Negotiation breakthrough on game-changing data law

Led by EPP Group MEP Pilar Del Castillo, negotiators from the European Parliament and Member States just agreed on the EU's Data Act in so-called ‘trilogue’ negotiations. The new rules concern connected machines and appliances which collect enormous amounts of data, such as industrial robots, aircraft turbines or even washing machines. They will provide much-needed legal certainty on who owns this data that currently is mostly unused. Until now, harmonised rules on how this data is accessed and used have been lacking. The EU Data Act aims to close this legal gap.

Pilar del Castillo, Rapporteur of the European Parliament, said: "Sovereignty is very much about our capacity to compete and innovate, and the Data Act is precisely about that, it’s about innovation and competitiveness. As always, the EPP Group has shown leadership on the important legislation for Europe's industry and competitiveness. The Data Act will be instrumental to optimise existing business models and processes, boost the development of new ones and create new value."

"The Data Act is a game-changer. The availability of data regarding the functioning of industrial equipment will allow factories, farms or construction companies to optimise operational cycles, production lines and supply chain management. The Data Act will create a new data-agile ecosystem that enables easy access to an almost infinite amount of high-quality data", Pilar del Castillo concluded.

Tonight's agreement will have to be confirmed by Member States and the European Parliament this autumn.