BRUSSELS – November 16, 2020 – In a joint industry statement published today, BSA | The Software Alliance led an international, cross-sector group of business associations—including the European Services Forum, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, and the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association—urging EU policymakers to create a supportive environment for data governance and data-sharing mechanisms to enhance and drive the success of common European Data Spaces.

In the letter, industry groups representing hundreds of European and international companies of all sizes highlight the important role the European Commission can play in fostering the development, availability, and adoption of state-of-the-art tools and best practices that make it easier and less expensive to share data in ways that are consistent with rigorous privacy expectations.

Signatories call on the EU to continue to lead by example by strengthening Europe’s commitment to enabling the free flow of data and to continue resisting attempts to introduce data localization measures or requirements. The group says that “a European approach to the sharing, storing, and processing of data must continue to be shaped according to Europe’s values and based on the principle of openness.”

The letter emphasizes that empowering all market participants to contribute to and benefit from the foreseen data spaces will help unlock the economic value of data across all European sectors by encouraging the uptake of innovative technologies—including AI tools and data analytics—and will bring significant benefits to European businesses, the public sector, and society more broadly.

The full text is available here.