Proposal for a Regulation on harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data (Data Act)

Summary:

Legislative initiative tabled by the European Commission on 23 February 2022, introducing new rules on who can use and access data generated in the European Union (EU) across all economic sectors.

Further information:

Regulating data access and use is deemed a fundamental prerequisite for seizing the opportunities presented by the digital age. In February 2020, the European Commission adopted its European Strategy for Data, and this draft law is the second deliverable following the proposed Data Governance Act, which it also complements.

The proposed Data Act is seen as a key pillar of the strategy. It aims to contribute to the creation of a cross-sectoral governance framework for data access and use by legislating on matters that affect relations between data economy actors, in order to provide incentives for horizontal data sharing across sectors. The draft law aims at ensuring fairness in the allocation of value from data among actors in the data economy and fostering access to and use of data.

The proposed Regulation was tabled by the European Commission on 23 February 2022.

• Primary Source

Commentary and Analysis

Euronews: Next, 23/02/2022: All you need to know about the European Union’s new Data Act and how it will affect Big Tech https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/02/23/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-european-union-s-new-data-act-and-how-it-will-affect-big-te

IAPP: News, 23/02/2022: Data Act: The EU makes its next move for industrial data https://iapp.org/news/a/data-act-the-eu-makes-its-next-move-for-industrial-data/

Digital Europe: Press Release, 23/02/2022: Data Act: Right ambition to unlock data potential, but obligations would hold back Europe’s data-driven recovery https://www.digitaleurope.org/news/data-act-right-ambition-to-unlock-data-potential-but-obligations-would-hold-back-europes-data-driven-recovery/

CMS Law-Now: eAlerts, 24/02/2022: Proposal for EU Data Act adopted – Commission Aims at Boosting Europe’s Data Economy with new legal rules for data access and sharing https://www.cms-lawnow.com/ealerts/2022/02/proposal-for-eu-data-act-adopted

Hunton Andrews Kurth: Privacy & Information Security Law Blog, 24/02/2022: European Commission Publishes Draft Data Act https://www.huntonprivacyblog.com/2022/02/24/european-commission-publishes-draft-data-act/

DR2 Consultants: Blog, 24/02/2022: European Data Act: a harmonized framework for accessing and sharing data https://dr2consultants.eu/european-data-act/

Competition Policy International: In the News, 24/02/2022: EC Proposes “EU Data Act”, Forcing Manufacturers To Share Data https://www.competitionpolicyinternational.com/ec-proposes-eu-data-act-forcing-manufacturers-to-share-data/

The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities: News, 28/02/2022: The Guild sets recommendations for the Data Act proposal https://www.the-guild.eu/news/2022/the-guild-sets-recommendations-for-the-data-act-pr.html

Covington: Inside Privacy, 28/02/2022: European Commission Publishes Draft Data Act https://www.insideprivacy.com/european-union-2/13667/

Norton Rose Fullbright: Publications, March 2022: The EU’s Data Act: Capstone of the EU Data Strategy https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/knowledge/publications/62517353/the-eus-data-act-capstone-of-the-eu-data-strategy

Confederation of Swedish Enterprise: Article, 01/03/2022: The Data Act - with new rules for all sectors as regard the rights to use data https://www.svensktnaringsliv.se/english/the-data-act-with-new-rules-for-all-sectors-as-regard-the-rights_1182179.html

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS): In Brief, 02/03/2022: The Data Act: six impossible things before breakfast? https://www.ceps.eu/the-data-act-six-impossible-things-before-breakfast/

Lawfare Blog, 04/03/2022: Cultivating Europe’s Data Garden https://www.lawfareblog.com/cultivating-europes-data-garden

Wolters Kluwer: Copyright Blog, 04/03/2022: A vanishing right? The Sui Generis Database Right and the proposed Data Act http://copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2022/03/04/a-vanishing-right-the-sui-generis-database-right-and-the-proposed-data-act/

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS): Policy Insights, 04/03/2022: The EU Data Act. Towards a new European data revolution? https://www.ceps.eu/ceps-publications/the-eu-data-act/

Pinsent Masons: OUT-LAW News, 09/03/2022: EU Data Act: new rules for data exchanges between businesses, users and third parties https://www.pinsentmasons.com/out-law/news/eu-data-act-new-rules-for-data-exchanges

Eversheds Sutherland: Article, 10/03/2022: The new EU Data Act: European Commission proposes measures for a fair and innovative data economy https://www.eversheds-sutherland.com/global/en/what/articles/index.page?ArticleID=en/Financial_services/data-act-shaping-europe-digital-future

Linklaters: Blog, 16/03/2022: EU: The “Data Act” – New rules on IoT data and switching cloud services https://www.linklaters.com/de-lu/insights/blogs/digilinks/2022/march/eu---the-data-act---new-rules-on-iot-data-and-switching-cloud-services

Spanish Government: Blog, 24/03/2022: Data Act, a new initiative in the framework of the European Data Strategy https://datos.gob.es/en/blog/data-act-new-initiative-framework-european-data-strategy

KU Leuven: CiTiP Blog, 03/05/2022: Data Act Message – Legitimacy of the Data Processing and Consistency of Data Protection https://www.law.kuleuven.be/citip/blog/data-act-message-legitimacy-of-the-data-processing-and-consistency-of-data-protection/

