Harmonising Open Data in the Mediterranean through Better Access and Reuse of Public Sector Information
HOMER focuses on the theme of Open Data, a world-wide policy aiming at making available and exploitable Public Sector Information (PSI). Governments are increasingly recognising the benefits of making their data open and reusable. The first is transparency: simply opening PSI, citizens can be better informed and participate in the decision making process. The second is linked to the economic value of PSI, whose wider re-use is considered a primary content resource for the development of digital markets. Compared to Northern Europe, MED area is still facing a digital divide gap in terms of market opportunities, e-government performances and transparency, mainly due to cultural, political and legal barriers. Fully aware of PSI benefits and of specific obstacles characterising the MED space, HOMER contributes to bridge this gap, by promoting a coordinated and tailored approach in 8 Mediterranean countries in order to stimulate accessibility and re-use of PSI. In line with the EU Digital Agenda, HOMER will facilitate the wider deployment of PSI in Spain, Italy, France, Malta, Greece, Slovenia, Cyprus and Montenegro, enabling their public governments to better address the legal, cultural and technological challenges linked to PSI policy. Starting from exposing 5 strategic sectors, characterising the MED political agenda of the next decades (Agriculture, Tourism, Environment, Energy and Culture), consistent with the NSRF strategies of the partners and linked to the committment of their internal departments, a dedicated Task Force composed of IT and Open data experts will be able to support HOMER institutional partners to face the legal cultural and technological obstacles of Open Data policy. In this way, during its first phase, HOMER will be able to open hundreds of public datasets, enhancing digital heritage transparency across the Mediterranean. But HOMER will go beyond this first milestone: the -opened-� PSI will be then federated, setting up the basis for a transnational Open Data Federation. This second milestone will generate a concrete MED added value, increasing the amount of datasets accessible from each institutional portal and enhancing the level of opportunities offered by the exploitation of a wider and cross-border digital heritage in a transnational market. Finally to demonstrate the Federation's tangible impact, HOMER will launch 2 pilots: one aiming to increase transparency and the level of participation of citizens in the decision making process, the second aiming to stimulate the exploitation of the federated PSI. Both pilots will be based on a tailored communication strategy, in line with the Community initiatives -Data.gov.eu-� aiming at raising awareness about the benefits of exploiting PSI at transnational level. Pilot showcase will be then presented during a final ceremony in 2014, to spread HOMER results to all Mediterranean governments interested to join the MED Open Data Federation