PSI Alliance – a voice for the re-users

« 
Previous entry
|
Guest Blogs
|
Next entry
 »

Rolf Nordqvist

30 June 2009

Number of Comments: 1

The European market for the re-use of Public Sector Information (PSI) is estimated to be 27 billion Euros a year. A huge amount of money. But we are not there yet and it is a large market to be exploited by the re-users. Why does it take such a long time to do what US re-users have already done? Why is Europe so far behind? I think that we have the answer in the way the different government authorities handles PSI in Europe. They act as if PSI belongs to them and not to the people and they are especially reluctant if private companies come and want to make profit out of “their” information. So when EU calls for PSI re-use the authorities continues the same way that they always have done – being restrictive and often preferring to distribute the information by themselves.

But what are the re-users doing? They often handle the discussion about access and re-use one by one with the authorities. Sometimes they complain about their situation to administrative courts or in some cases they complain to the EU Commission. But often they remain silent to avoid disturbing the relationship with their supplier of information, normally an authority in a monopoly situation.

Some of the re-users have started an organization to be stronger in their struggle to get better conditions for PSI re use. The PSI Alliance was founded last year (2008) with ambitions to exchange good and bad practice among its members and to speak with one voice to different stakeholders.

The PSI Alliance is now one year old and is active in the debate about what actions could or should be taken in order to raise the activity on the re-use market. On the 25 June PSI Alliance held a members meeting in Brussels to discuss different ways of going forward. We all agreed that the best way of doing that is to highlight good practice or good thinking and spread the best solutions among the re-users and PSI Holders. This was the theme on our re-user conference and is the theme for PSI Alliance during the forthcoming year.

Key examples of good practice and good thinking highlighted at the conference were:

  • New pricing policies in the Netherlands. They are moving towards marginal cost/delivery cost on PSI. Of special interest in the meeting was pricing in the meteorological area. As from January 2009 prices on synoptic and radar observations are to be based on delivery costs.
  • A new and more flexible re-dress mechanism has been implemented in Slovenia. In Slovenia you can apply to the Information Officer if you are dissatisfied with the decisions from Public Sector Bodies. In 2008 the Information Officer had to deal with 328 cases when Public Sector Bodies denied access/re-use to PSI or did not make any decision at all.
  • The Competition Authority in Sweden has suggested (in a report to the Swedish government) that central government agencies should be prohibited to sell goods and services (including information) in competitive markets. Competitive distortions should be reduced by more effective rules for public selling activities.

This is good news for the PSI Alliance. We have for a long time struggled for better solutions when it comes to fair prices (marginal costs/delivery costs), fair competition (only competition among private companies) and more flexible ways to appeal when re-users and companies disagree. Now we can see signs that changes may happen in different European countries. So, if you have examples of good practice or good thinking please send them to the PSI Alliance and we will publish it on our web site for others to follow.

Rolf Nordqvist

Chairman PSI Alliance

Comments

PSI Policy and Practice on the ground

These examples of good practice are clearly positive, but clearly more needs to be done, in a more integrated manner. We need transparency on what data is held by PSI holders and how it can be accessed - full PSI asset lists with clear statements of intellectual property ownership and method, mode and terms of access are not only crucial to our businesses, they are fundamental to the public task of PSI holders.

Clarity is required on the re-use practices of member states and their PSI holders. A PSI holder may wish to improve its information disclosure practice but it is not good practice or a core competence to do this by acting commercially. Best practice in the public sector in future will be focus on mainly on collecting and managing data properly, on using new technologies to provide public viewing portals, and providing a range of modern interfaces to allow any number of private companies to access and re-use the data. Working in this manner maximises the use of the data, facilitates packaging of data to turn it into information, and minimises the potential for conflict in the marketplace. Where a PSI holder wishes to compete in the markets by packaging its data and marketing information products then it has to ensure that there is a level playing field for the private sector. This means complete openness on terms, data, business and technical processes, and operating costs, which in most cases is very difficult to do. Either way, to make things clear every PSI holder needs to issue a clear and comprehensive PSI policy and practice statement; there is no reason why a model statement cannot be set up by each member state or even at European level to help them do this. At the moment the rules for marketing PSI access and products are not being made clear on the ground, which is why and where the conflicts are taking place.

Only when good policy and practice is established will we be able to compare member state’s practices like-for-like, establish minimum standards, and even facilitate the re-use of PSI across borders. Such a comparison must begin with a central, formal and transparent review process supported by the Commission and national Governments.
Geoff Offen Saturday 18 July 2009

You need to Log On to contribute to this Blog. If you're new to our Blog, creating your registration is quick and easy.