European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA): Publications, 16/05/2022: Position paper – Proposal for a Data Act https://www.acea.auto/publication/position-paper-proposal-for-a-data-act/

European Law Blog, 14/06/2022: The Data Act or the final piece to create a comprehensive legal framework for international transfers of data https://europeanlawblog.eu/2022/06/14/the-data-act-or-the-final-piece-to-create-a-comprehensive-legal-framework-for-international-transfers-of-data/

Wolters Kluwer: Copyright Blog, 29/06/2022: A Closer Insight into Copyright related Issues in the Position Statement of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition on the Commission’s Proposal for a Data Act https://copyrightblog.kluweriplaw.com/2022/06/29/a-closer-insight-into-copyright-related-issues-in-the-position-statement-of-the-max-planck-institute-for-innovation-and-competition-on-the-commissions-proposal-for-a-data-act/

French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL), 13/07/2022: European strategy for data: the CNIL and its counterparts comment on the Data Governance Act and the Data Act https://www.cnil.fr/en/european-strategy-data-cnil-and-its-counterparts-comment-data-governance-act-and-data-act

EPRS: Briefing, July 2022: Data act - Initial Appraisal of a European Commission Impact Assessment https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)730351

EPRS: Briefing, October 2022: The Data act https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2022)733681

Ernst&Young (EY): Digital Law, 08/11/2022: The Data Act: new EU rules for data sharing https://www.ey.com/en_es/law/the-data-act-new-eu-rules-for-data-sharing

International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): News, 09/12/2022: Latest compromise text of EU Data Act addresses 'outstanding issues' https://iapp.org/news/a/latest-compromise-text-of-eu-data-act-still-leaves-outstanding-issues-to-be-resolved/

Bruegel: Blog, 14/12/2022: How to fix the European Union’s proposed Data Act https://www.bruegel.org/blog-post/how-fix-european-unions-proposed-data-act

DigitalEurope: Statement, 01/02/2023: Joint Statement: The Data Act is a leap into the unknown https://www.digitaleurope.org/news/joint-statement-the-data-act-is-a-leap-into-the-unknown/

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News

Politico, 23/02/2022: EU unveils industrial data rulebook https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-unveil-industrial-data-act-rulebook/

TechCrunch, 23/02/2022: Europe proposes rules for fair access to connected device data https://techcrunch.com/2022/02/23/eu-data-act/

The Wall Street Journal, 23/02/2022: Tech Giants to Be Forced to Share More Data Under EU Proposal https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-giants-to-be-forced-to-share-more-data-under-eu-proposal-11645618258

EurActiv, 23/02/2022: European Commission pitches data sharing obligations in Data Act proposal https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/european-commission-pitches-data-sharing-obligations-in-data-act-proposal/

Bloomberg, 23/02/2022: EU Unveils Rules to Force Firms to Share Product Usage Data https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-23/eu-unveils-rules-to-force-firms-to-hand-over-product-usage-data

Reuters, 23/02/2022: EU rules take aim at illegal data transfer to non-EU governments https://www.reuters.com/technology/eu-rules-take-aim-illegal-data-transfer-non-eu-governments-2022-02-23/

RTÉ News, 23/02/2022: EU rules take aim at illegal data transfer to non-EU governments https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2022/0223/1282523-eu-rules-on-data-transfers/

EurActiv, 04/05/2022: EU Commission explains Data Act’s legal implications to member states https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/eu-commission-explains-data-acts-legal-implications-to-member-states/

EurActiv, 10/11/2022: How MEPs want to reshape the Data Act https://www.euractiv.com/section/data-protection/news/how-meps-want-to-reshape-the-data-act/

EurActiv, 09/12/2022: EU Council set to revise cloud-related provisions in new data law https://www.euractiv.com/section/digital/news/eu-council-set-to-revise-cloud-related-provisions-in-new-data-law/

EurActiv, 31/01/2023: European Parliament readies position on the Data Act https://www.euractiv.com/section/data-privacy/news/european-parliament-readies-position-on-the-data-act/

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Official

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)34: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:34:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)35: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:35:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on Data Act (2022/0047(COD)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2022/0047(COD)

European Parliament: Legislative Train Schedule: Data Act https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-europe-fit-for-the-digital-age/file-data-act

European Commission: Priorities 2019-2024: European data strategy https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-data-strategy_en

European Commission: Shaping Europe's Digital Future: Library: Data Act: Proposal for a Regulation on harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/data-act-proposal-regulation-harmonised-rules-fair-access-and-use-data

European Commission: Press Release, 23/02/2022: Data Act: Commission proposes measures for a fair and innovative data economy https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1113

European Commission: Data Act – Questions and Answers (23 February 2022) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_1114

European Commission: Speech by Executive Vice-President Vestager on the Data Act (23 February 2022) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_22_1312

EU EDPB: News, 05/05/2022: The EU’s Data Act: data protection must prevail to empower data subjects https://edpb.europa.eu/news/news/2022/eus-data-act-data-protection-must-prevail-empower-data-subjects_en

European Parliament: Press Release, 09/02/2023: Data Act: MEPs back new rules for fair access and use of industrial data https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230206IPR72113/

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