Allied For Startups' Remarks on the European Data Union Strategy

The European Data Union Strategy marks a shift in Europe’s digital policy: from multiplying rules to finally focusing on access, clarity and implementation. For the startup community, this direction is welcome. Innovation in AI requires more than principles – it needs data that is actually available, rules that are understandable and infrastructure that is usable.

The Strategy contains several measures that closely reflect long-standing AFS priorities:

1. Simplified data framework: Consolidating overlapping laws into a single, coherent structure to reduce fragmentation and legal uncertainty.

2. Unlocking public and scientific data: Expanding high-value datasets, scaled research data, and 30 million digitised cultural objects to improve access to data for AI development and training.

3. Practical tools for startups: Model clauses, cloud-switching standards, and a Data Act helpdesk that reduce legal costs and accelerate partnerships.

4. Modernised compliance: Simpler cookie rules, streamlined consent flows, and SME-style exemptions that make regulation more user-friendly.

5. Balanced international flows: Maintaining openness remains essential for startups that rely on global datasets, customers, and partnerships.

As always, implementation will be crucial. Data labs, cloud access, and European data spaces must be accessible, affordable, and designed to reduce friction rather than introduce additional bureaucracy.

Allied For Startups stands ready to work with the EU Institutions and its Member States to ensure the Strategy delivers on its promise and becomes a real engine for AI-driven innovation in Europe.