Governance of the Open data project

Last update: 14/12/2022

The official version of this document is the French version.

This document provides information on the arrangements made by the government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to govern the official Open data project at the national level.

Legal framework

The legal framework of Open data in Luxembourg consists of the Law of 14 September 2018 on transparent and open administration on the one hand and the Law of 29 November 2021 on Open data and the re-use of public sector information on the other. These legal texts guarantee, with the exception of duly explained exceptions, that documents and data can be accessed and re-used.

The implementing provisions of the law of 14 September 2018 were formulated in a Circular letter of 26 October 2018 to ministerial departments, administrations and state services regarding the practical implementation of the law.

The legislation around the INSPIRE Directive is also closely linked to the Open data project.

Actors

The governance of the official Open data project is ensured by several governmental actors, who interact regularly and informally at the different levels of the project.

The Open data and Access to information Division

The Open data and Access to information Division of the Information and Press Service manages the government's Open data programme by

  • contributing to the legislative process together with the Media, Connectivity and Digital Policy Service (MCS),
  • managing the national Open data Portal in terms of content and interaction with the community,
  • raising awareness for transparency and Open data,
  • representing the national Open data programme abroad, especially vis-à-vis the European Commission,
  • monitoring data exchanges with other national and international portals,
  • training public officials on topics related to the opening and reuse of data.

In these roles, the division's staff cooperate on an ongoing basis with the geoportal service and regularly exchange information with the data managers and disclosure officers of public bodies.

The Open data strategic working group

The Open data strategic working group brings together the heads of the Information and Press Service, the Ministry of Digitalisation, the State Information Technology Centre and the MCS. Informally, strategic reflections are carried out in order to coordinate Open data activities with the government's other digital programmes and activities.

Disclosure officers

The Transparent and Open Government Act of 14 September 2018 provides for the function of disclosure officers, who act as a link between the applicant for documents and the body to which the request relates. They are also responsible for publishing documents on the Open data Portal.

The Geoportal Service

The geoportal service operates the national Open data portal and ensures its daily operation and technical availability. It also operates and manages the Luxembourg INSPIRE portal which displays and offers national geodata within the framework of the INSPIRE Directive, which are also offered as public Open data.

The managers of the Digital Luxembourg programme

The Digital Luxembourg governmental programme, led by the MCS, is a central driver in the digital transformation of the country. It is closely linked to the Open data programme, in particular with the organisation of promotional events and hackathons.

Related platforms linked to the Open data portal

The national Open data Portal collaborates at the international level in order to increase the visibility of Luxembourg data, and at the national level in order to provide a central national platform giving access to all available Open data. Among the partner platforms we can mention:

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