# Guiding questions

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**Note:** This page is currently being updated to align with the DSSC Blueprint 3.0 as well as the iSHARE Framework 3.0. An updated version will be published soon.
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**Purpose:** Ensure that all datasets, services, and offerings are described using common vocabularies, ontologies, and schemas, so that they can be understood and used across Member States and sectors.
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1. **Standardised Metadata Models**

* *Which metadata standards (e.g., DCAT-AP, schema.org, sector-specific ontologies) should be adopted as the baseline?*
* *Do we need to extend existing metadata models with Green Deal–specific descriptors (e.g., CO₂ footprint, energy efficiency, circularity indicators)?*
* *How can we ensure interoperability with other European Data Spaces (health, mobility, manufacturing)?*
* *Will connector software manifests (root of trust, OS/app) be published to support supply-chain trust?*
* *Which metadata standards (e.g., DCAT-AP, schema.org, sector-specific ontologies) should be adopted as the baseline?*
* *Do we need to extend existing metadata models with Green Deal–specific descriptors (e.g., CO₂ footprint, energy efficiency, circularity indicators)?*
* *How can we ensure interoperability with other European Data Spaces (health, mobility, manufacturing)?*
* *Will connector software manifests (root of trust, OS/app) be published to support supply-chain trust?*<br>

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**Purpose:** Embed usage rights, data-sharing rules, and sustainability-related policies directly into dataset and service descriptions, so that participants can quickly understand the conditions of use.
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2. **Policy-Aware Descriptions**

* *What types of data usage policies (e.g., open, restricted, commercial, research-only) should be standardised?*
* *How should sustainability obligations (e.g., alignment with EU taxonomy, compliance with CSRD or energy reporting) be represented in dataset metadata?*
* *Should policy metadata be mandatory for all offerings, or only for those connected to regulated domains (like emissions reporting)?*

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**Purpose:** Guarantee that descriptions are not only human-readable, but also machine-actionable to support automation in publication, discovery, and integration.
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3. **Machine-Readability and FAIR Compliance**

* *Which formats and APIs should be enforced for machine-readable descriptions?*
* *How can FAIR principles be operationalised across sectors?*
* *Should minimal mandatory metadata fields be defined?*
* *Will policy/usage terms be machine-readable and linked to identity/trust artifacts?*
* *Will JSON-LD be used to express metadata/context, and will SHACL validation rules be provided?*

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**Purpose:** Allow extensions of the base metadata model with domain-specific fields that address the unique needs of Green Deal–aligned use cases.
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4. **Sector-Specific Extensions:**

* *Which sustainability-related attributes should be mandatory in sector-specific extensions (e.g., building lifecycle data in construction, CO₂ intensity in energy)?*
* *How do we balance general interoperability with the need for highly specialised descriptors?*
* *Should governance rules for approving new sector-specific extensions be established, and by whom?*

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**Purpose:** Ensure that all participants have a transparent overview of what is available in the ecosystem, enabling efficient resource matching and value creation.
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5. **Ecosystem Visibility and Transparency**

* *How can a unified catalogue or registry be maintained and updated?*
* *What mechanisms (e.g., dashboards, registries, APIs) are needed to maintain transparency for participants?*
* *Should there be obligations for providers to regularly update or validate their dataset/service descriptions to prevent outdated information?*