The EU’s data strategy

New Regulations and Directives are proposed and adopted in the EU with some regularity. Think of the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG) and the Data Governance Regulation (DGV). So how do these regulations fit together? On 19 February 2020, the EU adopted an ‘EU data strategy’ for the next five years. The various rules are an elaboration of this. Given the speed at which not only technology but also geopolitical relations are changing, this data strategy is expected to be updated. In this article, you will read more about the EU data strategy.

Purpose of data strategy

The data strategy aims to put people first when developing technology. In addition, this data strategy was established to defend and promote European values and rights in the digital world.

Data is an essential resource for economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, job creation and social progress in general. In the future, the development of data-driven applications will bring several benefits to both citizens and businesses:

• Improved healthcare
• Create safer and cleaner transport systems
• Generate new products and services
• Reduce the cost of public services
• Improved sustainability and energy efficiency

The European data strategy aims to create a single market for data that will ensure Europe’s global competitiveness and data sovereignty. This will lead to the creation of common European data spaces. They will ensure that more data is made available for use in the economy and society, while companies and individuals generating the data remain in control.

Legislation introduced

Several pieces of legislation have been introduced to protect the rights and interests of citizens while promoting industrial and technological development. They play a crucial role in laying the foundation for achieving the objectives of the European data strategy:

• The Data Governance Act (DGA) is a comprehensive instrument designed to oversee the re-use of public or protected data in various sectors. It aims to facilitate data sharing by regulating new entities known as data intermediaries and promoting altruistic data sharing. The DGA covers both personal and non-personal data, with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applying when personal data is involved. The inclusion of built-in safeguards, in addition to the AVG, is intended to build trust in data sharing and reuse. This building of trust is crucial for increasing the availability of data in the market.
• The Data Act came into force on 11 January 2024 and will be effective on 12 September 2025. It is a pillar of the European data strategy. Its main goal is to make Europe a leader in the data economy by harnessing the potential of the ever-increasing amount of industrial data, for the benefit of the European economy and society.
• The Data Services Act came into force on 25 August 2023 for large online platforms and on 24 February 2024 for other online platforms. Its aim is to ensure a safe, predictable and secure online environment, which tackles the distribution of illegal online content and the societal risks that the dissemination of disinformation or other content may pose, effectively protects fundamental rights and facilitates innovation.
• The Digital Markets Act of 14 September 2022 with phased entry into force by the end of 6 March 2024. Some major online platforms act as gatekeepers to digital markets. The Digital Markets Act aims to ensure that these platforms behave fairly online. Together with the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act is one of the cornerstones of Europe’s digital strategy.

The AI Act, is a Regulation on the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a latest draft version of which was published on 24 January 2024.

The list of legislation is not yet complete and will be added to by the EU meteorologically.

Questions?

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