European Data Act Compliance Checklist: 10 Key Steps

WHAT IS THE DATA ACT?

The Data Act is a comprehensive regulatory framework established by the European Union to govern the sharing, access, and use of data, both personal and non-personal, within the digital economy. It aims to facilitate data-sharing among businesses, public sector bodies, and research organizations while ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance with data protection regulations such as the GDPR. The Data Act introduces rules and guidelines for business-to-business data-sharing, interoperability, enforcement mechanisms, and protection against unlawful access by third-country governments.

WHEN WILL THE DATA ACT COME INTO EFFECT?

The Data Act is set to become applicable on 12 September 2025. This date marks the beginning of the enforcement and implementation of the regulatory provisions outlined in the Data Act. From this point onwards, businesses, public sector bodies, and other relevant stakeholders must ensure their data-sharing practices, contractual agreements, and operational procedures align with the requirements and obligations specified in the Data Act to maintain compliance.

WHO DOES THE DATA ACT APPLY TO?

The Data Act applies to data originating from a connected product or a related service. It obliges data holders to provide data to users and data recipients. Therefore, a wide range of stakeholders will be involved in data-sharing activities within the European Union. This includes businesses of all sizes, public sector bodies, research organizations, data processing service providers, and other entities engaged in generating, collecting, processing, or accessing data. Data holders, which comprise entities responsible for generating, collecting, or possessing data within their operational purview, have the responsibility of upholding compliance with the Data Act’s directives concerning data-sharing, access, and safeguarding. The regulatory obligations outlined in the Data Act are designed to promote fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory data-sharing practices while safeguarding privacy, intellectual property rights, and national security interests.

WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION?

Read more about the European Data Act in our Blog Article and register for the Free Webinar to learn how to implement compliant data platforms.

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