About the Free Software Foundation Europe

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" class="en no-js "> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="robots" content="index, follow"> <meta name="viewport" content='width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"'> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <link rel="stylesheet" media="all" href="/look/fsfe.min.css?20230215" type="text/css"> <link rel="stylesheet" media="print" href="/look/print.css" type="text/css"> <link rel="icon" href="/graphics/fsfe.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/graphics/touch-icon.png" type="image/png"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/graphics/touch-icon.png" type="image/png"> <link rel="alternate" title="FSFE " href="/news/news.en.rss" type="application/rss+xml"> <link rel="alternate" title="FSFE " href="/events/events.en.rss" type="application/rss+xml"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="de" lang="de" href="/about/about.de.html" title="Deutsch"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="el" lang="el" href="/about/about.el.html" title="Ελληνικά"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="en" lang="en" href="/about/about.en.html" title="English"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="es" lang="es" href="/about/about.es.html" title="Español"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" lang="fr" href="/about/about.fr.html" title="Français"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="it" lang="it" href="/about/about.it.html" title="Italiano"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="nl" lang="nl" href="/about/about.nl.html" title="Nederlands"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="pl" lang="pl" href="/about/about.pl.html" title="Polski"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="tr" lang="tr" href="/about/about.tr.html" title="Türkçe"> <link type="text/html" rel="alternate" hreflang="uk" lang="uk" href="/about/about.uk.html" title="Українська"> <meta name="description" content="Everything about the FSFE - 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FSFE"> <meta property="og:description" content="Everything about the FSFE - Our work, the people we are, our contact and press information, associates, legal structure, and donations."> <script src="/scripts/jquery-3.5.1.min.js"></script><script src="/scripts/modernizr.custom.65251.js"></script> <title>About the Free Software Foundation Europe - FSFE</title> <meta name="keywords" content="work people contact associates donations structure"> </head> <body class="overview"> <nav id="translations" class="alert"><a class="close" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#translations" href="#"> × </a><a class="contribute-translation" href="/contribute/translators/index.en.html">Translate this page?</a><ul> <li><a href="/about/about.de.html">Deutsch</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.el.html">Ελληνικά</a></li> <li>English</li> <li><a href="/about/about.es.html">Español</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.fr.html">Français</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.it.html">Italiano</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.nl.html">Nederlands</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.pl.html">Polski</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.tr.html">Türkçe</a></li> <li><a href="/about/about.uk.html">Українська</a></li> </ul></nav><header id="top"><div id="masthead"><a id="logo" href="/index.en.html"><span>Free Software Foundation Europe</span></a></div> <nav id="menu"><p>Go to:</p> <ul id="direct-links"> <li id="direct-to-menu-list"><a href="#menu-list">Menu</a></li> <li id="direct-to-content"><a href="#content">Content</a></li> <li id="direct-to-page-info"><a href="#page-info">Page info</a></li> </ul> <input type="checkbox" id="burger"><label for="burger"><i class="fa fa-bars fa-lg"></i></label><div id="menu-list"> <ul><li id="menu-donate"><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate?referrer=https://fsfe.org/about/about.html"><i class="fa fa-heart-o fa-lg"></i> Donate</a></li></ul> <ul id="menu-sections"> <li><a href="/about/about.en.html">About</a></li> <li><a href="/activities/activities.en.html">Activities</a></li> <li><a href="/contribute/contribute.en.html">Contribute</a></li> <li class="visible-xs"><a href="/news/news.en.html">Latest News</a></li> <li class="visible-xs"><a href="/events/events.en.html">Upcoming Events</a></li> <li class="visible-xs"><a href="/news/podcast.en.html">Podcast</a></li> <li><a href="/press/press.en.html">Press</a></li> </ul> <ul> <li><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/"><i class="fa fa-sign-in fa-lg"></i> Login</a></li> <li id="menu-translations"><a href="#translations" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#translations"><i class="fa fa-globe fa-lg"></i> Change language</a></li> <li id="menu-search-box"><form method="GET" action="/search/search.en.html"><div class="input-group"> <div class="input-group-btn"><button class="btn btn-primary" type="submit"><i class="fa fa-search"></i></button></div> <input placeholder="Search terms..." type="text" name="q" size="10" class="form-control"> </div></form></li> </ul> </div></nav></header><div class="topbanner"><div id="topbanner-border"><div id="topbanner-inner"> <div class="text-button-box"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-xs-12 col-sm-12 col-md-12"> <p> We are intervening in the Apple vs.EC litigation. Become a proud supporter of the FSFE and <a href="/donate/donate.html>">join us in defending software freedom from monopoly control!