An update on document formats in Denmark
The Danish parliament adopted a new decision on open document formats today. The decision was unanimously adopted by all parties in the Danish Parliament.
Here’s a rough translation of the “Conclusion paper on the use of open standards for software in the public sector”.
V, S, DF, SF, K, RV, EL ([smc] i.e. all parties in the Danish parliament) has concluded the following regarding the use of open standards in the public sector:
1. In pursuance of decision B103 (collection of 2005/06), the Government shall ensure that the public sectors use of information technology, including the use of software, is based on open standards. The requirement for the use of open standards applies for new purchases and for larger updates and must be expense neutral after the current criteria’s for the public sector.
New requirements for open mandatory standards for document formats
To promote the use of software based on open standards in the public sector and particularly to promote the competition on office software, as well as to ensure that citizens and businesses are not dependent on specific office packages in their communication with the public sector, the following will be done:
2. There will be created a list of approved mandatory open standards in public sector with the objective to promote that public authorities must communicate by using open standards. The Committee of Experts on open standards, established in the autumn of 2008, will after the involvement of the joint-public OIO-Committee recommend to the Minister of Science, when - and with which standards - the list is updated.
The following principles must be fulfilled before a standard can be on the list. The standard shall be:
- Fully documented and publicly available.
- Free implementable without economic, political or legal limitations on the implementation and use.
- Approved by an internationally recognized standards organization, for example ISO, and standardized and maintained in an open forum through an open process.
- It shall me demonstrated that the standard can be implemented by everybody direct in its entirety on multiple platforms.
- Be interoperable within the functionality ceiling with other standards on the list.
Non-editable documents
3. All public authorities will, with effect from 2010 be obligated to submit documents to citizens and businesses that is readable, but not editable, in PDF/A-1. The same applies when authorities publish documents meant to be read and not edited on the authorities’ websites.
Editable documents
4. Governmental Authorities[1] will from the 1st of April 2011 be obligated to send and receive documents in the formats included on the list mentioned under point 2 - including ODF. To ensure that everyone, regardless of platform, have access to the editable documents, governmental authorities shall, if they publish editable documents on their websites, do this in ODF and other document formats which are included on the list.
5. The Government takes up negotiations with the municipalities and regions, as soon as possible to implement the governmental open standards after the follow or explain principle.
Other formats
6. In addition, all public authorities shall continue - to ensure citizens the maximum of freedom of choice – receive documents in all common formats with a widely distribution within the scope of application [2]
7. The parties take note that we will continue to follow the development of document standard formats on the basis of the annual It- and phone political statement.
8. Until the list is in force, there must not be technical barriers through new purchases and larger updates of office software in the state, which narrow the introduction of open standards. Future office software must as base element have the established open standards from the list referred to in paragraph 2.
9. The parties agree that the state in its forward-looking procurement policy for software shall promote the competition by, among other things to consider the concern that the Danish Competition Authority raises in its report[3]
[1] Authorities here means departments and agencies etc.
[2] By ”common formats with a widely distribution within the scope of application” means formats, which the authorities often meet in the area.
[3] Point 5.2 in the report: ”Legal bindings connects office software”, 11th of June 2009, Devoteam for the Danish Competition Authority
Update: CIO has an IDG report of this here Danish Parliament Sets Rules for Open Document Formats:-
Fri, January 29, 2010 — IDG News Service — The Danish Parliament has decided on a set of rules to which open document formats must adhere if they are to be used by state authorities after April 1, 2011, Denmark's Liberal Party said on Friday.
The agreement isn't about restricting users to one office suite, or choosing between the ODF (OpenDocument Format) or OOXML (Office Open XML) standards. Rather, the Danish Parliament has agreed on the criteria that open document formats must meet, the Liberal Party said.
Approved formats must be recognized by an internationally known standards body such as the International Organization for Standardization, and they must be fully documented. It must be possible to implement the format on different computing platforms.
A panel of experts will now start working on list of which formats actually meet the criteria, and can approved for use by state authorities, according to the statement.
The Danes are pushing hard for the use of open standards, and the agreement will help solidify it as one of the world leaders in the field, the Liberal Party said.