The Open Data Directive: Unlocking the value of public sector information in Europe

The Directive on open data and the re-use of public sector information, in short, the Open Data Directive, was adopted in 2019. It establishes a common legal framework across the European Union to promote the reuse of public sector data. Replacing the earlier Public Sector Information (PSI) Directive, it aims to remove barriers and unlock the value of data held by governments, public institutions and publicly funded bodies. 

The directive harmonises rules across EU Member States, ensuring that public sector information can be reused for both commercial and non-commercial purposes under transparent and fair conditions. It expands the scope of reusable data to include public undertakings and research data funded by public money. It also introduces key improvements, such as encouraging real-time access to dynamic data via application programming interfaces (APIs) and limiting charges to marginal costs in most cases. 

At its core, the directive reinforces the principle that public data should be open by default. This means that government-held data, such as statistics, geospatial data or research results, should be accessible in machine-readable formats and ready for reuse. By promoting transparency, innovation and fair competition, the directive supports the development of new digital services, strengthens evidence-based policymaking and enables citizens and businesses to benefit from data-driven solutions. 

To learn more, explore the full legal text of the directive on EUR-Lex and discover how open data is implemented across Europe. You can also browse datasets and practical examples on the European Data Portal and see how open data can be reused to create innovative services and insights. 

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