The EC draft Data Governance Act – an altruistic approach to data

Debbie Heywood looks at the EC's proposals to facilitate public-sector data sharing and data altruism.

Author

Debbie Heywood

Senior Counsel – Knowledge

London

The European Commission published its European Strategy for Data in February 2020 as part of a package of proposals on the EU's digital future to create a "Europe fit for the Digital Age".

Behind the European Data Strategy is a desire not merely to harness the power of data, but to use it ethically and for maximum benefit to individuals (as discussed here).

What is the Data Governance Act?

The first related legislative proposal published by the EC in November 2020, is the draft Data Governance Act (in the form of a Regulation). It establishes:

Conditions for the reuse of certain categories of protected data held by public sector bodies.
A framework for the creation and supervision of independent data sharing intermediaries.
A framework for registration and supervision of "data altruism" organisations which collect and process data for altruistic (non-profit) purposes.
The creation of a European Data Innovation Board – an expert group to help create harmonised standards and practices.

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