Open Government Data in Hungary

Authors:
Anna Orbán, National University of Public Service

Abstract:

Today it is increasingly evident that data is the new determining element in the economy and society. Digital data is essential resources for economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, job creation and social development. For well-founded decisions, real data containing all the necessary information are required. Public organizations are obliged to collect and store vast amounts of data. However, the question arises: who has access to them and for what purposes are they used for? Open Data has become increasingly prevalent both on organizational and national levels. By making the datasets available to the public, institutions have become more transparent, efficient and more economical. There are EU and national strategies and programs to support open public administration by providing an appropriate legal environment and recommending practical measures. Freedom of information guarantees the accessibility of public data. However, accessibility is blocked by several challenges and obstacles, such as traditional approaches, legal constraints, practical and technical problems. The aim of this paper is to interpret the basic concepts of open government data, and present some of the problems of Hungarian data policy, legal regulations and practical implementations.

References:

[1] 1310/2015 (V.21.) Government Decision on measures required for the wide-scale reuse of public sector information. [2] 305/2005 (XII. 25.) Government decree on specific provisions relating to the electronic publication of Public Sector Information (PSI), the single PSI search service on inventory and data integration. [3] Act CXII of 2011 on the right of informational self-determination and on freedom of information (Privacy Act). [4] Act LXIII of 1992 on the Protection of Personal Data and the Publication of Data of Public Interest (Old Data Protection Act). [5] Act LXIII of 2012 on the re-use of Public Sector Information. [6] Act XC of 2005 on the freedom of information. [7] Constitution of Hungary (the amendment proclaimed on 23 October 1989). [8] Council of Europe. (2009). Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (CETS No.205). Tromsø. Retrieved 02 20, 2018, from https://www.coe.int/en/web/ conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/205/signatures?p_auth=Y8QKEMS5 [9] Digital Success Programme 2.0. (2017). Budapest. Retrieved 02 20, 2018, from http://www.kormany.hu/download/6/6d/21000/DJP20%20Stratégiai%20Tanulmány.pdf [10] European Commission. (2003). Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 November 2003 on the re-use of public sector information. Official Journal of the European Union, 90-96. [11] European Commission. (2013). Directive 2013/37/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 amending Directive 2003/98/EC on the re-use of public sector information. Official Journal of the European Union, 1-8. [12] European Commission. (2016). Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR). Official Journal of the European Union, 1-88. [13] NHIT. (2016). White Paper on National Data Policy. Budapest: National Council for Telecommunications and Information Technology. Retrieved 12 28, 2017, from http://nhit.hu/dokumentum/175/Adatpolitikai_feher_konyv_2016081_EN_20161121.pdf [14] NISZ (National Infocommunications Service Company). (2018, 01 01). About. Retrieved 01 10, 2018, from Public repository: http://kozadattar.hu/node/5 [15] OGP. (2017, 12 28). Hungary (withdrawn). Retrieved 01 15, 2018, from Open Government Partnership: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/countries/hungary-withdrawn [16] The Fundamental Law of Hungary (updated version of 1 July, 2016).

Publication:

Central and Eastern European e|Dem and e|Gov Days 2018

Including a Workshop on Smart Cities organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
Proceedings of the Central and Eastern European E|Dem and E|Gov Days, May 3-4, 2018, Budapest
Facultas, 1. Ed. (14 May 2018), 506 p.
ISBN-10: 9783708917375,
ISBN-13: 978-3708917375,
ASIN: 3708917375506

Editors: Hendrik Hansen, Robert Müller-Török, András Nemeslaki, Alexander Prosser, Dona Scola, Tamás Szádeczky