Opening up public sector data: From public sector information to a
European data ecosystem
The European Union’s public sector information (PSI) directive
[https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/public-sector-information-directive]
has played a central role in transforming how government-held data is
accessed and re-used across Europe. Initially, the directive
established a common legal framework requiring Member States to make
public sector data available for re-use, both commercially and
non-commercially. The aim was not to regulate access but to remove
barriers to re-use, stimulate innovation, and support a competitive
internal market for data-driven services.  

Over time, the directive has evolved to keep pace with technological
change and growing expectations around transparency. Revisions were
made to expand its scope to include cultural institutions such as
libraries, museums, and archives, which recognises the value of
digitised heritage data. Yet barriers remained, including inconsistent
pricing models, limited access to real-time data, and gaps in
coverage. These challenges led to a comprehensive update of the
framework, resulting in the adoption of the Open Data Directive,
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/summary/open-data-and-the-reuse-of-public-sector-information.html]
which replaced the PSI directive and modernised the legal framework. 

The new rules strengthen the principles of openness. Organisations in
the public sector are expected to publish data proactively, in
machine-readable formats and often free of charge. The directive also
introduces high-value datasets that must be widely accessible for
reuse. It extends coverage to public undertakings and publicly funded
research data. This makes a shift from simply allowing reuse to
actively enabling a data-driven economy. 

The European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en] supports the PSI
framework by making datasets easier to find and reuse. It aggregates
data from across Europe to connect national portals to link EU policy
to real-world data. Together, the PSI directive and the open data
directive underpin the EU’s broader open data ecosystem and digital
strategy. 

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Publication Date/Time
2026-05-25T08:00:00+00:00
How European rules on re-use of government data are the foundation for
open data