</a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div> <div id="notifications"><div id="infobox"></div></div> <main><div id="content"> <h1 id="id-about">About</h1> <div id="introduction">  <p>The Free Software Foundation Europe is a charity that empowers users to control technology.</p> <p>Software is deeply involved in all aspects of our lives, and it is important that this technology empowers rather than restricts us. Free Software gives everybody the rights to use, understand, adapt, and share software. These rights help support other fundamental freedoms like freedom of speech, press, and privacy.</p> <p>The FSFE helps individuals and organisations to understand how Free Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination. It enhances users' rights by abolishing barriers to <a href="/freesoftware/freesoftware.en.html">Free Software</a> adoption, encouraging people to use and develop Free Software, and providing resources to enable everyone to further promote Free Software in Europe.</p> </div> <h2 id="id-find-out-more-about">Find out more about</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/about/ourwork.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/our-work.png" alt="Read about the three pillars of our work"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-our-work"><a href="/about/ourwork.en.html">Our Work</a></h3> <p> Read how we help individuals and organisations to understand how Free Software contributes to freedom, transparency, and self-determination and why we concentrate our daily work on three main pillars: public awareness, policy advocacy, and legal support. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/about/people/testimonials.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/testimonials.png" alt="Voices from our community"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-our-community"><a href="/about/people/testimonials.en.html">Our Community</a></h3> <p> Hear voices and read testimonials from our diverse community about why they support the FSFE and our mission. Some also answered interview questions or even made a video. Have fun getting to know our community! </p> <p> Software Freedom: What our community has to <a href="/about/softwarefreedom/testimonials.en.html">say about it</a>. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/about/people/index.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/team.png" alt="People who dedicate their time for the FSFE"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-the-team"><a href="/about/people/index.en.html">The Team</a></h3> <p> See who we are and get to know the people behind the FSFE. Here you find those who work for and with the FSFE and those who have been given responsibility or authority for certain areas - staffers and volunteers. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/about/associates/associates.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/associates.png" alt="List of organisations that we share common goals with"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-associates"><a href="/about/associates/associates.en.html">Associates</a></h3> <p> Empowering people to control technology is a goal which no single organisation can achieve alone. With our associated organisations we exchange ideas, coordinate efforts, motivate each other, and find opportunities to work together on specific projects. </p> </div> </li> </ul> <h2 id="id-our-foundation">Our foundation</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/about/legal/legal.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/legal-structure.png" alt="Constitution and minutes from the official annual meetings"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-legal-structure"><a href="/about/legal/legal.en.html">Legal Structure</a></h3> <p> In 2001 the FSFE was set up as a charitable, registered association ("e.V.") under German law. Find our constitution and minutes from the official annual meetings here. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/about/transparency-commitment.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/transparency.png" alt="Our Transparency Commitment"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-transparency-commitment"><a href="/about/transparency-commitment.en.html">Transparency Commitment</a></h3> <p> As part of its initiative “transparent civil society”, Transparency International Germany provides a guide on how to make a transparency commitment. We support this initiative and you find all relevant information here. