From xurxosanz at gmail.com Tue Jul 21 07:35:38 2026 From: xurxosanz at gmail.com (Jorge Sanz) Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:35:38 +0200 Subject: [OSGeo-Announce] OSGeo establishes a European legal foundation In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: *Wageningen, The Netherlands, 21 July 2026.* The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) has established a legal foundation in Europe. The founding documents were signed yesterday. The new entity, Stichting Open Source Geospatial, has its statutory seat in Wageningen and operates under the OSGeo name and mission. It gives the foundation a legal presence in the European Union alongside its existing entity in the United States. The step fits a wider move toward digital sovereignty. Governments and organisations across Europe want control over the software and data they depend on, and open-source geospatial technology gives them that control. A European foundation lets OSGeo take part in that shift as a recognised local partner, and gives the people and companies who build OSGeo projects a stronger voice in it, along with better business opportunities that follow from working close to European institutions and funding. The European foundation opens capabilities that were out of reach before. OSGeo can now apply directly for European research and innovation funding, including Horizon Europe calls, where participation requires an EU-based legal entity. This lets the community pursue project funding that could not flow to a foundation registered outside the Union. OSGeo will also file a request with the Dutch tax authority for ANBI status (algemeen nut beogende instelling, or public-benefit organisation). If granted, ANBI status makes donations to the foundation tax-deductible for donors in the Netherlands and across much of the European Union, and exempts gifts and bequests from tax. For companies and individuals who want to support open-source geospatial software, that removes a real barrier to giving. The European foundation is governed by the same board of directors as the OSGeo entity in the United States. The two entities share one board so that the foundation's direction and decisions stay unified rather than split across two organisations. The way OSGeo elects its Charter Members does not change, and the board election by those Charter Members does not change either. The community-driven process that has always chosen OSGeo's leadership stays exactly as it is, now serving a foundation that works across two legal jurisdictions. With this footing in place, OSGeo aims to build a meaningful membership, sponsorship, and donation scheme that gives supporters clear recognition and a real relationship with the foundation. It also aims to coordinate the FOSS4G conferences more closely, from scheduling and organisation to shared branding and marketing, so the events reinforce one another and the OSGeo name. The foundation's work still rests on volunteers. OSGeo invites community members to support it through its committees, from software projects and infrastructure to events, outreach, and fundraising. People who want to contribute can reach the board through osgeo.org. About OSGeo The Open Source Geospatial Foundation supports the development and use of open-source geospatial software and open geospatial data. Its community maintains widely used projects such as GeoServer, GeoNetwork, QGIS, GDAL, and PostGIS, and organises the FOSS4G conferences through its community membership at both global, regional and national levels. All software the foundation manages is certified open source. OSGeo now operates through two legal entities, one in the United States and one in the European Union, both governed by the same board. Contact Jeroen Ticheler President Open Source Geospatial Foundation https://www.osgeo.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: