# The European Union must keep funding free software

DevFeed: [The European Union must keep funding free software](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/the-european-union-must-keep-funding-free-software-34239.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.mobian.org/posts/2024/07/19/open-letter-eu/>)

Author: Mobian team

Published: 2024-08-01T23:17:30Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Mobian's Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/mobian-s-blog.md>)

Topics: [free software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/free-software.md>), [Software](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software.md>), [Internet](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/internet.md>), [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>)

Tags: [free-software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/free-software.md>), [internet](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/internet.md>), [open](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/open.md>), [software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software.md>)

## AI overview

An open letter urges the European Commission to continue funding Next Generation Internet programmes, arguing that they effectively support free software, digital commons and European software infrastructure. It notes that NGI is absent from the 2025 Horizon Europe working draft and highlights its support for more than 500 projects.

## Source excerpt

Multiple Linux mobile related projects (such as e.g. postmarketOS or phosh) have benefited from the NGI funding. The following is an open letter initially published in French by the Petites Singularités association. An english translation is provided by OW2. To co-sign it, please publish it on your website in your preferred language, then add yourself to this table. Open Letter to the European Commission Since 2020, Next Generation Internet (NGI) programmes, part of European Commission's Horizon programme, fund free software in Europe using a cascade funding mechanism (see for example NLnet's calls). This year, according to the Horizon Europe working draft detailing funding programmes for 2025, we notice that Next Generation Internet is not mentioned any more as part of Cluster 4. NGI programmes have shown their strength and importance to supporting the European software infrastructure, as a generic funding instrument to fund digital commons and ensure their long-term sustainability. We find this transformation incomprehensible, moreover when NGI has proven efficient and economical to support free software as a whole, from the smallest to the most established initiatives. This ecosystem diversity backs the strength of European technological innovation, and maintaining the NGI initiative to provide structural support to software projects at the heart of worldwide innovation is key to enforce the sovereignty of a European infrastructure. Contrary to common perception, technical innovations often originate from European rather than North American programming communities, and are mostly initiated by small-scaled organizations. Previous Cluster 4 allocated 27 million euros to: "Human centric Internet aligned with values and principles commonly shared in Europe" ; "A flourishing internet, based on common building blocks created within NGI, that enables better control of our digital life" ; "A structured ecosystem of talented contributors driving the creation of new intern