Workshop

Open Source and the European Union Legislation

Monday, 19 May 2025 @ 15:30 - 16:30

Digitalisation, unfair business practices, the influence of social media platforms on the European public, and a changing international security landscape have created debate and given rise to the demand for legislation. Over the last ten years, the European Union has created legislation that affects the providers of digital services, and the developers of software more directly than before. From the Digital Services Act that wants to curb problematic tendencies of social media, to the Digital Markets Act focussing on exclusionary and gate-keeping business practices, to the AI Act, Product Liability reform, and the Cyber Resilience Act that can apply to software developers directly, Open Source producers have come into focus of European legislation.

While the European Union legislator is starting to get a grasp on how Open Source could actually contribute to other policy goals like technological sovereignty, it is more important than ever to be present and make sure the freedoms that Open Source provides are safeguarded.

Open Source trade associations from the EU have joined forces in 2020 to create APELL as the European Open Source Software Business Association. This talk will outline why it is important for Open Source businesses to get together and make sure their voice is heard in the European capitals now, and how to raise our impact.