BRUSSELS — EOSC-A President Klaus Tochtermann was a featured panelist in the European Parliament round table on Data Sovereignty in Research: Global Dependencies, Risks, and the European Response organised by the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA).
The event was held on 01 October 2025 and was attended by 25 MEPs and streamed online. Tochtermann’s participation is part of EOSC-A’s ongoing efforts to engage with key decision-makers as discussions unfold around the Commission’s proposed Multiannual Financial Framework.
Declaring that, “EOSC will ensure data sovereignty in Europe”, Tochtermann treated the parliamentarians to a retrospective view of the EOSC journey since the inception of the idea in 2015, and looked ahead to EOSC’s role in the AI era.
Photographs by Laurie Dieffembacq: © European Union 2025 – Source: EP
He joined the six-person discussion, alongside Signe Ratso, the European Commission’s chief negotiator for Horizon Europe association agreements, and STOA Chair Christian Ehler, who plays a leading role on the parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).
In her contribution, Ratso emphasised that data sovereignty should not lead to isolation. She noted that major global issues such as climate change, pandemics, and biodiversity loss require international access to vital datasets. Ratso added that Europe should stay open by developing new international data-sharing agreements, deepening collaboration with trusted partners, and helping to build a reliable global framework for data exchange.
You can replay the event recording here and read recaps by Research Professional News and Science Business.
“EOSC will ensure data sovereignty in Europe.”
Klaus Tochtermann, EOSC-A President
