PSINet was a preparatory action (www.publicsectorinfo.com), supporting the overall aim of the call to explore and demonstrate the commercial potential of Europe's Public Sector Information (PSI) resources in digital content products and services through cross-border, public/private partnerships. Among the key issues to be addressed were metadata and new forms of public/private partnerships and exploitation models. PSINet covered and involved the ten associated states of Central and Eastern Europe (C&EE) as well as all EU member states, on an equal footing.

Objectives

Definition. Provide a clear and extensive definition of what is meant by the term Public Sector Information (PSI), building on those offered by the Green Paper and taking into account comments received during the consultation process.

Typology. Classify and describe PSI, taking into account the various outline definitions already available. To establish a useful and usable typology of public sector information, PSINet will develop a matrix approach to its description, also incorporating factors such as:

• Policy, legislation and approach
• Subject domain
• Type of collector/provider
• Method of data collection
• Attribution and expression of rights
• Potential for commercial exploitation
• Metadata and identifiers used

Access. Identify countries and important domains where PSI is not available or easily accessible. Cultural, organisational and political differences between individual Member States and the Associated Countries of C&EE (e.g. the functional, legalist/institutional and financial approaches to the public sector identified by the Green Paper) will be considered in this process. The relevance to Europe of developments in the USA, Denmark, Australia, Canada and elsewhere will also be taken into account. This definition, as all other aspects of the study, will involve the information of public bodies at different levels of government - central, regional and local.

Good practice. Clarify issues which define best practice and identify examples of good practice in collection, access and exploitation of PSI. In the process PSINet will identify relevant research and examples of innovation in the exploitation of PSI such as those supported by the IDA Programme.

Standards. Document, define, describe and assess the use of standards e.g. for metadata and formats applicable to PSI. To help citizens and businesses find their way through the mass of data available, it may be necessary to establish European metadata, network directories and a European public information gateway.

Business models. Define and differentiate existing and potential business models for public sector information, identifying underlying tensions, concerns and approaches e.g. between taxpayer-funded public administrations which collect information and notions of public goods.

Future research agenda. Provide an assessment of gaps, developments required, barriers and problems and make recommendations for further RTD activity to address these through the main e-Content programme. This assessment would cover key aspects including:

• Business and exploitation models, cost and service sustainability;
• Cultural, legal and political issues;
• Ease of access, interfaces, portals and gateways;
• Human resources, competences and skills;
• Use of technology;
• Application of standards;
• Metadata and terminology control.

The European PSI Network (EPSI). The network to enable consensus building, exchange of knowledge and learning from good practice among those concerned with PSI was not well-established. A number of European organisations, such as the European Information Association, Eblida, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), CEMR: Council of European Municipalities and Regions, eurocities, and the Assembly of European Regions had an expressed interest and were be consulted during the study. PSINet set out to establish a framework for a Network of Excellence by identifying appropriate country co-ordinators and core support groups in all member states plus the 10 C&EE associate member states.

Results and follow-ups

It was planned that a Network of Excellence with links to all EU and C&EE countries would be established as result of the PSINet preparatory action, building on its findings. Its purpose was to develop a workprogramme which covered the categories of action identified as needed in the Green Paper, including:

• Legislation (e.g. need for recommendations, guidelines or binding measures);
• Information exchange throughout Europe, allowing public bodies to learn from each others experiences;
• Awareness raising at all levels (citizens, business and administrations) concerning the existing information sources;
• Demonstration and pilot projects allowing the spread of technologies supporting new information services and experiments with new models of public/private partnerships;
• Specification and business case for a European public information gateway on the web;
• Education and Training initiatives enhancing the information management capacities of administrations and individuals.