Data protection and processing in Europe are part of the value proposition of #OpenSource Business in Europe. Data protection is at the core of the digital sovereignty goals of the EU.
The European Commission is still collecting feedback to their digital omnibus proposals until the end of this week.
Data protection is at the core of digital sovereignty. Read our article and submit to the @ec.europa.eu consultation until the end of next week!
apell.info/2026/03/06/d...
Who is? APELL is!
Hey you, yes you, #OpenSource project! Thinking about growing your community, and maybe even starting a business? Have a look at our recent online discussion for the NGI0-Commons #BusinessCircle: Balancing Community, Commerce and Commons. www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUHl...
In 2026, is continuing its mission to increase opportunities for the members of the Association’s member organisations, and to raise awareness for the strategic importance of #OpenSource in particular among decision makers in Brussels and throughout #Europe.
Thank you for joining the APELL Drinks at FOSDEM 2026, made possible with the kind support of our sponsor: LibreOffice – The Document Foundation.
Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of inviting you to our APELL Drinks at #FOSDEM 2026, thank you to everyone who joined and a special thank you to this year's sponsor, @tdforg.bsky.social who made this memorable evening possible!
European Open Digital Ecosystems consultation closed with 1658 submissions! @ec.europa.eu and public understand #OpenSource is strategic in increasing #digitalSovereignty.
In our submission, we urge decisive action, read it here:
apell.info/2026/02/04/e...
How to engage with policymakers as civil society: Ella Jakubowska, Head of digital rights policy at EDRi; Marcel Kolaja, Policy and Advocacy Director for Europe at Access Now; Jordan Maris, EU Policy Analyst, Open Source Initiative; Sebastian Raible, Director EU Government Affairs, APELL; Anja Wyrobek, Policy Advisor, MEP Sippel, European Parliament
Excited to have the opportunity to talk about how #OpenSource and civil society can engage with policymakers. Join our #DevRoom at FOSDEM, with @jmaris.me and our distinguished guests Anja Wyrobek, Ella Jakubowska and Marcel Kolaja.
Join us at 13:00 CET! fosdem.org/2026/schedul...
APELL’s recommendation to the Commission’s new consultation on the EU public procurement rules: Shift investments to Open Source! Read our recommendations here: apell.info/2026/01/26/p... #EU #OpenSource #Procurement
You are invited to the APELL Drinks at FOSDEM 2026! APELL, the European Open Source Business Association, cordially invites the leaders of the open source community to join us after the EU Open Source Policy Summit, on the eve of FOSDEM, to share insights and forge new partnerships in the heart of Brussels. 30 January 2026, from 20:00 CET, at Brew Dog Brussels, Dress informal.
The APELL Drinks at FOSDEM 2026 are brought to you with the kind support of @libreoffice.bsky.social!
APELL
Are you coming to Brussels for FOSDEM (if the trains will)? We would like to invite you once more to join us for Drinks at FOSDEM 2026 on Friday 30 January, from 20:00-23:00! Request registration now as space is limited: pretix.eu/apell/fosdem...
@ngicommons.bsky.social
NGI0 Commons-funded projects and everyone: Balancing Community, Commerce and Commons.
Timo Väliharju will shed light on:
💡 how #OpenSource projects build sustainability
💡 how they identify governance, funding, and business models
Join us tomorrow, 28/Nov 2025, 11am CET: apell.info/2025/11/27/n...
Quite the gap between theory and practice: while German federal states, armed forces and French gendarmerie rely on #OpenSource because they have understood that #digitalSovereignty is only achievable with open technology, the closing declaration for tomorrow‘s #DigitalSummit treats OS like a hobby.
APELL and 100+ partners publish their Declaration of Digital Independence and underline: control over digital technology is needed for resilience. Governments should make use of #OpenSource for competitiveness, sovereignty, and innovation.
Add your signature now on
Only a few days remain to nominate #OpenSource projects for the European Open Source Awards! Send your proposals by this Sunday, 2 November!
Schon angemeldet zur #OSBAConnect? Am 13. November findet in Berlin wieder die jährliche Konferenz der @osb-alliance.de statt, diesmal unter dem Titel: Innovationsbooster #OpenSource! Ich freue mich drauf, euch und Sie dort zu treffen! osb-alliance.de/featured/osb...
