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Consultation workshop on the Free Flow of Data

The free flow of data is key to unlocking the full potential of the data economy in Europe. This consultation workshop on the Free Flow of Data initiative focused primarily on the issue of data localisation restrictions and legal barriers to the free flow of data. The initiative also dealt with other emerging issues such as data ownership and access to data, liability, interoperability, and re-use of data.

EC

The workshop included presentations for active discussion with experts in relevant areas for the free movement of data within the EU. The Digital Single Market Strategy committed the European Commission to propose a Free Flow of Data Initiative. This workshop was scheduled for participants to actively discuss their own perspective of issues related to the free movement of data within the EU.

Presentations given at the workshop

Agenda of the workshop 

Agenda

9:00-9:30
Registration

9:30-9:50
The Free Flow of Data Initiative in the context of the Digital Single Market Strategy
Pearse O'DONOHUE, Head of Unit
DG CNECT Software & Services, Cloud
@PODcloudEU

9:50-10:50
Planning and Preparation of the Free Flow of Data Initiative
Latest Reports: Vanessa VANWESEMAEL (DG CNECT Software & Services, Cloud)
Inputs and Studies: Judit SCHVEGER (DG CNECT Software & Services, Cloud)
Options: Pearse O'DONOHUE (DG CNECT Software & Services, Cloud)

Are there any relevant issues that the European Commission has not yet addressed in scope of the Free Flow of Data Initiative?  Given that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is in place, can the Free Flow of Data Initiative deal with personal and non-personal data without differentiation?  How far should the free flow of data be limited to the EU single market as opposed to international data flows?  What sources of information do interested parties have to demonstrate the free flow of data?

10:50-11:10
Coffee break

11:10-13:00
Data Location Restrictions
Chair: Pearse O'DONOHUE (DG CNECT Software & Services, Cloud)
Data Location Restrictions survey by London Economics http://surveys.londoneconomics.co.uk/s/DataLocationRestrictions-CloudServices/
Presentations: Moritz Godel (London Economics, @LE_Networks), Patricia Ypma (Sparks & Timelex, @Spark_legalnet)

How much are data flows restricted by location, i.e. regional, national, or European?  What formal legal restrictions prevent the transfer of data to other EU countries?  Are the legal aspects of data storage sufficiently clear for each location? What other restrictions prevent the transfer of data to other EU countries?


13:00-14:00
Lunch

14:00-15:30
Data Location Restrictions continued

How important is it to be able to specify the country in which data is stored or processed?  How important is it to be able to select technical specifications such as storage or processing capacity and software etc?  Do data location restrictions on storing or processing data in other EU member countries already negatively impact the digital economy in Europe?

15:30-16:30
Other Barriers and Emerging Issues

What other barriers prevent businesses from processing or storing data outside of other EU countries?  How important is it that the free flow of data is addressed in a pan-European way?  What are the alternative choices for dealing with the free flow of data at European-level?  What is required to clarify access rights and ownership of different kinds of data?  What legitimate concerns are there for the liability of data storage and processing in other EU countries?  How does interoperability of digital systems and services limit the portability and free flow of data and what solutions can be identified?

16:30-17:00
Conclusion
Pearse O'DONOHUE, Head of Unit
DG CNECT Software & Services, Cloud


17:00
Close


The workshop was streamed live on our website https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/consultation-workshop-on-the-free-flow-of-data and participants were able to interact online via the hashtag #EUdataFF https://twitter.com/search?q=%23EUDataFF&src=typd. You can check here a summary of the tweets sent.

From 24 September 2015 to 6 January 2016 the European Commission conducted a public consultation for Platforms.  The synopsis report of the responses to the cloud and data section of that public consultation has been published on our website
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/synopsis-report-contributions-public-consultation-regulatory-environment-data-and-cloud

<p>The <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/document.cfm?doc_id=16080">workshop minutes are now available here</a></p>

<p>The workshop was streamed live on our website <a href="https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/consultation-workshop-on-the-free-flow-of-…;