The EU Open Source Strategy places open source at the centre of the EU’s technological sovereignty by promoting European open alternatives to non-EU proprietary solutions in critical domains.
The EU Open Source Strategy aims to strengthen Europe’s open digital ecosystems by supporting the development, scaling, deployment and long-term sustainability of open source technologies across both the public and private sectors.
The strategy is embedded in the broader Communication on European Technological Sovereignty, part of the EU Digital Sovereignty Package, alongside initiatives such as the proposal for a Cloud and AI Development Act, the proposal for a Chips Act 2.0, and the Strategic Roadmap for Digitalisation and AI in Energy. Together, these initiatives aim to create a coherent framework for Europe’s digital infrastructure, strengthening resilience, competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
Why does open source matter for Europe’s technological sovereignty?
Open source helps reduce dependence on non-EU technologies and increases control over critical digital infrastructure, including software and hardware systems.
Who benefits from a buoyant open source ecosystem?
- Public administrations: increased choice, greater control over digital infrastructure, improved interoperability, reduced lock-in and more efficient reuse of solutions
- Businesses and SMEs: lower entry barriers, access to shared innovation ecosystems and opportunities to develop and scale new digital products
- Citizens: increased choice, more transparent, secure and reliable digital services aligned with EU values
- Developers and innovators: access to large collaborative ecosystems enabling knowledge sharing, experimentation and cross-border cooperation
What are the current challenges to the European open source ecosystem?
Despite its potential, the European open source ecosystem still faces structural challenges. These include limited long-term funding, difficulties in maintaining and scaling projects, and barriers in moving from innovation to industrial deployment.
Other challenges include fragmented visibility of European solutions, limited access to public procurement, and dependence on dominant non-EU technology providers. In many cases, the economic value generated by open source projects is captured outside Europe, limiting the ability of European developers and companies to fully benefit from their contributions.
Addressing these issues requires stronger coordination, improved funding mechanisms, better governance frameworks and support for sustainable open source business models.
What is the concrete approach of the EU Open Source Strategy?
The EU Open Source Strategy adopts a full lifecycle approach, covering the entire chain from research and development to market uptake, deployment, and the long-term maintenance and governance of critical open source components, including within EU institutions.
The strategy sets out concrete actions to reinforce the broader open source ecosystem by supporting contributors, foundations, companies and users; enabling viable open source business models; promoting open source in procurement; and strengthening the role of open source in standardisation and international cooperation.
Key areas of implementation include:
- Promoting open source solutions in key EU policies like the EU Digital Identity ecosystem, including the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) and the European Business Wallet (EBW)
- Strengthening collaboration with Member States, in particular through the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium for Digital Commons, to develop, adapt and scale secure open source alternatives for public services
- Making public administrations anchor users and contributors to open source, through procurement guidance, open-source friendly tendering, strengthening the Open Source Programme Office and its networks, reusable public digital assets and by embedding openness and sovereignty in digital investment decisions
- Supporting the development of new open source building blocks in critical technology areas, including operating systems, cloud and edge, AI, cybersecurity, software development infrastructure, semiconductors and future internet architectures
- Ensuring the long-term maintenance, security and sustainability of critical open source components, notably through stewardship, an EU assessment framework, dependency analysis and an Open Source Maintenance Instrument
- Improving skills for working with open technologies, including support for open source development and contributor mobility through programmes such as the Erasmus+ Programme 2027
What are the objectives of the EU Open Source Strategy and their related actions?
Objective 1 – Open Source for Tech Sovereignty
Deployment & uptake
- Scale the Open Internet Stack – a catalogue for open source solutions that are in line with EU priorities and rules.
- Support uptake of open source alternatives to proprietary solutions together with Member States and the Digital Commons EDIC — cloud, workplace tools, secure e-mail, decentralised social media.
- Promote open source in the EUDI Wallet, European Business Wallet, and age verification.
Building and development
- Prioritise open source funding in key areas like semiconductors, operating systems, cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and future internet.
Objective 2 – Vibrant Open Source Ecosystem
- Support startups via accelerators, legal/licensing help, training, and procurement opportunities.
- Develop a stewardship toolkit and support EU-based steward organisations for strategic assets.
- Security: Create an Open Source Maintenance Instrument, critical dependency mapping, and mirroring capabilities.
- Invest in skills for schools, universities, civil servants, and learners.
Objective 3 – Open Source in Public Administration
- Develop procurement guidelines for open standards and fair assessment of open source bids.
- Strengthen the Commission Open Source Programme Office (OSPO), EU Public Sector OSPO Network, and Interoperable Europe mechanisms.
- Set common security baselines for Commission repositories: monitoring, vulnerabilities, licence compliance, and dependency risk.
- Embed openness and sovereignty-by-design in digital investment and governance checks.
Objective 4 – Reinforced Standards and International Outreach
- Promote EU open source developers and solutions internationally via the EU Tech Business Offer.
- Support uptake of EU-grown tools - Open Internet Stack, AI, Digital Identity, and Business Wallets - in partner countries.
- Integrate open source communities into standardisation, including through the revision of the EU Standardisation Regulation.
What EU actions in support of open source are already in place?
In the past years, several European initiatives have been contributing to the EU open source ecosystem. Examples include:
