Summary No, the EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue (EU OSS Catalogue) proposed under the Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is not the same entity as code.europa.eu or Joinup, nor is it intended to replace them. As proposed in Article 43, the EU OSS Catalogue is a centralised catalogue designed to act as a discovery and aggregation layer, hosted specifically on the Interoperable Europe portal. Its function is to connect to and make accessible existing repositoriesβ€”such as code.europa.eu or national equivalentsβ€”rather than to host the source code itself. While platforms like code.europa.eu serve as the underlying repositories where code artifacts reside, the EU OSS Catalogue serves as the federated directory that makes software developed by Union entities and public sector bodies discoverable across the Union.

Detail

The proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA), COM(2026) 502 final, introduces a targeted framework to address the fragmentation of open-source software (OSS) within the European public sector. A primary objective is to prevent the duplication of effort and to ensure that software developed with public funds is easily reusable. To achieve this, the proposal establishes the EU OSS Catalogue, a mechanism governed by Article 43, which operates in tandem with Article 42 (Share and reuse of software) and Article 44 (Network of Open Source Programme Offices).

The Distinction: Catalogue vs. Repository

The core architectural distinction in the proposal lies between the catalogue (the discovery layer) and the repository (the hosting layer).

Under Article 43(1), the Commission is mandated to "provide and maintain an EU Open Source Solutions Catalogue ('EU OSS Catalogue') as a centralised catalogue to access software made available for reuse by Union entities and public sector bodies." The text explicitly defines this instrument as a "catalogue," not a "repository" or "hosting platform." Its purpose is to aggregate metadata and provide a single point of access for search and discovery.

Conversely, Article 42 dictates where the actual software must be hosted. It states that when a Union entity or public sector body makes software available for reuse under an open-source licence, it must do so "using a catalogue or repository that is connected to, and made accessible through, the EU OSS Catalogue." This phrasing confirms a federated model: public bodies retain their existing hosting infrastructure (e.g., code.europa.eu, GitLab instances, or national platforms) but must ensure these repositories are technically linked to the central catalogue.

Hosting on the Interoperable Europe Portal

The proposal is precise regarding the technical location of this new catalogue. Article 43(2) states: "The EU OSS Catalogue shall be hosted on the Interoperable Europe portal referred to in Article 8 of Regulation (EU) 2024/903 and shall be accessible electronically free of charge."

This hosting requirement is significant for two reasons:

  1. Integration: It anchors the OSS Catalogue within the broader ecosystem of the Interoperable Europe Act, ensuring that open-source discovery is not siloed but integrated with other interoperability solutions and digital public services.
  2. Continuity: The Interoperable Europe portal is the successor to previous initiatives like Joinup. By hosting the catalogue here, CADA leverages existing infrastructure rather than building a standalone website from scratch.

Relationship with code.europa.eu and Joinup

To understand the practical impact, one must distinguish the roles of existing platforms:

  • code.europa.eu: This is the European Commission's primary open-source code hosting platform (based on GitLab). It is where the actual source code, version history, issues, and pull requests are stored. Under CADA, code.europa.eu would function as the repository referenced in Article 42. It remains the place where developers commit code.
  • Joinup: Historically, Joinup served as the Commission's marketplace for interoperability solutions. With the adoption of the Interoperable Europe Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/903), Joinup's functions have been integrated into the Interoperable Europe portal. The EU OSS Catalogue, as proposed in CADA, would effectively be a specialized, mandatory module within this evolved portal, focusing specifically on the OSS reuse obligations of public sector bodies.

The relationship is therefore hierarchical and federated:

  1. A public body uploads code to a repository (e.g., code.europa.eu).
  2. That repository is "connected" to the EU OSS Catalogue (as per Article 42).
  3. The EU OSS Catalogue (hosted on the Interoperable Europe portal) aggregates the metadata from that repository.
  4. A user searches the EU OSS Catalogue, finds the software, and is directed to the underlying repository (code.europa.eu) to access the code.

Governance and Connection Criteria

The proposal does not mandate that all repositories be merged into a single monolithic system. Instead, it establishes a governance mechanism for connection. Article 43(3) provides: "The Commission shall, on the basis of objective and relevant criteria, decide on the request of any Union entity or public sector body owning or maintaining a catalogue or repository to have that catalogue or repository connected to and made accessible through the EU OSS Catalogue."

This clause empowers the Commission to vet existing platforms. If a national repository or a specific instance of code.europa.eu meets the "objective and relevant criteria" (likely related to metadata standards, security, and accessibility), it can be connected to the central catalogue. This ensures that the catalogue remains a reliable, high-quality directory without forcing a "big bang" migration of all code to a new server.

The Role of the OSPO Network

The technical and operational success of this federated model relies on the network of Open Source Programme Offices (OSPO Network) established under Article 44. These offices, coordinated by the Commission, are tasked with facilitating the exchange of information and best practices. They will play a critical role in ensuring that the repositories connected to the EU OSS Catalogue adhere to the necessary standards, thereby maintaining the integrity of the central catalogue.

What this means for you

For CTOs, software architects, and public sector procurement officers, the distinction between the catalogue and the hosting platform has direct implications for compliance and strategy.

1. No Forced Migration of Code

Public sector bodies are not required to migrate their existing codebases to a new central server. If your organization currently hosts software on code.europa.eu, GitHub Enterprise, or a national GitLab instance, you can likely continue to do so. Your obligation under Article 42 is to ensure that your repository is "connected to" the EU OSS Catalogue. This will likely involve implementing specific metadata standards (e.g., SPDX, standardised API endpoints) that allow the central catalogue to index your software automatically.

2. The "Federated" Advantage

The federated approach preserves the autonomy of Member States and Union entities to choose their preferred hosting infrastructure, provided it meets the connection criteria. This reduces the risk of vendor lock-in and respects existing investments in national digital infrastructure. However, it also means that interoperability of metadata becomes the new critical success factor. If your repository cannot be indexed by the central catalogue, your software may remain invisible to the broader EU public sector.

3. Strategic Visibility for SMEs

For SMEs and startups developing open-source solutions for the public sector, the EU OSS Catalogue represents a new, high-value distribution channel. As Article 43 creates a centralised search layer for public sector bodies, ensuring your software is hosted on a repository that is connected to this catalogue becomes essential for visibility. Public procurers will likely use the catalogue as their primary discovery tool, meaning that "being on the catalogue" could become a de facto requirement for winning public contracts.

4. Alignment with Interoperability Standards

Since the catalogue is hosted on the Interoperable Europe portal, the metadata and access protocols will almost certainly align with the broader EU interoperability framework (e.g., the European Interoperability Framework). Architects should anticipate requirements for standardized metadata schemas to ensure their software is correctly indexed and accessible across borders.

Common misconceptions

"The EU OSS Catalogue will replace code.europa.eu."

  • Reality: The proposal explicitly distinguishes between the "catalogue" (discovery) and the "repository" (hosting). Article 42 requires software to be made available in a repository connected to the catalogue. Code.europa.eu is a repository; the EU OSS Catalogue is the directory that lists it. They serve complementary, not competing, functions.

"All open-source software in the EU will be in this catalogue."

  • Reality: The scope is strictly limited. Article 42 applies only to software developed by or for Union entities and public sector bodies that is voluntarily made available for reuse under an open-source licence. It does not cover private-sector open-source projects unless they are shared by public bodies under the specific conditions of the regulation.

"The catalogue is a new, standalone website."

  • Reality: Article 43(2) explicitly mandates that the catalogue be hosted on the Interoperable Europe portal. It is an integrated component of the existing EU interoperability infrastructure, not a siloed new site. This ensures continuity with previous initiatives like Joinup while adding a mandatory layer for OSS reuse.

"I must move my code to a Commission-hosted server."

  • Reality: No. The proposal supports a federated model. You can maintain your code on your existing infrastructure (national or Union-level) as long as that infrastructure is "connected to" the central catalogue and meets the Commission's criteria under Article 43(3).

Related

This is general information about a draft EU regulation, not legal advice.