Proposal for a Regulation on European data governance (Data Governance Act)

Summary:

Legislative initiative tabled by the European Commission on 25 November 2020, aimed at facilitating data sharing across the European Union (EU) and between sectors.

Further information:

The proposed instrument aims to foster the availability of data for use by increasing trust in data intermediaries and by strengthening data-sharing mechanisms across the EU. The aims to address the following situations:

• Making public sector data available for re-use, in situations where such data is subject to rights of others;
• Sharing of data among businesses, against remuneration in any form;
• Allowing personal data to be used with the help of a personal data-sharing intermediary, designed to help individuals exercise their rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR);
• Allowing data use on altruistic grounds.

This is the first of a set of measures announced in the 2020 European Strategy for Data. It intends to offer an alternative European model to data handling practice of major tech platforms. The approach proposes a model based on the neutrality and transparency of data intermediaries.

• Primary Source

• Alternative Source 1

Official

EUR-Lex: SWD(2020)295: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2020:295:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2020)296: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2020:296:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 25/11/2020: Commission proposes measures to boost data sharing and support European data spaces https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2102

European Commission: Regulation on data governance – Questions and Answers (25 November 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_2103

European Commission: Speech by Executive Vice-President Vestager at the Press Conference on the Data Governance Act and the Action Plan on Intellectual Property (25 November 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_20_2210

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