The European Data Act: Unlocking the power of data for all
As of January 2024, the European Data Act
[https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/data-act] has
officially entered into force, marking a major milestone in Europe’s
digital transformation. As part of the broader European strategy for
data
[https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/strategy-data], the
Act aims to democratise access to data, as well as foster innovation
and create a fairer digital economy across Europe. As of September
2025, the full application of the Act is in place, meaning
stakeholders can now work on compliance and integration into their
systems. 

The European Data Act
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2854/oj/eng] gives individuals
and businesses the right to access data which they help generate
through connected devices and services. This includes everything from
smart appliances, industrial machines, and agricultural equipment. By
giving users control over their data, the Act fosters innovation,
competition, and new service models such as data-driven insurance. The
Act introduces a wide range of measures to ensure fair contract terms,
public sector access, and cloud service portability.  

The Data Act complements the Open Data Directive
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1024/oj/eng] and the Data
Governance Act [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/868/oj/eng],
forming a unified framework for enabling data sharing across Europe.
While the Open Data Directive focuses on making public sector
information freely available, often through platforms like
the European Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en], the Data Act
expands this vision by enabling access to private sector data,
including data generated by connected devices and services.  

Together, these laws aim to build a single European market for data,
where transparency, interoperability, and trust are central.
Read more about the European Data Act and understand what influence it
has on the EU since implementation! 

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Publication Date/Time
2025-09-22T08:00:00+00:00
A new legal framework giving users control over their data and
enabling fair access, innovation, and competition across Europe