EU policy/Funding/2021

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Transparent Policy Work

In line with our movement's values, Wikimedia is committed to full transparency when it comes to our public policy activities. The money we spend on our EU advocacy efforts is sourced from our European chapters. This page provides information about the current year's budget, plans and how we intend to make sure that money is well spent. For historical funding overviews, please take a look at 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Annual Priorities Plan 2021

I. Public Policy Goals

Digital Services Act: We need to ensure that content moderation rules for online platforms take community and commons based projects in mind. Our projects work well because the project communities are doing an outstanding job. This is not the case with every online community on every online platform and it will be challenge to draw a legislative line. From a Wikimedia perspective we must avoid legislation that opens the door for people to troll the Wikimedia Foundation with repeated complaints about content moderation decisions. At the same time we need a safe and constructive internet environment for our projects to thrive in and balanced, general content moderation rules that include government, the judicial, platforms and communities are necessary.
Data Governance Act: We welcome the push of the European Commission to try and open up more data for re-use. We want to ensure that projects like Wikipedia, Wikidata and Europeana won't fall under a new, strict "data sharing services" regime not intended for them. We also want to help reign in the sui generis database rights.
Terrorism Regulation & E-Evidence: These are old files from last legislative period, still need to be wrapped up. We are arguing that terrorist content blocking that is to become compulsory for online platforms needs to be encircled with several safeguards so it doesn't lead to mass, automatic blocking of critical or informative content. On the electronic evidence file we we will fight to have user data, such as which IP opened which Wikipedia article (access log on servers) is only available to prosecutors after their request has been validated by a judge.
National Transpositions of Copyright Reform: The copyright reform will need to be transposed by all EU/EFTA countries. We will actively engage, help, advise and, where necessary, lead on these national processes.

II. Strategic Goal

“Wikimedia shapes crucial conversations on legislation that concerns our movement.”

“We are the voice of "good tech" and self-governing communities.”

It seems that most legislation coming out of the European Commission is still written with only major industries and for-profit platforms in mind. Yet, commons based platforms and self-governing communities could be a necessary ingredient for how a constructive, collaborative and safe internet works. We want to make sure these groups and projects are known and heard.

“We bring expertise based on evidence to keep internet open."

There seems to be a lack of research on how self-governing internet communities and commons based projects work. Lawmakers are asking themselves whether some of our practices could be used in one way or another to solve issues across platforms. Frankly, we have little hard data to point to and we will aim at closing this gap.

Proposed Budget 2021

Non-WMDE Budget Contributions 2021 (in €)

WMAT - 6000
WMCH - 8700
WMFR - 9000
WMIT - 5000
WMNL - 8000
WMNO - 2800
WMSE - 5000
WMUK - 1200
WMCZ - 800
WMPL - tbc
Amical - tbc
WMDE - 85% of two staff

NB All Wikimedia chapters and thematic oragnisatons are contributing only own funds sourced in Europe, such as membership fees and local donations.

Indicators 2021

Wikimedia is part of the platform liability discussions and has made constructive proposals on what a European Notice&Action System should look like.
Wikimedia is working on the national transposition of the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive in at least 22 Member States. This includes: drafting national legislation proposals, contancting national policy makers and setting up national coalitions.
Wikimedia has secured additional third-party funding for digital civil society organisations across Europe.
Wikimedia is a central part of the effort to give digital civil society across Europe a strong voice in policy debates, independent of big tech companies and rightholders.
Wikimedia made key policy makers aware of our reliable, factual and relevant expertise on current policy issues, based on at least two studies we commissioned.