Free Software Foundation Europe: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Founded in 2001, the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) is a sister organisation to the US-based Free Software Foundation. The offices of FSF Europe are in Germany [1], where it has one full time employee and a number of part time volunteers, in Austria and Italy. Its president is Georg Greve [2].

Most of FSF Europe's work involves the political defense of free software. This involves "educating", or in other words lobbying, politicians about Free Software so that new laws of the digital age do not stifle its use or development. FSFeurope is active at national, European, and world trade levels of politics. In 2003, a significant amount of its time was devoted to the World Summit on the Information Society.

FSF Europe was not the first Free Software organisation in Europe, but it aims to unite the existing organisations as well as encouraging the creation of new ones. To this end, it has created an "Official Associates" program.