[FSFE PR][EN] FSF Europe calls for participation

[Georg C. F. Greve]

   FSF Europe calls for participation

December, 18th 2002
Essen/Hamburg
                                      
   The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) invites all companies,
   organizations and research institutes interested in Free Software
   projects funded by the European Commission to join their effort.
   
   In April 2002 the FSF Europe issued a recommendation to the
   European Commission about the benefits of Free Software for Europe
   and a European information society. This recommendation was backed
   by over 50 parties throughout Europe and was apparently heard by
   the Commission.

   Although there was originally no plan to deal with Free Software
   within the 6th Framework Programme at all, the Information Society
   Technologies (IST) Work Programme now contains a statement that
   will give Free Software preferential treatment. This opens up all
   parts of the 1725 million euro IST budget to Free Software.

   "This decision is very important for Europe because the areas in
   which the IST program seeks to further development may turn out to
   be very fundamental and essential to people in Europe," says Georg
   Greve, President of the Free Software Foundation Europe. "We will
   now seek to help assembling consortia to address as many calls as
   possible with Free Software. Also we will offer our assistance in
   getting the consortia off on the right foot."

   Interested parties can find more information at
   http://fsfeurope.org/documents/fp6/      

   On this page you will also find the address of the mailing list
   where further information and discussion can be found.
   

About the Free Software Foundation Europe

   The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSF Europe) is a charitable
   non-governmental organization dedicated to all aspects of Free
   Software in Europe. Access to software determines who may participate
   in a digital society. Therefore the freedoms to use, copy, modify and
   redistribute software - as described in the Free Software definition -
   allow equal participation in the information age. Creating awareness
   for these issues, securing Free Software politically and legally, and
   giving people freedom by supporting development of Free Software are
   central issues of the FSF Europe, which was founded in 2001 as the
   European sister organization of the Free Software Foundation in the
   United States.

   http://www.fsfeurope.org

   
Contact

   FSF Europe:
        Georg C. F. Greve   <greve at fsfeurope.org>
        phone: +49-40-23809080
        fax:   +49-40-23809081