The Data Governance Act (DGA), agreed with the Council in November 2021, aims to increase trust in data sharing, create new EU rules on the neutrality of data marketplaces, and facilitate the reuse of certain data held by the public sector. It will set up common European data spaces in strategic domains such as health, the environment, energy, agriculture, mobility, finance, manufacturing, public administration, and skills.

Under the revised text, trusted data-sharing services will be more visible and use a common European logo certifying their compliance with the DGA. This was to increase trust in data sharing.

Public sector bodies will also have to avoid creating exclusive rights for the re-use of certain data, and exclusive agreements are now limited to a period of 12 months for new contracts, and two and a half years for existing ones, to make more data available to SMEs and start-ups.

The text was approved by Parliament with 501 votes to 12, with 40 abstentions. It will now have to be formally adopted by Council before it is published in the Official Journal and enters into force. To read the European Parliament’s press release in full and for a link to the adopted text, click here.