This may be a little off topix, but I think it may also be interesting for many of you.
Any suggestion, related article or column you may write, is welcome. Best regards, Nicolas ==== On June 29 2007, the European Commission agency IDABC published document written on contract by Gartner initiating the revision of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and the Architecture Guidelines (AG) . The first version of this very important document has been published in 2004 and introduced a strong support and request for open standards and xml for the exchange of data between administrations within Europe, as well as with the citizens. This has been relayed and used in many countries to support open standards as well. This is now threatened in this new report EIF v2.0 by Gartner This second version, not yet endorsed by the European Commission, nor by the member states, but that could well enter soon such an endorsement process, wants to update the previous version of the European Interoperability Framework but, contrary to the first version, it threatens explictely the good process of more open standards that had been a long time push of IDABC. (quote from the report) " Yet, Gartner recommends not to focus on the use of open standards per se. Whether open or not, standards are to further the deployment of public services. EIF v2.0 should facilitate the most profitable business model(s) of cost versus public value, under proper recognition of intellectual property rights, if any. The support for multiple standards allows a migration towards open standards when appropriate in the long run." " The use of 'open source' software may further the deployment of public services. However again, whether open source or not, it is the most viable software that should be allowed to survive in the infrastructure. So again, EIF v2.0 should facilitate multiple options to co-exist, and to compete." These are unacceptable drawbacks from the previous "European Interoperability Framework for pan-European eGovernment Services" (Version 1.0, 2004, page 9) that promoted the use of open standards as defined in this European definition, the use of free and open source softwares as well as XML, the Extensible Markup Language. Without our reactions, this could be inforced in the paper and thereafter be endorsed by the European Commission and made effective to the member states. We need to react before September 15, 2007. Please help us gather these reactions and comments on http://www.openstandards.eu/ We shall transmit them to the EC while keeping an archive. Thanks, Nicolas -- Nicolas Pettiaux - email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Utiliser des formats ouverts et des logiciels libres - http://www.passeralinux.org. Pour la bureautique, les seuls formats ISO sont ceux de http://fr.openoffice.org _______________________________________________ EuroPython mailing list EuroPython@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/europython
