Establishing the fifth freedom: free flow of non-personal data

The European Parliament today took the first steps towards establishing the fifth freedom in the EU - the free flow of data. The free movement of non-personal data will expand the existing four freedoms and therefore broaden EU freedoms in the margins of the Digital Single Market.

The Report on the free flow of non-personal data by Anna Maria Corazza Bildt MEP was adopted today with an overwhelming majority by the Members of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee.

“This Regulation is truly a game changer for the digital economy in Europe, potentially providing enormous efficiency gains for both companies and public authorities. It will pave the way for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and big data analysis", said the Rapporteur and the Vice-Chair of the Committee, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt MEP.

The Regulation will make it easier for professional users to switch between cloud services and ensure that European organisations and companies can store and process data anywhere in the European Union. According to Corazza Bildt, the Regulation is a major step towards reducing data protectionism which is threatening the digital economy.

“My goal is to have rules that are clear, net neutral and future-proof", she concluded.