> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://template.ishare.eu/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://template.ishare.eu/technical-building-blocks/data-sovereignty-and-trust/access-and-usage-policies-and-enforcement.md).

# Access & Usage Policies Enforcement

This building block ensures that participants retain full sovereignty over their data. It enables them to define who may access their data, under which conditions, and for what purposes, while ensuring those terms are respected across the entire ecosystem. 

Within iSHARE, this supports scalable access and usage control by allowing standard terms, delegations, and usage conditions to be exchanged, verified, and enforced in a structured way, without requiring manual review for every transaction (policies must be machine-readable).

<figure><img src="/files/BY2KyE0Jn8weQyUqtb7p" alt=""><figcaption><p>Figure 20. Participant-Controlled Trusted Data Access.</p></figcaption></figure>

The iSHARE Framework delivers several integrated trust services that together form the enforcement layer for access and usage control:

1. **Authorisation Registry (AR) -** The AR stores and validates delegations, allowing participants to grant, verify, or revoke permissions in a standardised, machine-readable format.
   * The framework supports standardised delegation creation requests, ensuring consistent trust exchange and compatibility across ecosystems.
   * Each delegation is traceable and references the participant’s verified iSHARE-ID.
2. **Licenses and Usage Policies** - Licenses define the legal and operational boundaries of data use.
   * The [iSHARE Licenses Portal ](https://licenses.ishare.eu/)provides standardised license templates and metadata for both data and service offerings.
   * Data spaces can reference these licenses directly to ensure clarity and legal consistency between participants.
3. **Delegation Evidence** - [Delegations ](https://framework.ishare.eu/detailed-descriptions/technical/structure-of-delegation-evidence)are expressed using a shared JSON-LD structure that provides verifiable proof of rights granted.
   * Each piece of evidence can include license references, identity attributes, and usage conditions, ensuring complete transparency and traceability.
4. **Consent and Compliance Management** - Consent mechanisms, especially relevant when personal data is involved, can be integrated with delegation and license processes to ensure compliance with GDPR, eIDAS, and other regulatory frameworks.

### **Data Space Implementation**

Each data space can build on these trust services to define:

* Sector-specific access policies or license extensions;
* Role-based permission schemes linked to participation management;
* Additional guidance on the semantics of delegation and policy targets;
* Enhanced auditing and monitoring to verify adherence to granted rights.

This modular design allows flexibility without compromising interoperability. By combining iSHARE-ID, delegations, licenses, and structured evidence, data spaces can achieve a fine balance between participant control and ecosystem-wide trust.

Through the integration of iSHARE-ID, standardised delegations, and the Licenses Portal, the Framework empowers participants to govern access and usage with precision, confidence, and scalability. The result is a federated system of trust in which access decisions are verifiable, usage rights are transparent, and participants remain in control of their data.

{% hint style="info" %}
iSHARE provides a generic approach for delegations, including generic licenses. Each data space can further refine this by defining more specific guidance, standards, or semantics for policy targets and by allowing more detailed licenses where needed.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Access & Usage Policies Enforcement connects closely with other building blocks:

* **Identity & Attestation Management:** Verifies participants so access rules can be enforced.
* **Trust Framework:** Sets rules and standards to support policy enforcement.
* **Contractual Framework & Regulatory Compliance:** Ensures policies follow laws and contracts, including consent for personal data.
  {% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
The guiding questions can help in the co-creation process and in defining this building block, so please see the next section.&#x20;
{% endhint %}


---

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