The EU’s €2T budget overlooks a key tech pillar: Open source

The European Commission has proposed a €2tn seven-year budget, the largest in the EU's history, to boost the bloc's autonomy, competitiveness, and resilience. The spending plan addresses key digital pillars such as cybersecurity and innovation, but surprisingly omits a crucial component: open source. Open source software, built and maintained by communities rather than private companies, has been the foundation of today's digital infrastructure since the 1990s. European industry and public sector institutions heavily rely on open source applications and libraries, creating significant dependencies on this technology. Despite its importance, the EU's €2tn budget fails to allocate any specific funding for the development and maintenance of open source software. This oversight is concerning, as open source is essential for the EU's digital sovereignty and resilience. Experts argue that the EU should prioritize investing in open source to ensure the long-term sustainability and security of its digital infrastructure.