The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have agreed on legislation that will regulate how data generated by connected objects can be accessed and shared. However, the informal agreement still needs to be endorsed by the Parliament and Council to become law.
The Act establishes rules governing the sharing of data generated through the use of connected products or related services, such as the Internet of Things and industrial machinery, allowing users to access the data they generate. The Act aims to make after-sales services and repairs of connected devices cheaper and is designed to contribute to the development of new services, particularly in artificial intelligence.
CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on the Data Act, but said the final agreement has yet to be reviewed in detail to assess the latest changes. “Overall, CLEPA expects this horizontal legislation will be an important first step towards improving the situation by ensuring that third parties can provide innovative services to the end user,” said CLEPA. Moreover, the association welcomes that this legislative text puts the consumer at the centre and imposes obligations on data holders.
“Nevertheless, the Data Act alone will be insufficient to fully address the complexities of the deployment of data-based services in the automotive sector. Therefore, we strongly advocate for the swift publication of the proposal for a complementing sector-specific regulation, which is currently being drafted by the European Commission and has been publicly confirmed.”
CLEPA is calling on the Commission to publish its sector-specific legislation proposal by the end of the European summer.
“A prompt publication of the sector-specific proposal on access to in-vehicle data, functions, and resources by the Commission will contribute to improving competition, boosting innovation capabilities of thousands of automotive supply companies, and will protect consumer rights and choice,” said CLEPA Secretary General Benjamin Krieger.
“The technical work and discussions behind this legislation have been going on for years. It is now time for the proposal to be finalised and published.”