Data Spaces Standardization Landscape – Europe and International

The Position Paper "Data Spaces Standardization Landscape – Europe and International" explains the strategic importance of standardization developing and implementing data spaces, with a particular focus on the role of the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA) and its alignment with European and international standardization initiatives.

Data spaces rely on shared standards to enable secure, interoperable, and sovereign data sharing between organizations. This paper highlights key technical and governance-related areas where standards are essential: data discovery, identity and access management, semantic interoperability, contract negotiation, and conformity assessment. It draws on work by IDSA and its members, who have developed core components such as the IDS Reference Architecture, the Dataspace Protocol, and the IDSA Rulebook.

The paper also surveys the current standardization landscape, including ongoing efforts within ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC38, CEN/CENELEC JTC 25, the IEEE P3800 working group, and initiatives like the European Trusted Data Framework. It underscores the impact of regulations such as the EU Data Act, the Data Governance Act, and the AI Act, which introduce new requirements for interoperability, trust, and technical infrastructure in data exchange.

Due to time constraints, this paper focuses on European regulations. In the future, we plan to expand it to include international regulations and laws that may introduce additional standardization requirements at the global level.

An analysis of standardization gaps reveals the need for further work in metadata governance, usage control, ontology alignment, and cross-sector interoperability. This gap analysis is intended to inform the ongoing efforts of JTC 25 and related committees.

Overall, the paper positions IDSA as both a contributor and a connector, bridging industry practice and regulatory objectives and offering guidance to standardization bodies based on real-world implementation experience.