Study: Identification of data themes for the extensions of public sector High-Value Datasets

The recently published study ‘Identification of data themes for the extensions of public sector High-Value Datasets’, written by the Directorate‑General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT) of the European Commission, identified seven data themes that could be potentially added to the existing High value datasets (HVDs)  list. High value datasets (HVDs) correspond to public sector information that, if made available in open and reusable format, would generate considerable benefits for the economy, society and the environment.  

Implementing Regulation 2023/138, set up under the Open Data Directive, introduced a list of HVDs across six data themes that public sector bodies must make available. If this list would be made available in a format that is easily accessible and can be reused, it has the potential to yield significant advantages for the economy, society, and the environment. Furthermore, looking at the relationship between open data and HVDs, open data initiatives can facilitate transparent access to a plethora of highly valued datasets, fostering innovation and societal advancements across various sectors. 

The first part of the report focused on the identification of new data themes which could be added to the existing list of high value datasets (HVDs) corresponding to public sector information. After initially listing and progressively refining, the final list of potential additional HVD themes was composed, including climate loss, government and public sector, health, justice and legal, language, energy and financial. The second part of the report provides a high-level prediction of the impact of the new HVD themes on SMEs (Small and medium-sized enterprises) and large digital platforms. The impact of making open data available across selected themes was estimated by considering current open data maturity levels in Europe against desired levels corresponding to different policy options.  

The report concludes that opening several types of data offers similar benefit-cost ratios across the new data themes, with 'Financial' and 'Government and public administration' data having the highest ratio. To maximize this ratio, the report recommends choosing one policy option for each data category, making sure not to duplicate existing High-Value Datasets (HVDs). 

Interested in reading the entire report? Please find it here. Want to know more about HVDs? Read more about these datasets in our series of data stories showcasing examples of high-value datasets from different thematic categories.  

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