteria: 

Interested candidates may contact us for any clarification at: EU-Open-Data-Days@ec.europa.eu.  

Any questions and answers relevant to potential contributors will be published on the EU Open Data Days website. 

Costs and reimbursement 

Travel and accommodation (one night) will be reimbursed for the successful candidates (i.e. selected proposals) from academia and the public sector only.  

Staff of EU institutions will follow the standard mission procedures.

Other rules  

Intellectual property and copyright 

All contributions will remain the property of the contributor. If selected contributors wish to use pre-existing material such as images, videos or excerpts from other works, they must guarantee that they have obtained all necessary authorizations for this material to be used according to the description and the rules of the event. 

The sessions will be recorded and published on the YouTube channel of the Publications Office of the EU and on the EU Open Data Days website. Supporting materials (e.g. presentations) will also be published on the conference website. 

The EU institutions, agencies and bodies will be allowed to mention, describe and promote on their channels (websites, social media, press releases, etc.) the contributions with due reference to the author, without providing the latter any further economic compensation. 

Processing of personal data 

All personal data contained in the contribution shall be processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data. 

Such data shall be processed by the Publications Office solely in connection with the conference, as well as a possible transmission to the bodies (e.g. Court of Auditors) in charge of a monitoring or inspection task in accordance with European Union legislation. 

Contributors may, upon written request, gain access to their personal data and correct any information that may be inaccurate or incomplete. They should address any questions regarding the processing of their personal data to the Publications Office via the contact email indicated in the call for contributions. The contributors may, at any time, lodge a complaint against the processing of their personal data with the European Data Protection Supervisor. 

On the EU Open Data Days website, the Publications Office of the EU will publish the names of the contributors, their short CVs, their localities, their job descriptions and their social media accounts. Contributors may request that the Publications Office withhold such a publication (e.g. if disclosure risks threatening their security and safety or if it could harm their commercial interests). 

The full privacy statement is available here: https://dataeuropa.gitlab.io/data-provider-manual/legal-notice/organisation-euodd/ 

Successful  candidates  will  automatically  be  registered  for  the conference. By  submitting  your proposal(-s), you  accept the privacy statement. 

Sole liability of the contributors 

Neither the Publications Office of the EU nor its partners may be held responsible for any claim relating to the activities carried out by contributors in the framework of the conference. 

Neither the Publications Office of the EU nor its partners shall be held liable for any damages caused or sustained by any of the contributors, including any damages caused to third parties as a consequence of or during the implementation of the activities related to the conference. 

Applicable law and competent jurisdiction 

The conference is governed by the applicable European Union law complemented, where necessary, by the law of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The General Court or, on appeal, the Court of Justice of the European Union, shall have sole jurisdiction to hear any dispute between the EU and any contributor concerning the interpretation of the rules of this call for contributions if such a dispute cannot be settled amicably. 

From data to impact – shaping the digital age: #EUOpenDataDays2025