Every year, at the end of January and the beginning of February, thousands of people from Europe and beyond gather in Brussels to discuss open source and open technologies. The main attraction is FOSDEM, Europe’s largest open source conference. For those interested in digital policy and EU developments, OpenForum Europe’s EU Open Source Policy Summit brings together open source leaders and policymakers. Together, these initiatives form the EU Open Source Week 2026.
Martel in Brussels
From 26 January to 2 February 2026, Brussels will once again become a focal point for Europe’s open source and digital policy communities. Alongside FOSDEM (31 January – 1 February 2026), the week features several complementary events. These include the Simpl Annual Community Event and the European Open Source Awards on 29 January 2026, as well as the EU Open Source Policy Summit on 30 January 2026.
Martel will be in Brussels, actively engaging in discussions and exchanges across the week’s agenda. Martel’s CEO and Digital for Planet’s President, Monique Calisti, will contribute to the dialogue between open source communities, policymakers, and institutional stakeholders.
NGI Commons at FOSDEM: Open Source and EU Policy Devroom
As part of FOSDEM 2026 (31 January – 1 February), a full-day devroom on “Open Source and EU Policy” will take place on Sunday, 1 February 2026. The devroom is organised by APELL, Eclipse Foundation, Linux Foundation, Mozilla, OpenForum Europe, OpenSSF, and the Open Source Initiative.
The devroom brings together developers and EU lawmakers from the European institutions. Participants will discuss the impact of past, ongoing, and upcoming EU legislation on the open source ecosystem. The programme includes contributions from the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as from the community. Formats range from presentations and workshops to short talks and interactive Q&A sessions.
European Commission session: Open Internet Stack calls
FOSDEM will also offers a timely opportunity to engage directly with European institutions on future funding and policy directions. At FOSDEM, the session “Information on Open Internet Stack calls from European Commission” will present upcoming funding topics under the Horizon Europe Work Programme. These calls relate to the Open Internet Stack successor programme to Next Generation Internet (NGI).
Why open source matters for Martel
Martel and Digital for Planet strongly support the open source philosophy. They actively contribute to its development and adoption across Europe. This commitment is reflected in Martel’s participation in several EU-funded initiatives focused on open technologies and digital commons. These include NGI Commons, NGI4ALL.E, O-CEI, and NexusForum.EU.
As these events unfold in Brussels, it reinforces a shared understanding across communities and institutions. Open source is a strategic pillar of Europe’s digital future, enabling interoperability, resilience, transparency, and innovation at scale.
