Two-thirds majority in the National Council for the first parliamentary initiative on Open Government Data

This evening (9 September 2013, 6:45 pm), the National Council approved the Riklin postulate 11.3902 “Masterplan for Open Government Data” with 120 votes in favour. The Parliamentary Group on Digital Sustainability and the Opendata.ch association are very pleased that the National Council clearly supports further steps towards Open Government Data in Switzerland.

Source: politnetz.ch

Since it was submitted in 2011, the main points of the Riklin postulate have already been fulfilled: regarding point 1, the Federal Administration is working on implementing the demand for a documented data inventory. Points 2 and 3 were fulfilled by the study by Adelheid Bürgi-Schmelz “Wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen von Open Government Data”. Nevertheless, as an expression of approval for the path taken by the Federal Council, it makes sense that the National Council has given the initiative its blessing – especially with such a clear result (a two-thirds majority).

Next initiatives already scheduled for a vote

Probably on 23 or 24 September 2013, as part of the debates and votes on the business of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), the Graf-Litscher motion 11.3871 “Opening up federal data. Open Government Data” will be put to the vote. Here too, several of the demands have been implemented in the meantime. Only point 1, the public listing of all open or closed data holdings of the Federal Administration, should still be implemented for the sake of transparency of the authorities. The Parliamentary Group on Digital Sustainability and the Opendata.ch association therefore recommend that the National Council also approve this motion.

We call on everyone to urge the National Councillors of their cantons to say yes once again to the path taken towards Open Government (Data) in Switzerland.