ePSIplus An overview Dagmar Vránová Czech PSI Watch Initiative European Associations Meeting, Copenhagen, funded by eContentPlus

Czech PSI Watch Initiative Information about the Network members Which sector does the Network represent? –The network is currently working as an initiative and represents re-users from business, social, legal and geographic sectors as well as main Public Sector Information Holders, but it is open for all kinds of stakeholders How many paid up members belong to the Association? –The membership is voluntary and no member fees are paid so far. How many private sector companies are members of the Association or of the Member Associations members? –About 10 private companies are participating the Initiative meetings and events How many of the members above re-use Public Sector Information? –All private companies involved operate as re-users Does the Association run an award scheme that identifies PSI Re- users? –Not so far Does the Association have case studies available about PSI Re-use? –Yes, several cases from the field of business, geographic and legal information

Information about the Associations policy on PSI re-use Does the Association have a written policy with respect to PSI Re- use? –The policy of the Initiative (articulated in 3 main objectives) was declared before the first meeting in September 2005 and is written down in the basic document as well as in Press release. Is the policy published and publicly available online? –The 3 main objectives are described and available on (directly iniciativa-czech-psi-watch.html#h3-3 ) iniciativa-czech-psi-watch.html#h3-3 If not publicly available please outline the policy: Czech PSI Watch Initiative The main objectives of Czech PSI Watch Initiative: To evoke (raise) discussion: encourage exchange of opinions and ideas between different stakeholders (both PSI Holders and PSI re-users) To organize workshops: after general mapping of PSI holders (and providers) at the national level, the Initiative will organize awareness rising events, lectures, presentations and seminars with aim to better understand the EU Re-use Directive in the national context To promote knowledge: by cross connection of 3 kinds of stakeholders (Public administrations, Private commercial sector and Non-profit sector) the platform for dissemination of good (and bad) practices and international experience will be established

Information about the Associations actions on PSI re-use Since 1st July what actions has the Association taken with respect to the re-use of PSI? –First seminar about Re-use of PSI: State-of-the-art in the Czech Republic and next course (direction), Prague, (Louis Ferräo from DG INFSO as a special guest) –Declaration of Commercial sector requirements for quality of PSI, Document published on –Meeting with President of Czech Statistical Office Mr. Jan Fischer. Declaration of support the Czech PSI Watch Initiative. Press release issued on –Working meeting (lunch) of members of Czech PSI Watch Initiative: Formulation of next proceeding, Prague, –Eastern European eGovernment Days (eeeGov Days) – International Conference with support of ePSInet project (dissemination). Several experts presented the topic of ePSIplus: (Rob Davies: paper PSI Re-use and Public Sector Culture - The ePSIplus Thematic Network; Dagmar Vránová, Irina Zálišová: paper Creating value from Public Sector Information; Pavel Gardavský, Tomáš Vejlupek, Dagmar Vránová: paper Adoption of the Topic Maps Technology for Analysis of Legal Rules Concerning Re-use of PSI)eeeGov Days –INFORUM – conference on professional information sources, Prague (D. Vránová: paper PSI – a source of raw material for information and knowledge in business) –Closed meeting of the Initiative members with Javier Hernandez-Ros (head of Unit – Digital libraries & PSI, European Commission), Prague, –Web pages was launched in Summer 2007www.czechpsi.info Czech PSI Watch Initiative

Information about the Associations actions on PSI re-use Has the Association held any meetings of its members dedicated to the re-use of PSI? (e.g. Awareness raising/Information Sharing/Information dissemination) –Working meeting (lunch) of members of Czech PSI Watch Initiative: Formulation of next proceeding, March 2007 –Closed meeting of the Initiative members with Javier Hernandez-Ros (head of Unit – Digital libraries & PSI, European Commission), Prague, Has the Association lobbied politicians on PSI re-use? –Not in the past year, because the responsible ministry (Ministry of Informatics) was dissolved –A meeting with a new responsible body (Ministry of Interior) is planned for September 2007 Has the Association lobbied government Ministries on PSI Re-use? –see above Has the Association lobbied other people or bodies other than the above? –not yet Czech PSI Watch Initiative

Information about the concerns of the Associations members on PSI re-use What are the issues/concerns of the Associations members with respect to PSI re-use? (Please list top three) –Clauses of prohibition of re-use PSI: „Free access IS NOT free exploitation!“ „Re-use“ of PSI is not so relevant as „Access“ to PSI. Some institutions (executives) consider the re-use business as unwelcome, even immoral –Standards for data description and distribution missing: Different Public institutions = different formats, rules, terms of operation, communication parameters etc. –Private investment protection missing: Unclear long-term concepts of Public information (digital) services development – –Unclear formulations: What exactly means „commercial use“? How can a re-user achieve the downloading of bigger volume of data? –Catalogue of public available sources missing: Which public information assets are available? Which of them are available for re-use? –Central point for complaints and enquiry centre missing: Extending interest in re-use = extending number of conflicts and uncertainty. Who should be addressed in case of refusing? Czech PSI Watch Initiative

What do the members expect the Association to do about the above mentioned issues? –discuss the issues, exchange opinions, share experience from abroad, –remove the barriers for exploiting PSI for commercial information services –set clear and standard rules for everybody Has the Association taken action to address these issues? –September 2007: first meeting of the Initiative representatives with Ministry of Interior (responsible for the Re-use Directive) –January 2008: National meeting in the framework of ePSIplus network –Engage media, especially internet Is the Association aware of any complaints/court cases on PSI re-use that involve the Associations Members or their Members? –Not yet, enterprises are not willing to act on courts due to high cost, time consuming and very unclear results. Czech PSI Watch Initiative

Information about the concerns of the Associations members on PSI re-use In the view of the Association - who within the membership or the Members membership is considered to be a PSI Re-use champion? Please name of body/person and country. –CCB - Czech Credit Bureau (business information) –CEKIA (business information) –Creditinfo Czech Republic (business information) –AION (legal information) –TOVEK (all kinds of information, Competitive intelligence technology provider) –CAGI – Czech Association for Geoinformation Outside the Initiative (so far): –Economica, a.s. (legal information, company information) –ASPI (legal information) –Meteopress (meteorological information) –CHAPS (transport information) Czech PSI Watch Initiative

URL of Czech PSI Watch Initiative: URL that contains a link to ePSIplus: Contact address: or Thank you for your attention EPMA works on behalf of Czech PSI Watch Initiative.