Implementing free software in the European institutions
24.1.2013
Question for written answer E-000726-13
to the Commission
Rule 117
Willy Meyer (GUE/NGL)
There has been a boom in software development in recent years that has genuinely opened up access to IT. This wider access to IT has been largely thanks to the creation of free software programs by a large number of software development collaborators who prefer to share their applications with others.
The various free software programs are now able to compete on a level playing field with computer applications developed by IT giants such as Microsoft. This company, which continually abuses its market position, as the Commission itself has stated and against which it has opened infringement proceedings for non-compliance with a 2009 agreement, still provides almost all the basic software (operating systems, spreadsheets, text editors, etc.) used by the European institutions.
The proprietary software used by the institutions is perfectly replaceable with free software, which is capable of meeting the vast majority of user requirements in the EU institutions. Although some specific proprietary software is essential for the work of some services, the bulk of software licences acquired by the EU institutions are for basic and general purpose software that civil servants use to carry out their daily work.
The Commission has declared itself in favour of free software on a number of occasions, and it has launched various projects, including the OSOR and EUPL projects and many others. However, in reality, staff at the European institutions find themselves obliged to use the Microsoft operating system, and when it is updated new licences are purchased that must cost millions of euros. At a time when austerity has been imposed on a large proportion of people living in Europe, implementing free software as a way of saving millions of euros without reducing functionality should be imperative, even though this should not prevent the EU institutions from acquiring necessary software for which no free substitutes exist.
1. Why do the Commission and the other EU institutions use software such as Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft Office, etc. when free applications, such as Linux, Open Office, etc., are available?
2. Is the Commission taking any steps to replace basic software used in the EU institutions with free software?
OJ C 354 E, 04/12/2013