"Requiring participants to use this format as the sole vehicle for structured data entry effectively conditions participation in a public consultation on the availability or willingness to use software produced by a single supplier. The approach creates what it calls a structural bias in the consultation process, risking disadvantaging organizations that operate entirely on open source tools or open document standards."
"The Foundation says the Commission could easily provide the same template in an open format alongside the proprietary one - most obviously the Open Document Format (.ods), an ISO-standard used by LibreOffice and other open source office suites. This matters because the consultation process is supposed to be open to citizens, public bodies, and organizations across Europe."
The Document Foundation criticized the European Commission for requiring stakeholder feedback on Cyber Resilience Act guidance exclusively through Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. This approach contradicts the Commission's stated commitment to open standards and digital sovereignty. The foundation argues the requirement creates structural bias, conditioning public consultation participation on using proprietary software from a single vendor. Organizations using open source tools or open document standards face disadvantages. The foundation recommends providing templates in Open Document Format alongside Excel, ensuring equal access for all European citizens, public bodies, and organizations aligned with EU policy promoting open standards and reducing vendor lock-in.
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