Applicable European Regulations for Data-driven Policy-making
A data-driven policy-making aims to make optimal use of data and collaborate with citizens to co-create urban policies and, in general, to conduct a more reliable decision-making process.
The European Commission considers data an essential resource for economic growth, competitiveness, innovation, defining a European strategy for data aiming to ensure Europe's global competitiveness, data sovereignty, that more data becomes available for use while keeping the rights of the companies and individuals who generate and consume the data during the whole lifecycle. As part of this support, the Commission is disposing of several normative and guides to conduct a successful data management.
The Data Governance Act [1] initiative refers to the management of personal as well as non-personal data, therefore being linked at the legislative level with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) [2] and the Directive on privacy and electronic communications.
On the other hand, the use of these technologies involves risks that must be managed appropriately. To ensure that we are on the right track, it is necessary to abide by a human-centred approach to AI without losing the goal of improving human well-being. The concept of trusted AI addresses reliance on technology as a first step. The new guidelines [3] are aimed at all parties involved who develop, apply or use AI, encompassing companies, organizations, researchers, public services, institutions, individuals or other entities.
These regulations impact and open new challenges and opportunities when addressing the decision-making process in urban transformation and, specifically, urban mobility. URBANITE introduces the concept of Actionability as a key property of any data-based modelling and treatment process to generate knowledge of practical value for decision, while compliant with the new regulations.
[1] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/proposal-regulation-european-data-governance-data-governance-act
[2] DO L 119 de 4.5.2016, p. 1.
[3] DO L 201 de 31.7.2002, p. 37.