Free software advocates sharply criticize the termination of the EU initiative “Next Generation Internet” (NGI). Under this banner, the EU Commission has been providing financial resources since 2018 for scientific research and innovations that can improve the Internet as a platform through the Horizon Europe research framework program. This includes the entire open source sector, including free software and open hardware as well as the development of open data, data protection-friendly technologies and network equipment. But NGI no longer appears in the Horizon Europe funding drafts and plans for work programs for 2025.
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The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) complains that this is a huge mistake: “The lack of public funding for these crucial technologies has a negative impact not only on free software, but on the entire future of the Internet.”
“The Internet’s infrastructure is slowly collapsing”
As part of the previous work programme “Horizon Europe Cluster 4” for the period 2023 to 2025 alone, the Commission made 27 million euros available for relevant projects, writes the FSFE in an article now published by the EU citizens’ rights initiative European Digital Rights (EDRi).. according to a Evaluation NGI has supported more than 1000 projects. Of these, 57 percent offer “viable alternatives to existing market solutions”. 74 percent will continue even after state funding ends. It promotes “privacy, security, diversity of ideas and participation as well as choice in the digital space”, emphasizes the FSFE. They themselves received funding from the pot to develop better copyright and licensing practices for software projects.
The FSFE criticizes that the Commission has not yet given any official reason for the change in attitude. According to them, one incentive is likely to be a budget shift towards artificial intelligence (AI). “Internet infrastructure falls by the wayside”. The FSFE fears that the removal will limit autonomy. Europe needs “sustainable, secure and targeted financing for NCI and free software solutions” to govern its technology. Otherwise it will not be possible to achieve device neutrality in addition to network neutrality. The FSFE therefore asks users to work with it, especially with the lead Directorate-General Connect, to ensure that funding is made available again.
(Are)
