Non-personal data: let it flow!

Non-personal data: let it flow!

FEM has just published its position on the European Commission’s proposal on free flow of non-personal data.

Materials handling equipment in operation generates substantial quantities of industrial data, either collected and managed by manufacturers directly or through third-party data service providers. Data has thus become fully part of our companies’ business models.

FEM has already stressed that a supportive legal framework must first enable easy storage and free flow of non-personal industrial data. We therefore very much welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to remove unjustified national requirements on data localisation. Setting free movement of non-personal data as a principle and restrictions as limited and controlled exceptions certainly is the best way to achieve the proposal’s objective.

We are however concerned on the potential limitations affecting mixed data (i.e. data that may include some personal information, e.g. related to the operator of the machine). We therefore believe that some clarifications ought to be provided there, notably to ensure a common understanding across the EU.

The full FEM position is available in the General Publications section (“Position papers”).