A shared language for digital public services: Introducing core vocabularies

Public administrations across Europe increasingly rely on data to deliver digital services. But when organisations use different data definitions, even simple exchanges become complex and costly. To address this issue, the European Commission published e-government core vocabularies on the Interoperable Europe portal. These vocabularies provide a shared, practical data language that helps public bodies describe people, organisations, locations, and services in a consistent way. 

Core vocabularies are simplified, reusable, and extensible data models. They focus on the essentials needed to describe a real-world concept, such as a person, a business or a public service, without tying that description to a specific system or country. Together, these vocabolaries form a common foundation that public administrations can reuse when building new systems, exchanging information, or publishing open data. 

By adopting core vocabularies, organisations reduce duplication, improve data quality, and make their services easier to connect with others. These vocabularies are developed and maintained by SEMIC under the Interoperable Europe Programme. They provide practical guidance through handbooks and examples, which can help policy offers and technical experts apply the vocabularies in real-world practices. 

Public administrations, project teams and data owners are encouraged to explore the core vocabularies collection on the Interoperable Europe portal and consider how these shared models can support their next digital or data-sharing initiative. 

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