A photo of Sebastian Raible (APELL) before a stylised Ghent cityscape, on the right, "Linux Foundation Europe Member Summit: 28 October 2025, Ghent, Belgium, #LFEuropeMemberSummit".
Excited speak at the @linuxfoundationeu.bsky.social #LFEMemberSummit in #Ghent 28/Oct:
Closing the Backdoor: #DigitalSovereignty for #EU & Public Authorities with #OpenSource
events.linuxfoundation.org/lf-europe-me...
Sebastian Raible presents on stage at Mindtrek conference, with a projector screen displaying a slide with relevant policy, including budget and public procurement. Attendees are seated in red chairs, engaged in the presentation. A neon light and a laptop are also visible.
Sebastian Raible presents on stage at Mindtrek conference, listening to an audience question.
A VIP pass for a speaker at an International Technology Conference, featuring the name "Sebastian Raible" and his title as Director of EU Government Affairs at APELL. The background includes a brown leather chair with a cushion.
This week I had the opportunity to present @apell.info at #Mindtrek conference in Tampere (FI): #OpenSource business is of strategic importance to the #EU. We engage with policy makers to encourage leveraging this advantage!
Thanks for encouraging discussions! (Conference photos: Konsta Lattu.)
As you know, APELL is part of the @eosa.bsky.social project, establishing a recognition scheme for Open Source in the form of awards! ✨
Submit your proposals for the new EOSA Magazine by 15 October, find more info on europeanopensource.academy/eosa-magazin...
ALT Text: Auf der linken Seite eines Sharepics steht: APELL 2025 - Policy Advocacy and Contributions - APELL Events - EU Projects - Network of Partners - APELL is Growing - Supporting APELL: the Advisory Board Auf der rechten Seite des Sharepics ist ein Portraitfoto von Sebastian Raible, darunter steht „Sebastian Raible, Director EU Government Affairs“
🇪🇺 Bring mit uns zusammen Open-Source-Themen in die EU-Politik!
@sebastianraible.bsky.social vernetzt und vertritt die europäische Open-Source-Industrie in Brüssel mit unserem Dachverband APELL.
👉 Dafür brauchen wir Dich!
🚀 Werde Mitglied im Advisory Board! ➡️ apell.info#advisoryboard
#OpenSource
The @ec.europa.eu wants to update its product legislation framework, the #NLF. This is an opportunity for the specificities of #OpenSource development and business models to be reflected for future legal certainty! Read our suggestions here: apell.info/2025/09/03/p... #EU
More Openness, accessibility and representation of #OpenSource in European #Standardisation, please! Today we submit our recommendations to the @ec.europa.eu on Regulation 1025/2012: more inclusivity, open structures and public collaboration.
apell.info/2025/07/18/m...
🧵4/4 Finally, we ask @ec.europa.eu to
- use public procurement to buy 20% #OpenSource products and services now – and **100% Open Source by 2035**!
Learn more in detail by downloading our full submission! #CAIDA #Cloud #AI #SovereignTech #TechSovereignty #EU
apell.info/2025/07/07/1...
🧵3/4 We ask @ec.europa.eu to
- strengthen resilience and reliability of #DigitalInfrastructure with a European Sovereign Tech Fund
- realise *open* technological sovereignty through #OpenSource
…
🧵2/4 We ask the @ec.europa.eu to
- use open standards to facilitate cloud interoperability and switching
- look into anti-competitive bundling practices
- build institutional capacity by establishing #OpenSource Programme Offices #OSPO
…
Last week, the @ec.europa.eu's public consultation on the "AI Continent" initiative ended. It especially looks for input on the *Cloud and AI Development Act* foreseen for end of 2025. On behalf of the European #OpenSource businesses, we submitted input. 🧵1/4
🚨 the @ec.europa.eu is launching an Expert Group for a “Technology Roadmap on [breaking?] Encryption”. You can apply by 1/September!
ec.europa.eu/transparency...
Please consider sharing this in your circles! #encryption #eu
car turns right just before the exit with screeching tires, sign above says "not sure" for going straight, "APELL NGI0 Business Circle mentoring" to the right, "your project" on the car turning right.
Is your project funded under #NGI0Commons? Did you know you can get support from us in the form of business mentoring? Whether commercial ambitions or not: let us help you reach new audiences, grow your user base and strengthen your #OpenSource project's impact.
Contact ngi0 at apell dot info!
