The Local Councils’ Association has joined the EU-funded project Homer (Harmonising Open Data in the Mediterranean through Better Access and Reuse of Public Sector Information), the aim of which is to unblock the full potential of the public sector information. It does this by releasing public datasets in free to use formats, as well as by launching local, regional and national open data (OD) portals.
OD is based on the idea that public sector information should be freely available to everyone to use and republish as they wish, without restrictions from copyright, patents or other mechanisms of control.
EU Directive 2003/98/EC set the base for the launch of a national Open Data portal in Malta, currently being developed by MITA. The OD portal will increase government transparency and is a time-saving solution for public entities and citizens, resulting in increased efficiency, knowledge and economic growth.
A number of events are planned to take place in 2014 in order to enhance citizens’ participation in the OD process.
http://www.homerproject.eu/