Every year, FOSDEM – the Free and Open Source Developers’ European Meeting – turns Brussels into a global meeting point for the Free and Open Source software community. In 2026, that energy extended well beyond the university halls, as policymakers, foundations, developers, and civil society gathered to confront a shared reality: Open Source is no longer operating at the margins of technology policy. It is foundational to Europe’s digital sovereignty, security, and resilience.
From Code & Compliance and the EU Open Source Academy Awards and Policy Summit, to multiple FOSDEM devrooms, the Open Source Initiative (OSI) engaged directly with the community throughout the week, convening conversations, contributing expertise, and reinforcing the importance of open governance in an increasingly regulated digital landscape.
Turning Regulation into Practice at Code & Compliance
The week began on January 29 in Brussels with the Code & Compliance conference, organized by the Eclipse Foundation. The event brought together Open Source leaders, engineers, and policymakers to focus on the practical implications of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), from compliance and security to automation, standards, and software supply chain trust.
