Open standards and free software in Belgium
This article describes in a factual way the legal proposals and the opinions of various authorities concerning the use of the open standards and the free software in Belgium, in particular in the public administrations.
It also continues parliamentary questions and discussions on these subjects.
Synopsis |
Political context
At the federal level
The new government, set up following the held elections it , designates Peter Vanvelthoven as Secretary of State to the Computerization of the State. The free software and the open standards are treated in a general way in its declarations of general policy and manner more detailed in a specific note approved by the Council of the Ministers of the 25/06/2004 and whose complete version was published by Fedict.
- Secretary of State to the Computerization of the State, Declaration of general policy, 2004.
- "(...)Pour all new application data-processing, the administration will use open standards. For the existing applications, a progressive migration towards the open standards will be carried out. The open standards in particular make it possible to guarantee that the users (undertaken, citizens and civils servant) can in any time to put themselves in contact with the administration and to reach the data with regard to them. The list of the open standards used by the State will be gathered within the Belgian Federal Framework of Interoperabilité in dialogue with the Communities and Areas. The free software (also called open-source) must be seriously taken into account within the federal administration. Some public services already started to migrate of an environment of software owners towards an environment of free software. Fedict will follow these projects control and will evaluate the results and will make recommendations for the whole of the administration.(...) "
- Federal government, Press release of the Council of Ministers: standards and software, 25/06/2004.
- SPF Technologies Information and the Communication (Fedict), Directives and recommendations for the use of open standards and/or specifications open in the federal administrations, 2004.
At the regional and Community level
Political declarations of the majorities which are the result of the elections of contains explicit elements concerning the use of the free software and the standards open.
Area of Brussels-Capital
At the political level, it is the minister Guy Vanhengel (VLD) who is in charge of Data processing. On the level of the administration, the data processing of the Area of Brussels is managed by the Data-processing Center of the Area Of Brussels, it CIRB.
- Government of Brussels, Governmental agreement of 2004, fixing the priorities of the Government. (July 2004, pages 63 and 64, section 3 administration with the service of the Inhabitants of Brussels, paragraph a) To modernize the administration)
- "(...)Le Gouvernement will promote the use in the administrations regionales of open formats and free software, in order to guarantee the accessibilite public information and the confidentialite of the personal data. Moreover, it will take care to encourage the use of open formats and free software near the Inhabitants of Brussels and the communes, in particular by formation and publicity campaigns.(...)".
- Center data-processing Area of Brussels (CIRB), Press release: a public utility under free licence, 12/04/2004.
- Government of Brussels, 25/02/2005, Answer of the minister Guy Vanhengel to the oral question Madam Appointed the Julie Fiszman concerning the progress report of the migration of the Administration towards free software
Walloon area
- Walloon government, 2004-2009: The e-gov and administrative simplification in the governmental declaration, 2004.
- "(...) to gradually set up a systematic preference for the use of the open standards and the free software in the administrations of the Walloon Area (...) "
The French Community
- Government of the French Community Declaration of Community policy 2004 > 2009, 2004.
- "(...to)Promouvoir the use of the free software and the open standards. The free software refers to the freedom of the user to carry out, copy, distribute, study, modify and improve the software. The opened standards, as for them, do not bind the user to a single service provider. They thus offer more guarantees of perenniality than their closed equivalents. In order to promote the use of the free software and the opened standards, the Government of the French Community will set up a progressive plan for the use of the open standards and the free software in the administration of the French Community. It will create a task force transversal within the French Community and of the ETNIC charged to accompany the administration.(...) "
Area and the Flemish Community
- Flemish government, Beleidsnota' S van of Vlaamse Regering 2004-2009, bestuurszaken.
- "(...) Geïntegreerde in gemeenschappelijke technische normen in standaarden zijn daarbij primordiaal (...) bepalen van duidelijke richtlijnen in normen opdat of interconnectiviteit van systemen in processen, uitwisselbaarheid van gegevens in beveiliging van informatie voor het respecteren van privacy in correctheid van of gegevens wordt gewaarborgd (...)".
- Vlaamse Raad voor Wetenschapsbeleid, Open software source, advies 86, 22/01/2004.
Legislative context
At the federal level
- Room of the Representatives of Belgium, Private bill relating to the use of free software in the federal administrations, YVAN MAYEUR (PS), DOC. 51 0244/001, 2/10/2003.
- Room of the Representatives of Belgium, Private bill relating to the use of standards of communication open in the administration, Yvan MAYEUR (PS), Zoe GENOT (ECOLOGIST), Peter VANHOUTTE (AGALEV-ECOLO), Olivier CHASTEL (PRL FDF MCC), Henk VERLINDE (SP), DOC. 50 1022/001, 20/12/2000.
- Senate of Belgium, Private bill relating to the use of free software in the federal administrations, JEAN-FRANÇOIS ISTASSE (PS), 3 - 23/1, 3/07/2003.
- Senate of Belgium, Private bill concerning the use of open standards and disponibilté of the source code of the software in the federal administrations, François ROELANTS OF the FISH POND (MR.) and Christine DEFRAIGNE (MR.), 3 - 216/1, 30/09/2003.
- Senate of Belgium, Motion for a resolution on the purchase of software by the federal administrations, Jean-Marie Dedecker, Stefaan Noreilde, n° 3-536/1,
On the level of the Areas and the Communities
- Parliament of the French Community, Proposal for a decree relating to the use of free software in the administrations of the French community, Michel MOOCK (PS), Jean-François Istasse (PS), 256 (2001-2002), 15/03/2002.
- The Council of the Area of Brussels-Capital, Proposal of ordinance relating to the use of free software in the regional administrations of Brussels-Capital, Michel MOOCK (PS), Alain BULTOT (PS), A-287/1 (2001-2002), 17/04/2002.
- Parliament of the French Community Commission, Proposal for a decree relating to the use of free software in the administrations of the French Community Commission, Michel MOOCK (PS), Alain BULTOT (PS), 33 (2001-2002) n°1, 2002.
- Parliament of the French Community Commission, Proposal for a decree relating to the use of free software in the administrations of the French Community Commission, SCHEPMANS (MR.), François ROELANTS OF the FISH POND (MR.), 35 (2001-2002) n°1, 2002.
- Parliament of the French Community Commission, Report/ratio on the proposals for a decree 33 and 35 (2001-2002) made in the name of the waste Competence and International relation, Administration, Committee on Budgets, 6/12/2002. See possibly also the intermediate report/ratio.
- Parliament of the French Community Commission, Opinion of the section of legislation of the Council of State on the proposals for a decree 33 and 35 (2001-2002), 33 and 35 (2001-2002) n°3, 3/06/2003.
- Parliament of the French Community Commission, Supplementary report on the proposals for a decree 33 and 35 (2001-2002) made in the name of the waste Competence and International relation, Administration, Committee on Budgets, 33 and 35 (2001-2002) n°4, 4/11/2003.
Other positions
- Multisector federation of technological industry (AGORIA), Free software; park with the legislative initiatives Avis of Agoria, 09/06/2004.
- Right & new technologies, The use of the free software by the authorities, reflexions on some recent proposals, David OF ROY, 15/11/2004.
