The EU and its Latin American & Caribbean partners leverage the responsible use of data
The EU-LAC Digital Alliance hosted a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Data Governance on 30 September and 1 October in Montevideo, Uruguay. Co-organised by Uruguay, the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) and the European Union Delegation, the gathering brought together different data governance perspectives and strategies from the regions. The event was also marked by Guyana’s welcome into the Digital Alliance as the latest country to adhere to the Joint Declaration on a Digital Alliance. This brings to 22 the number of countries in the region who have joined their 27 European partners in this trans-continental forum.
The event opened with the presentation of a report on the way in which personal data and cybersecurity are regulated across 33 countries in the LAC region. The on-going study is produced by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF) and FIIAPP. The discussions focused on topics of the different country and regional models, the role of personal data protection authorities, international data transfers and the interconnection of data and AI.
This Dialogue is part of a roadmap set by the EU-LAC Digital Alliance launched in March 2023 under Global Gateway. The dialogue, and the alliance more broadly, represents what the Global Gateway strategy is all about: accelerating the digital and green transition, creating more opportunities for citizens and businesses and delivering trusted, human-centric infrastructure with our partner countries.
The power of data and responsible governance
Healthcare systems that are able to access health data, can improve personalised treatments, provide better healthcare, help cure rare or chronic diseases and provide a more effective and quicker response to global health crises. The same applies to mobility, agriculture or fighting climate change. With a better data governance framework, the public and private sectors alike can develop better policies, leading to more transparent governance and more efficient services. Good data management, comprehensive data protection, and responsible data sharing will also enable industries to develop innovative products and services, for example by training AI models. They will make many sectors of the economy more efficient and sustainable while making sure that individuals and their information are protected.
Data governance means setting rules that govern how data is gathered, stored, processed, and disposed of. Among others, it establishes who can access what kind of data and what kind of data require regulation. For example, most countries consider health-related information to be sensitive, which requires a high level of protection.
Today, the digital transformation affects all aspects of our lives. While this makes daily life easier, it can be dangerous if decisions are made automatically, with incorrect data or without human intervention or supervision. For all these reasons, it is essential to focus on the protection of personal data within the data governance defined by organisations, inter alia guaranteeing respect for privacy in digital and global environments. Similarly, international data transfers may require regulation, promoting respect for cornerstones such as human rights, data security and data protection. To achieve this, governments and the private sector need to work together to establish adequate, robust, and convergent regulatory frameworks between countries regarding the processing of personal and non-personal data.
Fostering data governance together
The EU seeks to support efforts in the Latin American & Caribbean data governance’s approach, in particular by promoting the Standards for personal data protection for Ibero-American States.
The European Commission (DG JUST) programme “Enhanced Data Protection and Data Flows” aims at raising awareness in partner countries as to how personal data regulation is a pre-requisite for the development of a trustworthy digital environment, and is a legal requirement for data to flow freely back and forth with the EU.
To do so, the project has deployed a wide range of initiatives, from research to support a high level of data protection, to policy outreach, dialogue, and knowledge exchange for stakeholders on data protection issues. That includes participation in national and regional events, organisation of data protection events and organisation of tailor-made data protection training, as well as the establishment of a Data Protection Academy to promote dialogue on data protection and international cooperation.
In Latin America in particular, the project has engaged with legislators, decision-makers, representatives from civil society, and authorities responsible for the enforcement of data protection legislation.
For instance, in 2021, as part of its Data Protection Academy, the project organised a week-long training for the newly established Data Protection Authority (DPA) of Brazil, following the country’s adoption of the General Law on Data Protection (LGPD). These data protection developments in Brazil have led to the opening of negotiations with the European Commission for a mutual adequacy decision that would allow for information to move without restrictions, thus fostering trade, the digital economy, research, and overall cooperation between the EU and Brazil.
Similarly, in August 2024, Chile has adopted a data protection law, a development that paves the way for new cooperation with the EU for safe data flows.
Both the EU and its LAC partners have understood the special importance of protecting and promoting both personal and non-personal data. With key legislation such as the Data Act, for example, Europa has built great momentum to increase access to and use of both kinds of data. The EU welcomes mirroring initiatives as it has built its digital policy as a model for the responsible, ethical, and secure use of technology.
European Union, 2024
Training at the core
The EU-LAC Digital Alliance organised further trainings in the region. In July 2024 for example, the Alliance hosted a 3-days capacity building intended to raise awareness on data protection in the health sector. Health officials from Panama, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic shared best practices on health data management and learned about the role of the data protection officer in a peer-to-peer training led by counterparts from the Spanish data protection agency and the Galician health service.
EU-LAC Digital Alliance moves forward
The Dialogue, co-chaired by the European Commission, Uruguay and Spain, is part of the roadmap for bi-regional cooperation set by the EU-LAC Digital Alliance. The Alliance aims at fostering collaboration between both regions on digital matters to enhance their strategic autonomy and economic growth.
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