BEREC Report on the Data Act Workshop (Workshop on Switching and Interoperability of Data Processing Services

On the 28 April 2023, BEREC organized a Workshop on Switching and Interoperability of Data Processing Services. The event took place taking into consideration the proposal for a Regulation on harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data (the Data Act) put forward the European Commission on the 23 February 2022. The Data Act includes several provisions to facilitate switching and interoperability of data processing services and indicates that independent national competent authorities with experience in electronic communications services are well placed to ensure the application and enforcement of specific provisions. This exchange followed up on a previous BEREC General Statement on the draft Data Act1 and a High-Level Opinion on the European Commission’s proposal for a Data Act2.
The workshop allowed sharing different views and perspectives from legislators, academia, users and the industry with the aims to i) gain a deeper understanding of the barriers to switching and interoperability faced by data processing services users; ii) identify solutions to reduce those barriers or possible lock-in effects taking into consideration their impact on security, data protection or innovation; iii) exchange on how the experience of switching of telecommunication services can be helpful for the elaboration and implementation of the Data Act and iv) foster a constructive dialogue with stakeholders and legislations for the finalization and implementation of the Data Act provisions.