diff --git a/python/obitools3/uri/decode.pyx b/python/obitools3/uri/decode.pyx
index be62b88..bc20c39 100644
--- a/python/obitools3/uri/decode.pyx
+++ b/python/obitools3/uri/decode.pyx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from obitools3.parsers.fasta import fastaNucIterator
 from obitools3.parsers.fastq import fastqIterator
 from obitools3.parsers.tab import tabIterator
 from obitools3.parsers.ngsfilter import ngsfilterIterator
+from obitools3.parsers.embl import emblIterator
 from obitools3.parsers.universal import entryIteratorFactory
 
 from obitools3.dms.obiseq import Nuc_Seq
@@ -66,18 +67,20 @@ def open_dms_element(DMS dms, bytes path,
     if not path:
         return (dms,dms)
     
-    # TODO SHOULD READ AND RETURN PREFIX TO NEW TAXO WITHOUT CREATING ANYTHING
     # The URI targets a taxonomy
     # dms:dmspath/taxonomy/taxoname[/taxid]
     if path_parts[0]==b"taxonomy":
         if len(path_parts) > 1:
-            taxo = Taxonomy.open(dms,path_parts[1])
-            if len(path_parts) == 3:
-                taxon=taxo[int(path_parts[2])]
-                return (dms,taxon)
-            elif len(path_parts) > 3:
-                raise MalformedURIException('Malformed Taxonomy URI')
-            return (dms,taxo)
+            if Taxonomy.exists(dms, path_parts[1]):
+                taxo = Taxonomy.open(dms, path_parts[1])
+                if len(path_parts) == 3:
+                    taxon=taxo[int(path_parts[2])]
+                    return (dms, taxon)
+                elif len(path_parts) > 3:
+                    raise MalformedURIException('Malformed Taxonomy URI')
+            else:
+                return (dms, path_parts[1])   # return prefix for creation eventually
+            return (dms, taxo)
 
     # The URI targets a view
     # dms:dmspath/viewname[/columnname|#line|*[/#line|columnname|*[/subcolumn]]]
@@ -165,7 +168,7 @@ def open_uri(uri,
         create=not input
         
     scheme = urip.scheme
-
+    
     error = None
     
     if scheme==b"" or scheme==b"dms" :
@@ -199,18 +202,19 @@ def open_uri(uri,
                 error=e
                 
     if scheme==b"dms" :
-        logger('error','cannot open DMS: %s', uri)
+        logger('Error','cannot open DMS: %s', uri)
         raise FileNotFoundError('uri')
            
-    if not urip.scheme:
-        urib=b"file:"+urib
+    #if not urip.scheme:      # TODO not sure what it was supposed to do but not working as intended
+    #    urib=b"file:"+urib
     
     try:
-        file = uopen(tostr(urib))
-        logger('info','Opened file : %s', tostr(urib))
-    except Exception as e:
-        file = None
-        error=e 
+        file = uopen(urib)
+        logger('info','Opened file: %s', tostr(urib))
+    except Exception as e:  # TODO discuss: if can't open file, return the character string itself
+        file = urib
+        iseq = urib
+        objclass = bytes
         
     if file is not None:
         qualifiers=parse_qs(urip.query)
@@ -384,6 +388,10 @@ def open_uri(uri,
                                          only=only,
                                          offset=offset,
                                          noquality=noquality)
+                elif format==b"embl":
+                    iseq = emblIterator(file, 
+                                        skip=skip, 
+                                        only=only)
                 else:
                     raise NotImplementedError('Sequence file format not implemented')
             elif seqtype==b"prot":
@@ -410,25 +418,22 @@ def open_uri(uri,
                                          skip = skip,
                                          only = only)
         else:
-            iseq,objclass = entryIteratorFactory(file,
-                                          skip, only,
-                                          seqtype,
-                                          offset,
-                                          noquality,
-                                          skiperror,
-                                          header,
-                                          sep,
-                                          dec,
-                                          nastring,
-                                          stripwhite,
-                                          blanklineskip,
-                                          commentchar)
+            iseq, objclass = entryIteratorFactory(file,
+                                                  skip, only,
+                                                  seqtype,
+                                                  offset,
+                                                  noquality,
+                                                  skiperror,
+                                                  header,
+                                                  sep,
+                                                  dec,
+                                                  nastring,
+                                                  stripwhite,
+                                                  blanklineskip,
+                                                  commentchar)
         
         #tmpdms = get_temp_dms()
         
         return (file, iseq, objclass, urib)
 
 
-
-
-