Statement to the European Commission on the European Strategy for Data

CSC supports the data strategy and its objectives. Developing data economy is crucial for Europe's competitiveness and contributes significantly to all the strategic priorities of the European Commission, including the Green Deal.

Sufficient funding for digital priorities must be secured in the EU budget. The funding levels of Horizon Europe, Digital Europe programme, CEF2 Digital and Erasmus+ should be as close to the Commission’s original May 2018 MFF proposal as possible.

In building data infrastructures, existing infrastructures and work must be leveraged, to ensure interoperability and continuity. High-performance computing, data management, AI and connectivity networks must be developed in convergence to create synergetic ecosystems.

Sustainable business models for data infrastructures must be developed, to ensure their continuation after the initial funding phase.

Data policies such as FAIR principles must be promoted, and data movement across borders and sectors must be enabled. The European Interoperability Framework must be applied when developing data spaces. Special attention must be given to better usage of health data. Its secondary use in research has massive potential, as well as better cross-border exchange of health information.

Legal barriers for the free movement of data must be identified and removed. For example, the DSM directive on copyright must be revised to enable a European data economy.

In decisions regarding placement of data centers, smart specialisation strategies and incentives for environmental sustainability and carbon-neutrality must be applied, to ensure cost-efficiency at the European level, as well as contributing to the targets of the Green Deal.

Data skills are crucial for Europe’s competitiveness. EU needs urgent investments in broad skills and competence development across all sectors and levels, including teachers.

Read the whole statement here.