On behalf of the Open Knowledge Foundation, I welcome today’s announcement by the European Commission on the creation of the Digital Commons European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (DC-EDIC). It is a hopeful moment for Europe, where the values of thousands of communities that have worked for years in a different way of doing and governing technology, openness, cooperation and democracy, are finally listened to. This is a milestone moment, finally translating years of ideas and words into concrete action. Europe is showing that technology can be built and governed differently: openly, collaboratively, and with people at its heart.
While DC-EDIC begins as a European effort, its vision will reach far beyond the continent. It is a model built for sharing that provides digital commons open by design, scalable, and reusable, which other countries and regions can adapt to their own challenges and needs. This commons-based approach places public value above proprietary control. It offers a powerful example of how we can collectively shape the digital future as a global public good.
For over twenty years, the Open Knowledge Foundation has been championing exactly this vision: that open technologies, open data, and digital commons are essential foundations for a fair and innovative society. We are proud to see these principles now shaping European digital policy at scale, and we stand ready to collaborate. The European Commission is finally walking its talk and walking away from extractive, resource-intensive, and unaccountable technologies, opening a path toward a future where digital infrastructure serves people, communities, and the planet.
Let’s celebrate!
