EC asks Estonia and Slovakia to comply


An EC press release announces that the European Commission has requested Estonia and Slovakia to comply with public sector information rules.

"The European Commission has requested Estonia and Slovakia to bring their laws in line with EU rules on the re-use of public sector information (PSI). These countries are not currently guaranteeing fair conditions for re-use of public sector information, in breach of the EU's PSI Directive. Estonia and Slovakia have failed to correctly implement most provisions of the Directive, including the prohibition of discriminatory or monopolistic practices by public bodies.

The requests take the form of reasoned opinions – the second stage of EU infringement procedures. Both countries now have two months to inform the Commission of measures taken to ensure full compliance with the EU PSI Directive. After this time, the Commission may refer the Member States to the EU's Court of Justice.

By not properly implementing the PSI Directive, Estonia and Slovakia are preventing their citizens and businesses from benefiting from the re-use of public sector information for new products and services, such as car navigation systems, weather forecasts or many of the useful applications available on smart phones. These products and services are made possible by adapting and/or linking geographical, legal or statistical data held by public bodies."

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