Use Case Observatory Volume III: Tracking open data impact across
Europe
The third and final volume of the Use Case Observatory
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/reports/use-case-observatory-0] has
now been published on the European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/en], concluding a three-year research effort
to understand the impact of open data across Europe. Managed by the
Publications Office of the European Union
[https://op.europa.eu/en/home] and conducted by the European Data
Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en] team, this longitudinal study
followed 13 open data use cases from 2022 to 2025, assessing their
economic, governmental, social and environmental impact. 

Volume III builds on earlier findings by showcasing how these
initiatives have matured over time. From job-matching platforms like
‘Naar Jobs’ [https://naarjobs.be/] in Belgium to civic tools such
as ‘waar is mijn stemlokaal? [https://waarismijnstemlokaal.nl/]’
in the Netherlands, the report highlights how open data empowers
citizens, supports public services, and fosters innovation. Socially
impactful projects like Integreat
[https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/projects/integreat-multilingual-integration-platform-newcomers-germany_en]
and Open Food Facts [https://world.openfoodfacts.org/] demonstrate how
data can improve lives, from helping migrants integrate to guiding
healthier food choices. Environmentally, platforms such as Digital
Forest Dryads
[https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/projects/integreat-multilingual-integration-platform-newcomers-germany_en]
and Air Quality in Cyprus [https://www.airquality.dli.mlsi.gov.cy/]
show how open data can be used to protect forests and inform citizens
about air pollution. 

The report also explores broader lessons learned from long-term
development. It emphasises the importance of sustainable funding,
inclusive data ecosystems, and involving end users throughout the open
data lifecycle. These insights are important for policymakers, data
providers and innovators aiming to scale open data initiatives and
maximise their societal value. The observatory calls for more holistic
impact measurement frameworks that go beyond short-term metrics to
capture long-lasting change. 

Whether you're a data provider, civic tech developer or policymaker,
the Use Case Observatory offers valuable guidance on how to unlock the
full potential of open data. Explore the full report and discover how
open data is shaping Europe’s digital future. If you are interested
in learning more, you can find Volume I
[https://data.europa.eu/en/doc/use-case-observatory-3-year-monitoring-30-reuse-cases-understand-economic-governmental-social]
and Volume II
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/report/The_Use_Case_Observatory_Volume_2_2.pdf]
on our website.  

For more news and events, follow us on X/Twitter
[https://twitter.com/EU_opendata] and LinkedIn
[https://www.linkedin.com/company/publications-office-of-the-european-union/],
or subscribe to our newsletter [https://data.europa.eu/en/newsletter].
You can also connect with other users through our collaboration
channel
[https://data.europa.eu/dashboard/en/community/collaboration-channel]. 

Publication Date/Time
2025-10-15T08:00:00+00:00
Final volume reveals how open data drives innovation, inclusion, and
sustainability across 13 real-world initiatives