GEOkomm awarded EU PSI Exclusive Agreements contract for Germany
14 December 2009
In accordance with its Communication following a comprehensive review of the PSI Directive, the European Commission has launched a study the purpose of which is the Identification of Potential Exclusive Agreements in Germany (IPEAG) concluded by public sector bodies.
The aim of the study is to collect relevant information from the public as well as the private side of the German PSI Market (i.e. both supply and demand) on the potential existence of Exclusive Agreements as described by Article 11 of Directive 2003/98/EC.
Such agreements, often the legacy of arrangements made prior to the advent of the internet and to government programmes modernising the public administration, are prohibited by the Directive. Exclusivity Agreements are regarded as substantial inhibitors on the re-use of public information which, in turn, is aiming to produce innovative products and services that increase productivity and drive economic growth and employment.
The award to conduct this important study for Germany has been won by a consortium led by GEOkomm – Association of the GeoInformation Industry Berlin/Brandenburg (GEOkomm - Verband der GeoInformationswirtschaft Berlin/Brandenburg e.V.). by GEOkomm, German language (14 December 2009)
Michael Fanning, GEOkomm member and Managing Director of the consortium partner Online Consultants International GmbH, has been appointed Project Manager.
The GEOkomm led consortium is well positioned to undertake the study for Germany as it brings to the project political reach and standing at Federal and Federal State levels, unique knowledge of the target information market domains, extensive operational experience with respect to market research in the German public and private sector as well as proven legal expertise in the relevant areas.
Commenting on the award Dr. Peter A. Hecker, GEOkomm’s Chairman of the Board of Directors observed,
“Historically speaking the re-use of public sector information already has a very long tradition in Germany. After all, some of Germany’s business and legal information publishers are amongst the oldest in Europe. However, the rapid development of the internet coupled with our Federal structure has led to a situation where important legislation, in this case the PSI Directive, seen in terms of the end-user has been awkwardly implemented.
Nobody benefits from this state of affairs. The public sector runs risks for failing to comply with EU legislation. Businesses are denied opportunities to be innovative and are frustrated at the resultant legal uncertainty. The aims of this study are very constructive. Namely, to assess the compliance of public sector bodies in Germany with the PSI Directive and where compliance is deficient or wanting to explore remedies and ensure a faster rate of compliance for the benefit of all stakeholders. “
The investigative part of the study will begin in early 2010. In the coming weeks reference materials will be available for consultation and reference from the GEOkomm e. V. website. Queries or questions can be addressed directly to the Project Manager at IPEAG2010@geokomm.de .
GEOkomm – The Association of the GeoInformation Industry Berlin/Brandenburg and its 39 members have been active in the German PSI market for several years. Although initially focussed on geoinformation, GEOkomm’s network of partners and contacts currently embraces all the major sectors of public sector information, namely geoinformation, meteorological, legal and administrative as well as business information, for example official registers. GEOkomm is also a facilitator and active member of numerous networks such as GEOkomm networks, InitiativeD21, SAT NAV-Forum as well as the PSI Alliance based in Brussels. GEOkomm has represented Germany in the pan-European ePSIplus (now EU PSIPlatform) project since its inception in 2006.
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