[News] Openness Grows in Norway and German Authorities
Roy Schestowitz
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Norwegian mapping authority frees up maps
,----[ Quote ]
| Oh, those crazy Norwegians. They’re giving
| away maps for free. Within limits – it’s
| limited to “individuals and non-profit
| associations”. So that’s half a step towards
| free data.
|
| Interesting that this is also including
| maritime information – the stuff that the UK
| Hydrographic Office sort-of provides; it’s
| rumoured to be on the list for
| privatisation, however.
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http://www.freeourdata.org.uk/blog/2009/11/norwegian-mapping-authority-frees-up-maps/
German petition takes Open Access movement by surprise
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| RP: How does the petition process work: As I
| understand it if you get 50,000 signatures
| by December 22nd it gets debated in the
| German Parliament? Is that right?
|
| LF: The goal is to get as many signatures as
| possible. The Bundestag FAQ says that if
| 50,000 signatures are reached within three
| weeks, the petition will be discussed
| publicly in the Bundestag Petition
| Committee, in a session where I'm entitled
| to take part. But even if fewer people sign,
| every accepted petition will be reviewed by
| two members of the Committee, so every vote
| counts.
`----
http://poynder.blogspot.com/2009/11/german-petition-takes-open-access.html
Recent:
NO: Open standards adopted in the central and local government
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| On 25 September 2009 the Norwegian Government
| adopted a new regulation on mandatory IT
| standards applicable to the entire public
| sector. As of 1 January 2010 open document
| standards will become mandatory for all public
| websites.
|
| As the Minister of Government Administration
| and Reform, Heidi Grande Røys, stated, the new
| regulation ensures equal accessibility to the
| content of all public and communal websites.
| Users of any municipality or state will be able
| to visit the websites and read the documents
| regardless the type of software and computer
| equipment they use. It is a democratic right
| for all citizens to have equal access to public
| information and online services.
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http://www.epractice.eu/en/news/294346
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