Data Strategy Briefing — November 9, 2023
The European Parliament formally adopted the Data Act, locking in new rules on connected-product data access, SME contract fairness, and interoperability ahead of publication.
Executive briefing: On 9 November 2023 Members of the European Parliament approved the Data Act, clearing one of the final hurdles before publication and setting the stage for sweeping data-sharing, switching, and contract fairness obligations.
Key data governance checkpoints
- Legislative confirmation. Translate the adopted text into programme plans that align product telemetry mapping, trade secret protections, and consent mechanics with Articles 4–15.
- SME fairness readiness. Audit B2B agreements for unilateral access restrictions, disproportionate liability, or termination clauses that will be unenforceable.
- Cloud portability. Baseline switching friction, exit fees, and interoperability gaps to meet Chapter VI obligations once the application window opens.
Operational priorities
- Translation tracking. Monitor the Official Journal publication for definitive timelines and consolidate multilingual summaries for business units across the EU.
- Risk quantification. Update enterprise risk registers with expected enforcement start dates, penalty ranges, and national competent authority oversight models.
- Data sharing governance. Stand up access request workflows, including authentication, trade secret masking, and secure delivery channels.
Enablement moves
- Host enablement sessions explaining differences between Data Governance Act permissions and the newly adopted Data Act obligations.
- Design change-management packs for customer-facing teams on how data access and compensation discussions will evolve.
Sources
- European Parliament press release on the adoption of the Data Act
- Text adopted by Parliament on the Data Act
Zeph Tech works with EU and global enterprises to operationalise Data Act adoption programmes that balance innovation with regulatory compliance.