A first commentary to the proposal for a new Regulation on fair access and use of data (Data Act)

The essay aims at examining the proposal for a new Regulation on fair access and use of data (Data Act), recently published by the European Commission. It examines the new legal framework in light of the European digital strategy, in particular the Strategy for Data, and describing how the proposal was conceived and inserted in the historical context. It also explores the newly introduced definitions, the scope of application, and the subjects of the proposal, identifying the most important legislative novelties and their consequences on different stakeholders. Lastly, it analyzes the normative gaps and the limitations of the current draft of the act.