Europe's IT and telecom ministers have issued a collective call for government agencies across the continent to purchase non-proprietary software. When you consider the number of municipal, regional and national government offices in Europe, they constitute a sizable component of the market with substantial buying power.

As the European Commission prepares software procurement guidelines, known as the European Interoperability Framework, ministers from member countries said governments should "embed innovation and cost effectiveness into eGovernment through the systematic promotion of open standards and interoperable systems," reports Paul Meller of TechWorld.

The framework that the commission is developing targets the purchasing habits of public offices across Europe. Traditionally, the largest software makers have dominated this market, meaning that citizens have to use compatible programs to file tax returns, apply for licenses or renew identification cards. Despite efforts by some in the commission to loosen the hold by proprietary software vendors, drafts of the framework have been weakened in recent months, Meller reports. Open source proponents hope that the statement out of the ministers strengthens their case.

The interoperability framework is part of a larger European Digital Agenda, which the European Commission is expected to publish in May.

For more:
- see Paul Meller's article at TechWorld

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