What is open data?

Open data is data that can be freely used without restriction, reused and shared with anyone - subject to giving appropriate credit to the author and shared on equal terms.

Open data is data created by public authorities, the use of which for commercial and / or non-commercial purposes can create substantial added value or economic benefit.

As a rule, open data does not contain personal data or, to put it other way, if the data are protected by the Personal Data Protection Act, they are not considered open data because their publication is not allowed.

Public authorities in Croatia, in accordance with the Right to Access Information Act (Narodne Novine, Nos. 25/2013 and 85/2015), publish registers and databases or information on registers and databases within their competence together with the method of access to those.

The Ordinance on the types and content of permits determining the conditions for the re-use of information (Narodne Novine 67/2017) defines that information for re-use by public authorities is available to users without restrictions and for free use with an open permit. The open license (published in Croatian and English) allows users to freely use the information, for commercial or non-commercial purposes, which includes duplication (reproduction), distribution, making available to third parties, and modifications with mandatory clear indication of the source of information.

The complete definition of open gives a detailed insight into what it means, and in brief can be summarized as:

• Availability and accessibility: Data must be available in full and at a price no higher than printing. Likewise, the data must be available in a clear and editable form.
• Reuse and redistribution: Data must be licensed for use outside the original area of ​​use and redistribution including combining with other databases.
• Global inclusion: Everyone has the right to use and redistribute - there must be no discrimination between areas of use or people and communities. For example, non-commercial restrictions that prevent commercial use or restrictions on the use of certain areas (for example, only in education) are not allowed.