Data Spaces, Data Ecosystems and Competition Law - A Spotlight on the EU’s Gaia-X, Catena-X and Cofinity-X Projects

Abstract

Several countries are taking initiatives to foster data sharing among companies, in the hope of increasing the competitiveness of their industries and attaining “digital sovereignty.”

This article examines some of the competition law issues which three European data sharing initiatives (Gaia-X, Catena-X and Cofinity-X) have faced and how they were dealt with. Among others, it examines the prohibition by the Brazilian competition authority (CADE) of a joint venture that was meant to put Catena-X into operation, and the German Bundeskartellamt's approval of that same joint venture.

The article ends with some insights for other projects on how they can address competition law issues going forward.

Keywords: competition law, antitrust, data sharing

JEL Classification: K21