By establishing rules, common standards, infrastructures and a governance framework, the EHDS aims to make health data more accessible for patients, whether they are in their home country or abroad, and for researchers.

In the past months, the ESC has engaged in a continuous dialogue with policymakers and shared the recommendations of its experts to contribute to the definition of the new framework. This commitment will continue in the coming period, to support the implementation stage.

If implemented in a harmonised way across the EU-27 Member States, the EHDS will provide access to a large-scale of secure and high-quality data, fueling cutting-edge research and improving patient care. 

The timing for the EHDS application is yet to be defined, but it is expected to take effect in 2026 with a phased implementation. The current version of the regulation is available here.

What is the process to access health data for my research through the EHDS?

1. Submission: The data user searches a publicly available datasets catalogue and submits an application to a designated national body outlining the purpose, scope, and justification for data access. For data from different countries, the platform “HealthData@EU” is used.
   
   
2. Assessment and Approval: The designated body reviews the application to ensure the request meets legal, ethical, and data protection requirements. If compliant, it grants the approval and charges a fee for making the data available.
   
   
3. Data Access and Research: Electronic health data is shared with the data user through a secure processing environment. Data is provided in anonymized or, when needed and with additional safeguards, in pseudonymized format.
   
   
4. Reporting: The data user reports the findings to the designated body and data holders, without prejudice to publication rights in a scientific journal or other scientific publication.