= EU to fund Free Software code review =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20141219-01.en.html ]
The European Parliament has approved funding for several projects
related to Free Software and privacy. In the EU budget for 2015[1],
which the European Parliament adopted[2] on December 17, the
Parliamentarians have allocated up to one million Euro for a project to
audit Free Software programs in use at the Commission and the Parliament
in order to identify and fix security vulnerabilities.
Even though these institutions are tightly locked into non-free file
formats, much of their infrastructure is based on Free Software.
“This is a very welcome decision,” says FSFE's president Karsten
Gerloff. “Like most public bodies, the European institutions rely
heavily on Free Software for their daily operations. It is good to
see that the Parliament and the Commission will invest at least a
little in improving the quality and the programs they use.”
The European Commission's Directorate General for Informatics (DIGIT)
will be in charge of implementing the pilot. FSFE urges the Commission
to work closely with upstream developers. The EC should make the audit
results public as soon as possible, and contribute any improvements it
makes to the upstream projects.
The budget further lists a project to encrypt communications among the
EU institutions, funded with EUR 500,000; and a pilot that uses Free
Software and Open Standards to help civil society actors participate in
lawmaking, by improving AT4AM, the software that MEPs use for drafting
legislation, which the Parliament published as Free Software in 2013[3].
Another project is intended to enable the European Commission to make
unclassified documents publicly available by default.
“Taken together, these projects are a first step towards more
transparent policy making in Europe,” says Gerloff. “We will
continue to work with the Commission and the Parliament to help them
along the path of engaging more consistently and effectively with
the Free Software community.”
Media contact:
Karsten Gerloff
Mail: gerloff fsfe.org
tel.: +49 176 9690 4298
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1. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/DB2/2015/en/SEC03.pdf
2. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20141027STO76315/ht…
3. http://blogs.fsfe.org/gerloff/2012/07/18/helping-the-european-parliament-to…
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a non-profit
non-governmental organisation active in many European countries and
involved in many global activities. Access to software determines
participation in a digital society. To secure equal participation in
the information age, as well as freedom of competition, the Free
Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) pursues and is dedicated to the
furthering of Free Software, defined by the freedoms to use, study,
modify and copy. Founded in 2001, creating awareness for these issues,
securing Free Software politically and legally, and giving people
Freedom by supporting development of Free Software are central issues
of the FSFE.
http://fsfe.org/
= Get secure with a smartcard and support FSFE’s work in 2015 =
[ Read online: https://fsfe.org/news/2014/news-20141203-01.en.html ]
Free Software Foundation Europe is a pan-European charity, established
in 2001 to empower users to control technology. To enable the
organisation to intensify its work with the European Commission and to
let more people know about Free Software, the FSFE needs another
€190,000 for its work in 2015. Next year, the FSFE will push harder than
ever to weave software freedom into the fabric of our society.
The new European Commission is currently setting the direction of its
policy making for the coming five years. The FSFE is in frequent contact
with Commission staff who currently see open doors for Free Software in
Brussels. In 2015, the FSFE wants to use this momentum to push for
changes on software procurement, standardisation, and device
sovereignty, and create real progress for Free Software and Open
Standards.
At the same time, in 2015 the FSFE will reach out to more people, and go
to more places where people do not yet know about Free Software. The
FSFE will expand its network of local groups throughout Europe. The
organisation is constantly translating its increasingly popular
promotion materials[1] into many European languages. Local volunteers
can spread the word about Free Software by ordering gratis promotion
packs, and distributing the materials at libraries, cinemas, shops and
in other places, greatly extending the reach of the Free Software
message.
The best way to support the FSFE's work is to[2] become a Fellow (a
sustaining member of the FSFE). All Fellowship contributions directly
benefit the FSFE’s work towards a free society. Fellows receive a state-
of-the-art Fellowship smartcard[3] which, together with the free GnuPG
encryption software and a card reader, can be used to sign and encrypt
e-mails, to secure SSH keys, to securely log into a computer from a
potentially insecure machine, or to store the user’s hard disk
encryption keys. Since the encryption key is stored on the card itself,
it is almost impossible to steal.
There is also the option to make a one time donation to the FSFE[4].
To continue its work in 2015, the FSFE will need €420,000 in total. The
organisation has already secured €230,000 thanks to existing sustaining
members, regular donations, and merchandise sales. The FSFE requires
another €190,000 to underwrite its work in 2015.
- Karsten Gerloff's blog entry about the FSFE's work in the last 12
months[5]
1. https://fsfe.org/contribute/spreadtheword.en.html#promo-material
2. https://fsfe.org/join/join.en.html
3. https://fsfe.org/fellowship/card.en.html
4. https://fsfe.org/donate/onetime-donation.en.html
5. http://blogs.fsfe.org/gerloff/2014/12/01/preview-what-fsfe-did-in-2014/
== About the Free Software Foundation Europe ==
Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to
control technology. Software controlled technology is deeply involved
in all aspects of our lives; and it is important that this technology
empowers rather than restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the
right to use, understand, adapt and share software. These rights help
support other fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press and
privacy. (http://fsfe.org)