Newsletter - March 2026

Join our Open Data Day webinar to see how open data strengthens governance and decision-making. The Open Knowledge Foundation will introduce open data as a global public good, followed by two use cases: Spain’s spatial modelling of rural accessibility, and Ireland’s ‘Pobal’ tool for mapping deprivation to guide resource allocation. Discover how open data supports transparency, innovation, and evidence-based policymaking, and bring your questions to the question-and-answer segment.

Join us for the first episode of our new series on open data, academia and ethics. The session explores how open data and AI-supported methods are shaping today’s research and how to draw reliable conclusions from open datasets. We will discuss the role of interpretation, assumptions and academic responsibility, offering practical insights on research integrity, ethical decision-making, and responsible data use. A webinar for researchers, students and data practitioners.

This data story examines how people with disabilities experience everyday life across Europe through three dimensions: economic security, digital accessibility and social belonging. From poverty risks and employment gaps to the accessibility of online public services and feelings of social inclusion, the findings reveal wide and uneven differences among EU Member States. The analysis shows that inclusion depends not only on financial support but also on accessible services and supportive environments.

What shapes the way Europeans travel? Using open data, the story explores travel choices, household transport costs and the transition to electric vehicles across the EU. It shows how affordability and travel time influence mobility decisions, how transport expenses affect households differently among Member States, and how the shift toward electric cars is progressing at uneven speeds. The findings reveal both common patterns and national contrasts in Europe’s changing mobility landscape.

Europe is strengthening semantic interoperability through the SEMIC Support Centre, a hub that helps public administrations share, reuse and align data across borders. As part of the Interoperable Europe initiative, the centre provides common data models, pilots, tools and a knowledge hub to support harmonised standards. By promoting machine-readable and interoperable data, SEMIC enhances collaboration and contributes to more effective digital public services. Discover the resources and join the SEMIC community to advance interoperability across Europe.

Discover the collaboration channel on the European Data Portal: a dedicated space where Europe’s open data community connects, exchanges ideas and shapes the future of open data. Whether you publish or reuse data, this hub brings together policymakers, researchers, NGOs, businesses and students to share use cases, discuss challenges and learn from one another. Join thematic groups, follow key topics and contribute to a vibrant cross-border community that is driving open data forward.

Recent enforcement actions under the Digital Services Act, such as new investigations into X and measures to strengthen the protection of minors on online marketplaces, show how the EU is shaping a safer and more accountable online environment. These actions reflect a growing focus on platform responsibility, transparency and sound service design, including access to data for effective oversight. Explore the latest developments and resources on the European Commission’s Digital Services Act page.