Source: Groupement Français de l’Industrie de l’Information (GFII), France (The French Association of Electronic Information Industry)

Paris: 21 May 2010

Since 1997, GFII (Groupement Français de l’Industrie de l’Information) has had a working group focused on the dissemination and re-use of public sector data.

More recently, GFII has expanded the activities of this group to create an Interagency working group focused on the dissemination and re-use of public sector information. Associations now included in this working group includes the following organisations

• ACSEL: association of digital players
• AFIGEO: French Association for Geographic Information
• FIGEC: National Federation of company information and receivables management
• FING: New Generation Internet Foundation
• GESTURE: Publishers Group Online Services
• GFII: the market of information and knowledge
• SPDG: Trade Association of Geomatics

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Today, 21 May 2010, the GFII Interagency working group has issued press release entitled: “L’ouverture des données publiques : un facteur d’innovation et de développement de l’économie numérique - Les 7 facteurs clés de succès Groupe inter associations « Données publiques” (The opening of public data: a factor of innovation and development of the digital economy – the 7 factors of success by the Interagency working group on public data.

The text of the press release states (approximate English translation) (French Text online):

“GFII together with the key players in the information and knowledge market: GFII in 1997 created a working group devoted to the dissemination of public information. GFII has now expanded its activities by including other groups within this group: ACSEL, AFIGEO, FIGEC, FING, GESTE, SPDG.

This document outlines seven recommendations of international organisations for the development of the digital economy.

Public information is a pool to create unique products or value added services and to promote new uses and develop new economic activities. The ease of use of material from government is a factor for social innovation and technological innovation, which promotes the emergence of new players and development of the knowledge industry.

The inter-association group brings together the key economic actors involved: public and private stakeholders in all sectors of the information (legal, geographic, industrial property, company information, territorial, environmental, scientific ...), but all actors in the information chain: information producers, re-users public and private software companies that can exploit this information, users in enterprises, researchers.

This group is a forum for debate and exchanges, which encourages synergies between the different players to encourage greater re-use of many sources of public information and thus contributes actively to the development of knowledge economy The European Directives on public sector data and environmental information, the dynamic movements around open data, projects data.gov, use the web for the renewal of democratic practices are already a new views on issues of public sector information use. For France to participate fully in this new momentum, the GFII Inter-association rallies round the seven recommendations:

1. Defining proactive This policy must be defined at the highest level of the state. The development of economic activity involves down clear and permanent polices. An interdepartmental administrative authority must have real powers to implement this policy.

2. Initiate dynamic Internet broadcasting technology empowers public bodies to disseminate and facilitate data they produce. Public bodies should use all the levers at their disposal technology (web services) to accelerate this diffusion. The creation of value through new services from public information should be facilitated by clear and simple terms of re-use, in appropriate formats and interoperable.

3. Open information to offer a complete and visible opening up public sector information must be provided for re-use. Public bodies are required by law to make available on their website a directory of their information. For the sake of consistency and visibility, a portal with an international mission, should identify all information produced by public bodies in France.

4. Free and transparent pricing Public information produced in the public interest, must be free and re-usable with exceptions (copyright, personal data, privacy). The complete or partial self-financing of some public bodies does not allow them now to ensure such free dissemination. The tariffs proposed in this case by the government must be justified: if these charges can’t be justified, the data should be free. Furthermore, it is essential to establish a clear separation between the missions of public service and state activities in a competitive marketplace.

5. Ensuring the capacity of agencies to ensure the quality of information The necessary resources must be guaranteed by the government to ensure data quality and formats for their re-use. The quality of information is the basic process of creating value. It requires continuity in the creation, integrity and with interoperability.

6. Develop dialogue between producers and re-users Space must be organised to facilitate exchanges between information producers and agencies seeking information or re-users.

7. Educate re-users on the conditions of re-use"

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About GFII (Groupement Français de l’Industrie de l’Information)

GFII is a professional association that brings together the key public and private industry information groups. GFII is very aware of issues related to the dissemination and re-use of government data. The GFII association participated in the drafting of the EU directive. GFII within this initiative has worked with the French associations in the information sector: (ACSEL, AFIGEO, GESTE, GFII, FIGEC, FING and SPDG) and has contributed to the debate on the French transposition of the Directive with concrete proposals. GFII acted as the French Country representative and contributed to the work of the ePSIplus Thematic Network from September 2006 to February 2009. GFII continues its work at the French country representative under the European Public Sector Information Platform. GFII also works with CADA, APIE, COEPIA and the European Commission.

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