Reuse policy : a study on available reuse implementing instruments and licensing considerations

Reuse of Public Sector Information (PSI) is an important driver for economic growth and creation of new information-based businesses in the knowledge economy. In recognition of this, the European Commission has established for itself an ambitious reuse policy, enshrined in the Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of Commission documents (the Reuse Decision). The European Commission's reuse policy acknowledges that certain instruments are capable of contributing towards the overall effective implementation of the Reuse Decision. Instruments such as open licences fall within this purview and can serve in furthering the Institution's policy objectives. The purpose of this document is to assess a range of implementing instruments which could be used by the Commission within the context of its reuse policy. To this end, four main instruments have been selected for assessment. The first instrument is the Reuse Notice currently used by the Commission on most online and print media. The three other alternative instruments are the Creative Commons licensing suite, the Open Data Commons licensing suite, and a bespoke licence (i.e. a tailor-made open licence drafted and maintained by the Commission).