Mediaroom

Experts in the telecoms sector, automotive supply industry and data protection law shared their views on how the new EU regulation on data can ensure a competitive market in Europe, that includes all stakeholders in the broad mobility ecosystem.

Sigrid de Vries (CLEPA), Magnus Gunnarsson (Ericsson) and Daniel Pauly (Linklaters) participated in the Financial Times panel ‘Cashing in on the data boom – Establishing ownership, protecting privacy’, moderated by Frankfurt’s correspondent Joe Miller, during the FT Future of the Car summit last week.

In 2020, roughly 28 million vehicles were equipped with built-in connectivity technology, channelling data via the car manufacturers’ back-end servers. By 2025 automotive suppliers expect about 95 million vehicles using that technology.

Currently, vehicle manufacturers control access to all communication devices and thus have a unique privileged position to also control the flow of in-vehicle data. The European Commission intends to assess regulatory options on remote repair and maintenance and other services based on data generated by vehicles by amending the EU’s type-approval legislation. In this context, CLEPA argues that regulating data access at the EU level can make a difference:

“Given the rapidly growing number of ‘connected’ vehicles, securing fair and undistorted access to in-vehicle data is highly relevant,  to create and to develop innovative new services and to get access to a large market of existing repair and maintenance services. Any privileged position in the data stream might limit or exclude market players from providing services. Regulating data access as planned by the European Commission can ensure fair and equal access for all providers to create a competitive market for the benefit of consumers”, said Sigrid de Vries.

Learn more about this topic in CLEPA’s position paper on Access to in-vehicle data.

Watch the recording on the Financial Times portal.