Brussels, 06/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - New technologies are outstanding when it comes to bringing governments closer to the public. They allow citizens to gather information and to play an active part in the political life of their country, and even to change the course of events as was the case for the Arab Spring countries, said Neelie Kroes, Commissioner for the Digital Agenda. She was addressing a conference in Bratislava organised for the presentation of the “Action Plan of the Slovak Republic in favour of Open Democracy”. The European Commission supports the use of data from the public sector, the commissioner pointed out (the Commission adopted a European strategy on this on 12 December 2011 - see EUROPE 10514). Publication of such data for the general public will not be an easy task, but it will allow more transparency and stimulate economic growth, Kroes said. In coming months, the Commission will make its own data available to the public, free of charge and easy to use, from a single portal, she announced. The initiative will encourage other European institutions and agencies to follow suit, Kroes trusts. (IL/transl.jl)