Spread your concern about Free Software funding in your local newspaper
Are you also worried and concerned about the European Commission
decision to cut the funding for Free Software projects? Besides
contacting European representatives you can also write a letter to the
editor of your local newspaper to make their readers aware of the
importance of funding Free Software solutions with a long term
sustainable funding.
As stated in our recent news, the European Commission has
decided
to cut the funding for Free Software in the Next Generation Internet
Initiative (NGI) 2025 Horizon draft work programme. Since then, we have
raised our voice about this issue. But we need your help to continue
put pressure on the European Commission. Your pressure already
helped!
Let’s continue the efforts!
Budget cut in contrast to digital strategy
Since 2018, the European Commission has been supporting the Free
Software ecosystem through the NGI initiative as part of Horizon
Europe, the framework research program of the EU. This funding provided
support and technical assistance to Free Software projects, that have
turned out to be useful and a way to provide alternatives to
proprietary applications. Funding is an important component in
nurturing new Free Software technologies, and often makes the
difference for whether a Free Software project is able to survive,
succeed, or fall into abandonware. This is a particular problem because
large parts of our infrastructure are based on these projects, as they
guarantee the necessary independence and resilience. Cancelling funding
means curtailing our own autonomy.
This decision to cut the funds has been taken from the European
Commission in a non transparent and unclear way. This budget cut for
Free Software Freedom by the European Commission is in explicit
contrast to their digital strategy. A true open and digital independent
Europe is possible only with a long term sustainable funding scheme for
software freedom.
Your pressure helped – let’s continue
In a committed and
community-driven reaction, the FSFE community reached out to the EU
institutions and the Head of
Unit of Next Generation Internet (DG CNECT) answered. However, the
EC’s answer we received is vague and with no clear information on how
Software Freedom will be supported by the European Union in the future.
That is why we still ned your help!
It is important to keep the pressure high and your support is crucial in
doing that. In order to make even more people aware of this situation,
you can send a letter to your local newspaper explaining them what has
happened until now and why the European Commission needs to come up with
sustainable long-term funding for Software Freedom.
Here you can find a template to modify and to send to your preferred newspaper.
Dear [name],
I would like to draw attention to the recent news that the European
Commission is stopping its funding for Free Software (also known as
Open Source).
Although we do not notice, our daily devices are running using Free
Software, guarantees the freedoms to use, study, share and improve the
software by everyone. Thanks to these freedoms, it ensures that
citizens, businesses and governments are not dependent on proprietary
software solutions, which often come with significant costs and
limitations. Free Software is at the core of our digital infrastructure
and it strengthen local economies and foster innovation.
Despite its proven success, the European Commission has decided to
stop supporting Free Software by cutting its funding for the Next
Generation Internet initiative (NGI) for the next period of Horizon
Europe. This goes against its own strategy to achieve a digital future
that is open, fair and sustainable. So, being Free Software essential to
reach this goal, why are our politicians only supporting it through nice
wording and not with a proper budget? Hundreds of Free Software projects
will struggle if the funding is not resumed and the internet of the
future will look less open and accessible to everyone.
The European Commission should come up with a dedicated funding
programme for Software Freedom, so that the Next Generation Internet the
the European digital infrastructure is independent, sustainable and
accessible to everyone.
Your name
If you should receive an answer or if you know that your letter has been
published, please share it with us via email contact@fsfe.org.
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