Data Strategy Briefing — July 11, 2026
Data Act interoperability requirements for data processing services and smart contracts enter into force 30 months after entry into force, demanding technical upgrades.
Executive briefing: By 11 July 2026, Article 29 and Article 30 obligations of the Data Act apply, requiring data processing service providers to support interoperability specifications and smart contract safeguards such as safe termination and logging.
Key data governance checkpoints
- Interoperability specifications. Implement open interfaces, switching toolkits, and functional equivalence with competing services as defined by forthcoming implementing acts.
- Smart contract controls. Ensure automated agreements include termination switches, access logging, and safeguards against unilateral modification.
- Certification readiness. Prepare to evidence compliance with European standardisation outputs for interoperability and smart contract management.
Operational priorities
- Technical debt remediation. Refactor proprietary APIs, data schemas, and orchestration tooling to align with interoperability benchmarks.
- Change management. Train development and DevOps teams on smart contract safety features and interoperability testing requirements.
- Partner alignment. Coordinate with ecosystem partners to test switching scenarios and validate compatibility.
Enablement moves
- Integrate interoperability metrics into service-level reporting, tracking successful migrations, downtime, and user satisfaction.
- Maintain living documentation of smart contract inventories, risk assessments, and control testing results.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/2854 (Data Act)
- European Commission Data Act standardisation request to CEN-CENELEC and ETSI
Zeph Tech supports interoperability retrofits and smart contract governance to meet the July 2026 Data Act deadline.