Guiding questions

Purpose of this Building Block Component: Intermediaries and operators play a crucial enabling role, making data accessible, trustworthy, and compliant with EU regulations. They help reduce complexity and lower barriers to entry for participants.

Key responsibilities may include:

  • Identity and access management (e.g. authenticating participants, issuing credentials)

  • Service brokerage (e.g. data search and matchmaking)

  • Compliance assurance (e.g. ensuring data usage aligns with CSRD, EPBD, or GDPR)

  • Onboarding and support for participants, especially SMEs and municipalities

Operators might include neutral industry bodies, domain-specific hubs, or trusted IT providers. Multiple operators can coexist under federated rules, enabling sectoral specialisation while ensuring interoperability through shared frameworks.

Purpose: Authentication mechanisms (e.g., credentials issuance, federated logins). Clear participant identity verification.

  1. Identity & Access Management

  • How will participants be authenticated (federated identity, credentials)?

  • What trust anchors or standards will be used?

Purpose: Data discovery and matchmaking between providers and users. Efficient search and service recommendation systems.

  1. Service Brokerage

  • Which discovery functionalities are critical for initial use cases?

  • Who is responsible for matching data providers with data consumers?

  • How can intermediaries ensure services scale as participation grows?

  • How can intermediaries’ models align with overall data space goals?

Purpose: Ensuring data transactions align with regulatory frameworks (CSRD, EPBD, GDPR). Data governance and audit trail management.

  1. Compliance Assurance

  • How will operators enforce compliance (policy engine, audit trails)?

  • Who will validate that data usage aligns with EU and national regulations?

  • How can neutrality be ensured while operators comply with rules?

Purpose: Dedicated support structures for smooth onboarding. Special focus on SMEs, municipalities, and smaller participants.

  1. Onboarding & Participant Support

  • Which resources or tools facilitate onboarding, especially for smaller or less digitally mature participants?

  • Who handles participant support, and how is quality assured?

Purpose: Sectoral or regional hubs enable specialisation, while interoperability among multiple operators is ensured through common rules.

  1. Federation & Specialisation

  • Will multiple domain-specific operators exist? What are their defined roles?

  • What mechanisms will ensure interoperability among the federated operators?

  • What contingency measures ensure continuity if an operator fails?

  • How can dependency risks be mitigated across multiple services?

Purpose: Transparent operational standards ensuring neutrality and trustworthiness of operators.

  1. Governance and Trust

  • What governance rules apply to operators? Are these clearly documented?

  • How is neutrality and fairness guaranteed across operators?

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