OSOR is a place where the Free and Open Source software community can come together to publish news, find out about events, find relevant open source software solutions and read about the use of Free and Open Source in public administrations across and beyond Europe. 

 

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MISSION

OSOR is a trustworthy observatory that provides FOSS expertise and information as well as serves as middle-ground to connect European Public Administrations with other relevant stakeholders. To reach this objective, OSOR promotes the use of Free and Open Source software and supports the community.

 

The underlying philosophy is to promote collaboration, sharing and digital development by providing the following main services:

  

ASSISTANCE & SUPPORT

Provides information and offers ad-hoc legal support services on the licensing of open source software solutions in cooperation with the EUPL collection.

The OSOR community is characterised by three main stakeholder groups: national and local public administrations, private sector, and citizens such as academics and open source software enthusiasts. Each group can contribute to the further adoption of open source and benefit from the OSOR initiative by reading up-to-date news and in-depth case studies that are posted on a regular basis.

  

INFORMATION OBSERVATORY

Publishes information, experiences and best practices around the open source software in public administrations. Additionally, the Knowledge Centre gives access to key resources such as studies and guidelines. 

  

COMMUNITY BUILDING

Promotes open source software through community engagement activities such as participation in events, social media, and production and publication of content.

 

Why use OSOR? 

 

\u2713 Stay informed on the latest news items, case studies, and expert guidelines on open source software in all EU Member States.

\u2713 Find out about ongoing initiatives by public administrations on the use of open source software. 

\u2713 Monitor events on open source software in the European Union and beyond.

\u2713 Share content and connect with peers and experts.

\u2713 Receive support in relation to legal matters on software licences for the creation of new open source software.

Stay informed - Get involved!

  

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 Follow @osoreu on Twitter 

 Subscribe to RSS Feeds ", "@language": "en" } ], "http://purl.org/dc/terms/publisher": [ { "@id": "http://data.europa.eu/w21/c048c3ab-fdc2-4b88-8eb0-f6d6b75a2a1d" } ] }, { "@id": "http://data.europa.eu/w21/c048c3ab-fdc2-4b88-8eb0-f6d6b75a2a1d" }, { "@id": "http://data.europa.eu/w21/ed6ce30f-5840-41c6-a5e1-14786b24aaa6" }, { "@id": "http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#Catalog" } ] } Open Source Observatory (OSOR) | Interoperable Europe Portal

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About OSOR

OSOR is a place where the Free and Open Source software community can come together to publish news, find out about events, find relevant open source software solutions and read about the use of Free and Open Source in public administrations across and beyond Europe. 

OSOR is a trustworthy observatory that provides FOSS expertise and information as well as serves as middle-ground to connect European Public Administrations with other relevant stakeholders. To reach this objective, OSOR promotes the use of Free and Open Source software and supports the community.

Highlight

Communication image for EU OSS Catalogue launch

EU Commission Launches EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue

The European Commission has officially launched the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue (EU OSS Catalogue). Developed under the FOSSEPS initiative, the catalogue aims to foster cross-border collaboration by centralising access to open source software solutions tailored to public administrations in EU Member States. With over 640 solutions already available—and more on the way—it promotes transparency, reuse, and efficiency across more than 30 public sector domains. 

Consult the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue
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Explore OSOR

Knowledge Centre icon

Knowledge Centre

The Knowledge Centre gives you access to key information published by the Open Source Observatory as well as external resources to learn more about the development of OSS.

OSS Governance icon

OSPOs and OSS Governance

Information on how public administrators can set up their own OSPOs and share their experiences with the community.

Cities and Regions icon

Open Source in Cities and Regions

Information for cities and regions considering or already using open source solutions, providing valuable insights, testimonies, and lessons from local administrations.

Resource Map icon

Resource Map

In this interactive map, you will find country-related OSS information and resources.

Newsletter icon

Newsletters

The OSOR newsletters keep you updated with the latest news, studies, software and upcoming events on the topics of open source software.

Community Events icon

OSOR Events

OSOR and community events on Open Source software development and European policies.

 

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Latest News

All news
Last update: 03/06/2025

Why cloud licenses matters?

European PoliciesLicensingOpen Source Software
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Last update: 30/05/2025

Updated country report on open source software in Lithuania

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Updated country report on open source software in Croatia

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Last update: 27/05/2025

Europe’s Digital Public Goods Moment

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Last update: 22/05/2025

Open Source Powers Eurovision

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Last update: 21/05/2025

Powering research and policy

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Last update: 20/05/2025

Finland Digitalises Exams with Open Source

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Last update: 16/05/2025

Lithuania focuses OOTS implementation in education and residence

eGovernmentEuropean Policies+3 topics
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Last update: 16/05/2025

Japan's 2024 Open Source Promotion Report

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News

 

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Upcoming Events

All events
Virtual event

Join the OSOR Workshop "Funding Open Source: Towards Sustainable Models" – 30 June

Open Source Software
0
Event
Physical event

DebConf25 and DebCamp

Open Source Software
0
Event
Physical event

APELL Conference 2025

Open Source Software
0
Event
Physical event

Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial Europe 2025

Open Source SoftwareGeospatial
0
Event
Physical event

PyCon Italia 2025

Open Source Software
0
Event
Physical event

UN Open Source Week 2025

CollaborationeGovernment+3 topics
0
Event
Virtual event

Join the OSOR Webinar : Exploring the role of OSPOs in transforming public services with open source

Open Source Software
0
Event
Physical event

Drupal Dev Days 2025

Open Source Software
0
Event
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