The EU data economy was estimated at €272 billion in 2015 and could employ up to 7.4 million people by 2020.
To help the EU benefit from its data the Commission is proposing to remove some restrictions to the free movement of data across borders and to address some legal uncertainties. The Commission hopes to explore and clarify the laws around:
- Data access and transfer
- Liability related to data-based products and services.
- Data portability
The commission is also calling for Member States to get involved in cross-border projects to explore emerging data issues in real life situations.
You can read more about the announcement and Europe’s data initiatives here.