The publication of open data promotes the transparent functioning of local governments and the state as a whole. Using open data to develop services saves time and money.

Open data is for everyone to use, reuse and share, and it can be used to launch commercial and non-profit ventures, conduct research and make data-driven decisions. Open data databases are available at avaandmed.eesti.ee.
The Estonian Open Data Portal was established with the purpose of publishing and transmitting public information. The Estonian Open Data Portal serves as a centralised platform where open data reusers can access all open data generated in Estonia. To ensure that open data reusers have this opportunity, each institution must contribute to the publication of data. 

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In general, if the law does not provide for a fee for obtaining data, open data can be obtained free of charge and without any access restrictions. The creators and publishers of open data are primarily public sector institutions, although they can also include companies, research institutions and other organisations that collect and generate data that may be of public interest.