The European Commission took an important step in that direction. It asked the three European standardisation organisations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI to develop a European Trusted Data Framework (ETDF). Their task is to translate the principles of the Data Act into technical standards and governance rules that can be used across sectors and countries.
The ETDF will cover seven European standards that align with the recommendations of the High-Level Forum on European Standardization, published in April 2024. It reflects extensive consultation with the standardization organizations, the European Data Innovation Board and stakeholder groups representing consumers, environmental interests, trade unions and SMEs. The request has now been formally adopted and accepted by the European Standardization Organizations.
Standards that make rules work
Europe has already defined the legal foundations of its data economy through the Data Act, the Data Governance Act and the AI Act. These laws describe who can access data, under what conditions and for what purposes. The next challenge is making them work in practice. That requires shared technical foundations that ensure data can move securely and consistently between systems.
The European Trusted Data Framework will translate legal principles into technical language that organizations can actually implement. In practice, that means clear rules and technical standards that help companies share data across systems, sectors and borders without reinventing the wheel each time. Without such common standards, data spaces risk remaining isolated and incompatible.
Collaboration across sectors
The Commission’s request places strong emphasis on cooperation. The standardization bodies are asked to involve SMEs, research organizations and civil society, and to coordinate closely with the Data Spaces Support Centre, which provides guidance and best practices for data spaces. Existing efforts such as the European Interoperability Framework and data.europa.eu will also serve as reference points, ensuring that public and private initiatives reinforce each other.
IDSA plays an active role in this process as part of CEN CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 25 (JTC 25). Through this committee, IDSA contributes its experience from real data space projects, helping to ensure that standards reflect what actually works in practice.
Interoperability builds trust
Interoperability is more than a technical goal. It creates confidence that shared data will be interpreted and used correctly and forms the foundation of trusted collaboration. The European Trusted Data Framework will define how data and data services interact, how consent and rights are respected, and how systems remain compatible across sectors. It will connect the Data Act, the AI Act and the European Digital Identity Framework into a consistent operational layer.
A shared effort for a fair data economy
The complete set of standards is expected by the end of 2027. It is an ambitious timeline, but the momentum is there. Europe’s data community including public institutions, technology providers and research networks has been experimenting with data spaces for years. The European Trusted Data Framework will turn these experiences into a coherent foundation for trustworthy and interoperable data sharing across all sectors.
