To improve the rights of users of data processing services (i.e. cloud users) and to reduce vendor lock-in, the Data Act (DA) establishes a legal framework that facilitates switching between providers and the portability of data and applications. The DA promotes interoperability to enable users to effectively move their data and applications, thereby preventing them from being locked into specific providers and services.
To make interoperability feasible, the EU has decided to address the standards for data processing services. Article 35 of the DA outlines the requirements for the standards to be used. The use of standards and open specifications should enable services of the same type to work together, making data and applications portable without adversely impacting security.
The European Commission is authorised to adopt interoperability specifications through implementing acts, or to request that European standardisation bodies develop new standards where current ones are inadequate. Also central to the implementation of the DA is the Union Repository, a central registry where references to all harmonised standards and open specifications will be published. Providers will have twelve months to adapt once a relevant standard or open specification is listed in the repository.
The WIK Study, conducted in collaboration with Decision and Schuman Associates, identifies the initial set of open specifications and harmonised standards that align with the Data Act's requirements. As a result, WIK has identified several open specifications that could be published in the Union Repository. Further areas for standardisation to address existing gaps were also identified in the study.
