Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, proudly namechecked CKAN in a
[video address]
[video]
to an Open Source Conference in Amsterdam last week. She referred to the Open Data Portal being developed for the European Commission, she said:
[video]
http://youtu.be/cuCS7QU_Rgk
We are building a portal for open data – so citizens can get a wealth of Commission data in one place, easy to find, easy to search, and easy to use and re-use. [...] Not only that, but our portal will be based entirely on open source solutions. It uses the CKAN system, built in Europe, that many other governments are also using: including the UK and Australia, and now under consideration by the US and Canada.
As Kroes mentions, the US and Canada have been considering CKAN for some time. Excitingly, both have decided in its favour, and have CKAN data portals due to launch in the spring.
A recap of CKAN Monthly Live #39 covering POSE Phase II updates, the two upcoming storytelling workshops, a preview of the CKAN Ecosystem Catalog, and how the community can plug into CKAN@20 anniversary activities in 2026.
CKAN's new interface brings WCAG 2.2 AAA-compliant accessibility, mobile-responsive design, HTMX-powered performance improvements, and a modern design system to the world's leading open data platform. The revamp eliminates technical barriers for smaller organizations while maintaining CKAN's extensive feature set. The update is now in the master branch, with release targeted for 2026 and full integration in CKAN 3.0.