Germany has mandated the Open Document Format (ODF) as the standard for public administration documents within its new sovereign digital infrastructure framework, the Deutschland-Stack.
Published by the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernisation, the framework sets technical standards for a unified, interoperable digital environment across all government levels. It explicitly requires ODF and PDF/UA as document formats, excluding proprietary alternatives from official use.
Just for reference, ODF is an open, ISO-standardized file format widely used by office suites such as LibreOffice. Mandating ODF at the federal level ensures consistent document handling, system compatibility, and long-term accessibility of official records across public institutions.
The Deutschland-Stack supports a broader strategy to build sovereign digital infrastructure using open standards, open interfaces, and reduced reliance on single vendors. The framework also prioritizes local data storage and open source development to limit vendor lock-in in government IT systems.
Florian Effenberger, Executive Director of The Document Foundation, says:
“Germany’s decision to anchor ODF at the heart of its national sovereign stack confirms what we have argued for years: open, vendor-neutral document formats are not a niche concern for some technology specialists and FOSS advocates. They are a fundamental infrastructure for democratic, interoperable and sovereign public administrations.”
Germany’s move aligns with broader European efforts to promote digital sovereignty and interoperability, including the European Interoperability Framework and the Cyber Resilience Act. These policies emphasize the importance of open standards in ensuring secure, transparent, and future-proof digital services.
The Deutschland-Stack is based on decisions from various federal and state bodies and will guide the development of shared digital infrastructure through 2028. As implementation advances, the mandate will shape procurement, software selection, and document workflows across Germany’s public sector.
More information about the framework is available from the official Deutschland-Stack publication (in German). Also, you can check out The Document Foundation’s announcement.
