D6.2 - Core metadata schema for legal interoperability

FAIR-IMPACT aims to support the implementation phase of the European Open Science Cloud. To this end, FAIR-IMPACT has a focus on the EOSC Interoperability Framework. The perspective for this deliverable is on legal interoperability for core metadata schemes for  research datasets which  refers to the ability to share, access, and use research data across different legal jurisdictions and institutions while complying with relevant laws, regulations, and policies.

At first, the deliverable illustrates the impact of the GDPR on legal interoperability in practice. The deliverable then presents as a landscape analysis the foundation for a legal interoperability framework, by evaluating the relevance of existing widely adopted metadata schemas and controlled vocabularies used in data repositories for the description of legal constraints. Their use and implementation are illustrated with specific use cases, which also validate the findings by highlighting the challenges faced and addressed by different communities.

As a core metadata schema to foster legal interoperability between research datasets the DCAT-standard stands out as the best-suited tool to describe datasets, facilitates interoperability between data catalogues, portals, and repositories, and allows for the enrichment of metadata in the analysis. Additional controlled vocabularies support aspects of legal interoperability: international licences (AT-licence), access control policies (ODRL), copyright and intellectual property (DCMI, PROV-O), data protection and privacy (DPV). 

Few mappings between metadata schemas are available, they could be improved with new ones in addition to the ones considered here. The FAIRCore4EOSC has deployed the MSCRregistry, which, thanks to its ease of access, could enhance the uptake of such mappings effectively.

The recommendation of the DCAT standard as building block for legal interoperability supported by additional controlled vocabularies could also be explored by the new, to-come EOSC Interoperability Task Force, and support programs could be put together to stimulate the adoption of good practices in the domain.