Rotterdam, 6 October 2011

(by Ton Zijlstra)

As we reported earlier this week the Ministry for Infrastructure and Environment is making the cadastral base registry for geo data in the Netherlands available for free for re-use on January 1st, 2012. Until now access to the database costs 50.000 Euro. Providing free access is meant to stimulate new economic activity. As a study by Graham Vickery on the economic impact of PSI re-use states the potential economic benefit of PSI is generally much larger than the potential revenue received from selling it.

Minister Schultz however also announced that this is just a first step. By January 1st, 2015 at the latest, all information and data held by the Ministry for Infrastructure and Environment should be made available according to the principle of 'public, unless...'. The Ministry will move forward as quickly as possible, and the release of the cadastral geo data is merely a first step on that path. 'Public, unless...' is of course already the leading principle in the Dutch freedom of information act, in which re-use is also defined. This announcement however is a move towards pro-active publishing of material.

Open data is seen by the Minister as raw material for innovation, and making it available reduces barriers to entry for novel products and services. It also helps to create a more transparent government. Minister Schultz: "The big advantage is of course that citizens wil have a much better insight into which data is informing government policies."