Open government data

Public organisations produce and collect a broad range of data in order to perform their tasks. Sharing these data with the public leads to greater transparency and increases public awareness of government activities. Open government data (OGD) can also help generate insights on how to improve government performance and hold governments accountable. OGD provide also the basis for meaningful public participation and collaboration in the creation of innovative, responsive and value-added services and policies, and are ultimately expected to improve the decision making of both governments and individuals. The public shall be able to use government data for making more informed decisions that could increase the quality of their lives while governments are expected to more easily access a wider range of datasets to foster evidence-based decision making. Finally, OGD are seen as a potential source of economic growth, and as a basis for new forms of entrepreneurships and social innovation.