On November 25th, Research Professor Iñigo De Miguel Beriain, Professor at the University of the Basque Country, delivered an engaging and highly informative webinar on the new EU Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation.

Colleagues from both  YOUTH-GEMs and our sister project YOUTHreach  were invited to join this session, which focused on a major piece of EU legislation set to transform how health data are shared and used across Europe. During the webinar, Iñigo outlined the key regulatory changes and explored their implications for current and future data-sharing activities within the EU.

The EHDS, approved in 2024 and expected to apply from 2029, aims to facilitate the secondary use of electronic health data for research, innovation, public health, policy-making and AI development, while maintaining strong data protection safeguards. The webinar addressed new rules on data access, patient rights (including the right to opt out), cross-border data use, and the role of newly established national data access bodies.

Importantly for projects such as YOUTH-GEMs and YOUTHreach, the discussion highlighted that existing federated data approaches already align well with EHDS principles, although governance structures may need to adapt as the regulation is implemented.

We warmly thank Iñigo De Miguel Beriain for sharing his expertise and for providing such a clear and thought-provoking overview of this important upcoming regulation!