Green data Sharing Paradigm: Bridging Data Market Regulation and Sustainability Policies in the EU Legal Framework

Abstract

This essay examines how EU data law and sustainability policies increasingly intersect, arguing that the digital and green transitions are mutually constitutive rather than parallel agendas. It develops the concept of “green data” as data whose content or function is directly relevant to environmental protection, climate action, and the circular economy. The article analyses key EU instruments—including the Data Governance Act, the Data Act, the Open Data Directive, and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation—to show how data sharing and portability can support sustainability goals. It concludes that wider access to and reuse of green data is essential to foster innovation, improve policymaking, and advance a sustainable and circular European economy.