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate"><img src="/graphics/icons/donations.png" alt="Support with donations"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-donations"><a href="https://my.fsfe.org/donate">Donations</a></h3> <p> To be an independent voice for Free Software, we depend on donations. With financial support you will contribute to a solid foundation on which we are building our charitable work for freedom in the information society. See <a href="/about/funds/funds.en.html">how we use our funds</a> and <a href="/donate/thankgnus.en.html">who donates to us</a>. </p> </div> </li> </ul> <h2 id="id-get-in-touch">Get in touch</h2> <ul> <li> <a href="/about/contact.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/contact.png" alt="Public and general contact information"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-contact"><a href="/about/contact.en.html">Contact</a></h3> <p> Find contact information for general and legal enquiries, our office location, a link to our public dicussion channels, and our social media accounts on our contact page. FSFE public and community discussions are covered by our Code of Conduct. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/press/press.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/press.png" alt="Press information"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-press"><a href="/press/press.en.html">Press</a></h3> <p> If you are from the press, you will find our press portal useful. There you can find all our press releases, our logos, news, general photos and contact information for press inquiries. </p> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/about/jobs/index.en.html"><img src="/graphics/icons/intern.png" alt="Job opportunities"></a> <div> <h3 id="id-job-opportunities"><a href="/about/jobs/index.en.html">Job Opportunities</a></h3> <p> Besides the FSFE's volunteers, its permanent staff, interns and trainees are a backbone of the organisation. We look for motivated people who help us contributing to software freedom on many levels in social, political, legal and technical areas. </p> </div> </li> </ul> </div></main><aside id="followup" class="subscribe-nl"><h2>Subscribe to our email updates</h2> <p>Our experts inform you about current news, events, activities, and how you can contribute.<span style="font-size:0.8em"> (<a href="/about/legal/imprint.en.html#id-privacy-policy"><span style="color:white; text-decoration: underline;">Privacy Policy</span></a>) </span></p> <form class="form-inline" id="formnl" name="formnl" method="POST" action="https://my.fsfe.org/subscribe"> <input type="hidden" name="language" value="en"><input type="input" style="display: none !important" name="password" tabindex="-1" autocomplete="off"><input id="yourname" name="name" type="text" required="required" placeholder="Your Name"><input id="email" name="email1" type="email" required="required" placeholder="Email Address"><fsfe-cd-referrer-input></fsfe-cd-referrer-input><input type="hidden" name="wants_info" value="yes"><input type="hidden" name="wants_newsletter_info" value="yes"><input type="hidden" name="category" value="i"><input id="submit" type="submit" value="Subscribe"> </form></aside><nav id="direct-to-top"><a href="#top">Go to the top</a></nav><footer><div id="page-info"> <div> <p class="share-buttons footer"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@fsfe"><img src="/graphics/services/mastodon.png" alt="Mastodon" title="Mastodon"></a><a href="https://media.fsfe.org/a/fsfe/videos"><img src="/graphics/services/peertube.png" alt="Peertube" title="Peertube"></a></p> <p>Copyright © 2001-2024 <a href="/index.en.html">Free Software Foundation Europe</a>.</p> <p> Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved. </p> </div> <div> <p><a href="/about/contact.en.html">Contact us</a></p> <p><a href="/about/jobs/index.en.html">Jobs</a></p> <p><a href="/about/legal/imprint.en.html">Imprint</a> / <a href="/about/legal/imprint.en.html#id-privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> / <a href="/about/transparency-commitment.en.html">Transparency Commitment</a></p> <p> FSFE has <a href="/about/fsfnetwork.en.html">sister organisations</a> in <a href="//www.fsf.org/">North America</a>, <a href="http://fsf.org.in/">India</a> and <a href="http://www.fsfla.org/">Latin America</a>. </p> </div> <div> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://git.fsfe.org/FSFE/fsfe-website/src/branch/master/fsfe.org/about/about.en.xhtml">Source code</a></p> <p><a href="/contribute/web/web.en.html">Contribute to the Web team</a></p> <p><a href="/contribute/translators/translators.en.html">Translate this page?</a></p> <p></p> <p><a href="/about/js-licences.en.html" data-jslicense="1">JavaScript Licences</a></p> </div> </div></footer><script src="/scripts/bootstrap-3.0.3.custom.js"></script> </body> </html>

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About the Free Software Foundation Europe - FSFE