{"id":691683,"date":"2025-09-24T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T06:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-eus-e2t-budget-overlooks-a-key-tech-pillar-open-source\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T09:00:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T06:00:51","slug":"the-eus-e2t-budget-overlooks-a-key-tech-pillar-open-source","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-eus-e2t-budget-overlooks-a-key-tech-pillar-open-source\/","title":{"rendered":"The EU\u2019s \u20ac2T budget overlooks a key tech pillar: Open source"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2896bb6aa84\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2896bb6aa84\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-eus-e2t-budget-overlooks-a-key-tech-pillar-open-source\/#The_case_for_an_EU_Sovereign_Tech_Fund\" >The case for an EU Sovereign Tech Fund<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-eus-e2t-budget-overlooks-a-key-tech-pillar-open-source\/#A_missed_opportunity_in_the_European_Competitiveness_Fund\" >A missed opportunity in the European Competitiveness Fund<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On July 16, the European Commission proposed a <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euractiv.com\/news\/mff-eu-proposes-historic-e2-trillion-budget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20ac2tn seven-year budget<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013\u00a0the largest in the EU\u2019s history \u2013 to boost autonomy, competitiveness, and resilience. The spending plan addresses cybersecurity, innovation, and other key digital pillars, but omits a crucial component: open source.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open source software \u2013 built and maintained by communities rather than private companies alone, and free to edit and modify \u2013 is the foundation of today\u2019s digital infrastructure. Since the 1990s, it has been ever-present in the digital infrastructure that European industry and public sector institutions depend on, creating huge dependencies on open source <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lications and libraries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From commercial devices and services to government systems and research projects, open source powers the internet and countless platforms we rely on daily. Open source offers transparency, security, and flexibility that proprietary software cannot match. By investing in open source, Europe can support small businesses, universities, and public institutions, giving them tools to compete with global tech giants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this importance, the budget proposal does not include specific funding for open source. This is glaring given the prominence open source has been given in recent legislation,\u00a0 such as the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/policies\/cyber-resilience-act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyber Resilience Act<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/artificialintelligenceact.eu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AI Act<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the proposed <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/info\/law\/better-regulation\/have-your-say\/initiatives\/14628-AI-Continent-new-cloud-and-AI-development-act_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloud and AI Development Act<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The omission is alarming as Europe pushes to increase digital sovereignty, strengthen cybersecurity, and boost competitiveness.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tnw.events\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/tnw.events\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The \ud83d\udc9c of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Europe wants to remain competitive and self-sufficient in the digital world, it must support open source strategically and efficiently. Public-led investment must marshal resources that the private sector, philanthropy, volunteers, and the market alone cannot provide.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_case_for_an_EU_Sovereign_Tech_Fund\"><\/span>The case for an EU Sovereign Tech Fund<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Innovation funding at the grassroots level has been the foundation of the EU\u2019s modest levels of open source investment. As a result, the focus has shifted to scaling up these technologies into core digital infrastructure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintenance funding offers something different, and it\u2019s already been trialled. In a <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/eu-stf.openforumeurope.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent landmark report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the open technologies think tank <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/openforumeurope.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OpenForum Europe<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> called for a dedicated \u201cEU Sovereign Tech Fund\u201d to support European <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> projects essential for digital sovereignty \u2014 with open source at its heart. This builds on the <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sovereign.tech\/programs\/fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">German Sovereign Tech Fund<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which has supported global open source collaboration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fund like this would be welcome. Without investment in open source, Europe risks dependence on foreign technologies, vulnerability to external threats, and minimal competitiveness in global markets. Open source enables Europe to develop its own tech infrastructure, providing greater control, transparency, and security.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is not an isolationist version of digital sovereignty; it is an investment in the autonomy and resilience of digital infrastructure globally. It has long-term benefits for Europe, but it also supports other challengers to dominant technology visions offered by the United States \u2014 centred on platform monopolies and market-driven control of core digital infrastructure \u2014 and by China \u2013 where state-directed, centralised models prioritise surveillance and tight government oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By contrast, Europe\u2019s open source approach offers a pluralistic and collaborative alternative that emphasises transparency, interoperability, and public value, and investing in the global open source ecosystem it depends on is in line with these values.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_missed_opportunity_in_the_European_Competitiveness_Fund\"><\/span><b>A missed opportunity in the European Competitiveness Fund<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/publications\/european-competitiveness-fund_en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">European Competitiveness Fund<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 one of the EU\u2019s main financial tools under its new budget \u2013 does not prioritise open source as a strategic investment area, either at the high level or in detailed actions like digitalisation. This is a serious omission. As the fund is designed to support innovation and digitalisation across Europe, leaving out open source is a glaring but reversible oversight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any absence of open source funding will come to be seen as short-sighted, undermining Europe\u2019s digital transformation in an increasingly multipolar and crowded geopolitical landscape. EU leaders should prioritise open source in their new seven-year budget by explicitly making it a component of the European Competitiveness Fund\u2018s digitalisation focus. Creating an EU Sovereign Tech Fund, alongside other earmarked investments in open source, will be critical in delivering on their goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is an opinion piece by <\/span><\/i><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/daniel.haxx.se\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daniel Stenberg<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the co-founder and lead developer of <\/span><\/i><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/curl.se\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cURL<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a command-line tool for getting or sending data, including files, using URL syntax. Daniel is also president of the <\/span><\/i><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanopensource.academy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">European Open Source Academy<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/eu-budget-open-source\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On July 16, the European Commission proposed a \u20ac2tn seven-year budget \u2013\u00a0the largest in the EU\u2019s history \u2013 to boost autonomy, competitiveness, and resilience. The spending plan addresses cybersecurity, innovation, and other key digital pillars, but omits a crucial component: open source. Open source software \u2013 built and maintained by communities rather than private companies&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":691684,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280%2C640&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2023%2F09%2FUntitled-design-1-2.jpg&signature=6fcef80d4f74a324c5d28c7838e2a87f","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-691683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=691683"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/691683\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/691684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=691683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=691683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=691683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}