EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

"This study on legal interoperability has been commissioned by the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) FAIR Working Group. It aims to provide a systematic overview and analysis of the key issues in legal interoperability in connection with the implementation of the FAIR Principles within the context of the EOSC. Data accessible through the EOSC will be governed by the FAIR Principles, embracing Open Science practices. Legal constraints such as ensuring a secure environment where privacy and personal data are protected and where users of the EOSC can be reassured about issues concerning data security, data sovereignty, intellectual property rights, liability risks and the like, will need to be addressed. The recommendations provided in this study should contribute to the EOSC Interoperability Framework jointly developed by the EOSC FAIR and Architecture Working Groups, which addresses four interoperability layers (technical interoperability, semantic interoperability, organisational interoperability and legal interoperability). It is also hoped that this study will contribute to the broader discussion on legal interoperability, the FAIR Principles and the
development of the EOSC."

NB: This study had a specific focus and was written within a very particular context. Hence certain issues that can be addressed in follow-on studies, such as competition law, were excluded.