The EU Commission is calling for evidence for a EU open source framework. I wrote a reply and hope more people will do so :) As an example this is what I wrote:

Public Administration and the Case for Open Source Software

I work in education and public administration, following Swedish public sector initiatives in open source software such as Nosad. A recurring issue is the use of cloud-based proprietary software, which often leaves us without recourse when problems arise. Without access to source code or the ability to modify system behavior, we are forced to implement unsafe workarounds due to lack of interoperability. This creates inefficiencies and security risks, diverting resources from citizen services.

Student information systems exemplify this problem. Municipalities use incompatible, closed systems, with essential features locked behind expensive proprietary plugins. The result is suboptimal use of tax funds, reduced productivity, and rising administrative costs—resources that could otherwise improve public services.

An EU push for open source could enhance software quality by enabling public entities to build, redesign, fork, or refine existing tools instead of purchasing new solutions when old software becomes obsolete. The forced scrapping of millions of computers due to the Windows 11 transition illustrates how closed software can lead to unnecessary waste of capital and electronic products.

Rather than perpetuating closed platforms and digital monopolies, software companies could compete for public investments by contributing development time—fixes, updates, and improvements—to publicly owned, open code. This approach would generate more productive business for European companies, fostering innovation that benefits the common good instead of reinforcing rent-seeking models in public procurement.

BankID serves as another example: a closed, costly standard for secure authentication that could be replaced by open alternatives like FIDO2.

From a security and long-term productivity perspective, the EU’s push for open source digital independence is strategically sound. It shifts spending from licensing fees to actual development, rewarding productive work over rent extraction. Additionally, EU-backed open source solutions could support third countries trading with the EU and help less-digitized member states avoid common pitfalls, further boosting productivity.

Reducing reliance on energy-intensive American data centers would also align with climate goals, supporting a greener, more circular economy.