[euopendata] The ICT 2010 proposal text

[Sören Auer]

On 10.06.2010 11:53, Ivan Herman wrote:
> I realize that I do not have a copy of the proposal we sent it,
> nor do I have a link. Can you send it to me? Thanks

Here again for all of you the submitted proposal text:


Title
     Governmental Linked Data
Description

     The publishing of data produced by governments is a crucial step 
towards more openness, transparency and citizen involvement. Examples 
moving in that direction include the US' data.gov portal or the UK’s 
data.gov.uk initiative. However, publishing data alone is not enough: 
the data should adhere to open standards, be tightly interrelated with 
other information and facilitate reuse. The semantic web activity has 
recently gained momentum with the widespread publishing and interlinking 
of data on the emerging Data Web. With a variety of corresponding 
methodologies, tools and techniques available, the Linked Data paradigm 
can serve as a powerful enabler for integrating data published by local, 
regional, national and European public administrations. To connect and 
align different initiatives throughout Europe, this networking session 
will bring government representatives, IT specialists, researchers and 
representatives from related non-governmental organizations together.
More material for the Selection Panel

     This networking session is proposed by a community of people and 
organizations including IT professionals, scientists, and government 
representatives. The group is currently organized under the auspices of 
the Open Knowledge Foundation as Working Group on EU Open Data 
(http://wiki.okfn.org/wg/euopendata). It includes particularly 
practitioners from IT companies, researchers from the technology and 
social sciences fields, representatives working for the European 
Commission, from standardization organizations (such as the World Wide 
Web consortium) as well as representatives from non-governmental citizen 
organizations (such as e.g. Regards Citoyens from France, Open Data 
Network Germany or Folket Sting from Denmark).

     Objectives of the networking session are:

     To provide a forum for establishing personal contacts and exchange 
of ideas for stakeholders with regard to publishing and linking 
governmental data

     Identify research, technological development and standardization 
objectives, which should be pursued in order to facilitate the uptake of 
Linked Data in the governmental domain

     Showcase first successful adoptions and use cases of Linked 
Governmental Data

     Thematically the network session is relevant for a number of 
pillars of the Framework Programme as well as the Competitiveness and 
Innovation Programme.

     The scope of the session is open, all kinds of stakeholders and 
organizations can be involved and even for ordinary citizens the 
networking session is highly relevant.

     Already now, we have a strong commitment of a large number (>50) of 
organizations and individuals interested to attend and contribute to the 
networking session. They are currently organized in OKFN’s Working Group 
on EU Open Data, which includes an active mailinglist and monthly 
conference calls. The group will also cater for sustainable continuation 
of the activities started and planned during the networking session.

     The networking session's goals have strong relationship to a number 
of EU co-funded projects, such OKKAM, KIWI, OntoWiki, WeKnowIt and we 
will make the necessary steps to involve them as much as that is possible.

     Also, the networking session will help to align a number of 
national initiatives and events targeting the publishing of governmental 
data.

     Ultimately, the publishing and interlinking of governmental data 
will make public administrations more transparent, help creating an 
unprecedented level of openness in government and thus strengthen the 
European democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in government.