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Deutsch: Slowakei: Verpflichtende Web-Lösung funktioniert nur mit Software ein...

In Slovakia, a law introduced to reduce red tape has led to injustice. The state has mandated electronic means as the only way of fulfilling certain statutory obligations. However the dedicated web solution excludes some citizens from its use as it is not interoperable and runs only on the software from one vendor. In the absence of any non-electronic option, this means that, in fact, the state prescribed the use of a certain product from a certain vendor. Who did not own the copy, had to buy one. A Slovak textile importer has deemed that the state should not force him to use a particular software programme for his business and fulfilled its legal obligation on hard copy. Now the company faces 5600 Euro fines.

The Slovak tax administration has already imposed 12 fines on EURA Slovakia, s.r.o. which submitted its monthly tax returns on hard copy, because the use of electronic forms was impossible as the state's web application worked only on Microsoft's Windows operating system together with Microsoft Internet Explorer. All other competing operating systems such as Apple, GNU/Linux, BSDs failed to run the state's application.

The Slovak tax administration has, therefore, precluded citizens who use competing products from fulfilling their obligations towards the state. "This situation is absurd. If another public body decides to use an Apple-only solution for its public services, should then everybody buy Apple's products just to fulfil this legal obligation? How many different products should citizens and companies have to buy just to comply with all the different laws?" asks Martin Husovec, member of the FSFE Legal, who now assists the Slovak company in appealing the fines before the court.

State neglected web standards, company now faces EUR 5600 in fines (9.05.2012)
http://fsfe.org/news/2012/news-20120509-01.en.html

Executive summary of the EURA case (9.05.2012)
http://fsfe.org/news/2012/news-20120509-02.en.html

(Thanks to Free Software Foundation Europe)