European strategy for data: what Parliament wants

Find out how MEPs are shaping the EU's rules for non-personal data sharing to boost innovation and the economy while protecting privacy.

Global network and data exchange over Europe
©AdobeStock/Sdecoret

Data is at the heart of the EU's digital transformation that is influencing all aspects of society and the economy. It is necessary for the development of artificial intelligence, which is one of the EU's priorities, and presents significant opportunities for innovation and growth, for example in health and green technologies.

Responding to the European Commission's European Strategy for Data, the Parliament called for legislation focussed on people based on European values of privacy and transparency that will enable Europeans and EU-based companies to benefit from the potential of industrial and public data in a report adopted on 25 March 2021.

The benefits of an EU data economy


In Parliament's view, there is a need for efficient data legislation that will support research and innovation. Large quantities of quality data, notably non-personal - industrial, public, and commercial - already exist in the EU and their full potential is yet to be explored. In the coming years, much more data will be generated.

Data legislation should help tap into this potential and make data available to European companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and researchers.

Enabling data flow between sectors and countries will help European businesses of all sizes to innovate and thrive in Europe and beyond and help establish the EU as a leader in the data economy.

Europe's global competitors, such as the US and China, are innovating quickly and applying their ways of data access and use. To become a leader in the data economy, the EU should find a European way to unleash potential and set standards.

Rules to protect privacy, transparency and fundamental rights


Parliament insists that rules should be based on privacy, transparency and respect for fundamental rights. The free sharing of data must be limited to non-personal data or irreversibly anonymised data. Individuals must be in full control of their data and be protected by EU data protection rules, notably the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Parliament's report urged the Commission and EU countries to work with other countries on global standards to promote EU values and principles and ensure the Union’s market remains competitive.

European data spaces and big data infrastructure


Calling for the free flow of data to be the guiding principle, MEPs encouraged the Commission and EU countries to create sectoral data spaces that will enable the sharing of data while following common guidelines, legal requirements and protocols.

As the success of the data strategy depends largely on information and communication technology infrastructure, MEPs called for accelerating technological developments in the EU, such as cybersecurity technology, optical fibres, 5G and 6G, and welcomed proposals to advance Europe's role in supercomputing and quantum computing. They warned that the digital divide between regions should be tackled to ensure equal possibilities.

Environmental footprint of big data


While data has the potential to support green technologies and the EU's goal to become climate neutral by 2050, the digital sector is responsible for more than 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As it grows, it must focus on lowering its carbon footprint and reducing e-waste, MEPs said.

EU data sharing legislation


The Commission presented a European strategy for data in February 2020. The strategy and a policy document on artificial intelligence were the first pillars of the Commission's digital strategy.

To boost data sharing in the EU, Parliament and the Council adopted the Data Governance Act in 2022 as part of the strategy for data. It aims to increase data availability and strengthen trust in data sharing and in intermediaries. The act applies since September 2023.

Building on that, Parliament and the EU member states adopted the Data Act to make it easier for businesses to access large amounts of high-quality industrial data.

The Data Act entered into force in January 2024 and will become applicable on 12 September 2025, to give the industry time to adjust.