Case Study: European Commission achieves greater transparency and faster access to Cohesion Policy data with Socrata

European Union: Citizens Should See How Their Money Is Being Spent

Socrata partnered with the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) to make EU Cohesion Policy funding and results transparent across 274 diverse regions. DG REGIO faced fragmented, multilingual data scattered in internal systems and reports, making it hard for citizens, journalists and program managers to see how billions in Cohesion funds were spent and to measure program performance.

Using Socrata’s open data platform, DG REGIO launched a consolidated, searchable portal in months that turned complex datasets into interactive maps and visualizations. The portal cut data‑request time from days to minutes, attracted over 1 million views in its first year, increased transparency and stakeholder engagement, and provided a foundation for improved accountability and expanded analytics for future funding periods.

European Commission

Tony Lockett

Deputy Head of Communications Unit