The European Open Source Academy (EOSA) is structured to uphold its mission of advancing excellence in Open Source Software and Hardware across Europe. Grounded in the principle of Public Recognition, the Academy’s organisational framework ensures transparency, integrity, and strategic alignment with European policy and technological ambitions.
Academy Membership
At the heart of EOSA are its Academy Members — individuals and organisations recognised for their exceptional contributions to Open Source Software and Hardware. Membership is lifelong and governed by a peer-based nomination process, ensuring that new Members are selected based on merit.
The first four Members of the Academy have been appointed by a neutral consortium on behalf of the European Commission, with all subsequent appointments conducted by existing Members through a defined nomination and voting process. All Members hold voting rights and collectively guide the Academy’s direction, including the election of leadership, governance amendments, and strategic decisions.
Academy Council
The Academy Council serves as the Academy’s governing body, composed of up to thirteen (13) Members elected for three-year terms. The Council is responsible for major decisions and oversight of the Academy’s functions. It includes:
- One (1) Academy President
- Four (4) Academy Presidium Members (President, Vice-President, Secretary-General, Treasurer)
- Three (3) Section Heads (for Business & Impact, Advocacy & Awareness, Skills & Education)
- Six (6) Section Officers
The Academy Council functions as the de jure leadership of the European Open Source Academy Academy and holds extended voting privileges on critical governance issues, including the establishment of committees and policy enforcement.
Academy Presidium
A subset of the Council, the Academy Presidium is led by the Academy President and includes the Vice-President, Secretary-General, and Treasurer. This executive team manages day-to-day operations, long-term strategy, and organisational sustainability. Presidium members are elected by the general Membership and serve as stewards of the Academy’s foundational objectives during its transitional and post-establishment phases.
Meetings and Governance
The Academy’s deliberative process is structured around:
- Biannual General Meetings for the full Membership, held each spring and fall, focused on strategic development and the annual European Open Source Awards.
- Quarterly Council Meetings, with additional sessions convened as necessary, to address governance and operational matters.
- Presidium Meetings, scheduled as needed, to coordinate executive responsibilities.
Quorum and voting rules are clearly defined to ensure legitimacy in decision-making. The President, supported by the Secretary-General, oversees voting procedures. In the event of a tie within the Council, the President exercises a tie-breaking vote.
Governance Principles
All Academy decisions are made democratically and are subject to high standards of transparency and accountability. While internal deliberations remain confidential, decisions are documented and managed in line with the Academy’s rules of procedures. Disciplinary and procedural matters are governed by frameworks developed and ratified by the Membership.
Operational Framework
The Academy operates within four (4) strategic domains, each led by a Section Head and supported by Officers:
- Excellence and Achievement: Promoting the celebration of excellence and achievement within the European Open Source Software and Hardware communities.
- Business & Impact: Advancing the conditions for entrepreneurship and a sustainable business ecosystem around Open Source Software and Hardware, and its impact to the society and economy of Europe in particular and the world at large,
- Advocacy & Awareness: Advocating for the interests of Open Source Software and Hardware communities, as well as positively advancing the representation of European contributions to these communities and representing their interests in global fora.
- Skills & Education: Growing and upskilling representatives of the Open Source Software and Hardware communities, onboarding and empowering new generations of contributors to both communities, and creating opportunities for connecting with educational and outreach programmes.
Each area is guided by the Academy’s mission and formalised through rules of procedure. These frameworks evolve under Member oversight to ensure agility and integrity in the Academy’s activities.
Awards and Recognition
A central pillar of the Academy’s work is the European Open Source Awards, held annually in Brussels. These awards recognise excellence and impact in Open Source Software and Hardware across Europe. While initially organised with support from a European Commission-appointed consortium (2025–2027), the Academy will assume full responsibility from 2028 onwards. Both the Awards framework and the peer nomination process are defined and ratified independently through the Academy’s rules of procedure.