BRUSSELS – The European Commission has published its Data Union Strategy: Unlocking Data for AI, a policy framework designed to enhance data access and sharing to accelerate AI-driven research and innovation across the EU, noting the role of EOSC in supporting scientific activities with AI in RAISE.
A central element of the strategy, released on 19 November 2025, is the shift from rule-making to results-driven implementation. To achieve this, the Data Union strategy plans actions in three priority areas:
- Scaling up access to data for AI through initiatives such as data labs that provide trusted pseudonymisation services and enable the pooling of datasets from public and private actors, giving researchers and innovators high-quality, trustworthy data resources.
- Streamlining data governance to simplify data sharing for research and business, including reforms—such as modernizing cookie consent mechanisms—that reduce administrative burden while safeguarding fundamental rights.
- Strengthening the EU’s global position on international data flows by addressing unjustified trade barriers and ensuring European researchers and companies can compete fairly worldwide.
Scientific data has already demonstrated its transformative impact. High-quality, structured datasets lower R&D costs, accelerate discovery, and open new opportunities in science. To build on this potential, the Commission will continue mapping existing scientific databases, setting strategic priorities with experts, securing usage rights, and investing in new digital research infrastructures.
Within this landscape, the European Open Science Cloud plays a pivotal role. As Europe’s federated research data space, EOSC is developing a trusted ecosystem of interoperable data repositories and services based on FAIR principles. By enabling seamless access, sharing, and reuse of research data across disciplines and borders, EOSC directly supports the Data Union Strategy’s vision. EOSC’s evolving infrastructure will support the scientific activities with AI in RAISE.
