The latest Report on license usage on the data.europa.eu portal offers valuable insights for both data providers and re-users. The study reveals that there are more than 400 different licenses in use across the analysed datasets. While this variety in licensing can be necessary, the lack of standardisation and country variations can hinder cross-border data reuse. 

A key finding of the report is the widespread use of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license due to its flexibility in data re-use and requirement for proper attribution to the original source. However, the presence of national and sector-specific licenses makes cross-border data sharing more difficult.  

To address these concerns, the report provides recommendations to ensure greater transparency and the adoption of standardised licenses to simplify data access. By following these recommendations, data providers and re-users can maximise the impact of open data, making it more accessible, interoperable and efficient. 

For practical recommendations click here or consult the full Report on license usage on the data.europa.eu portal.