As anticipated at the beginning of this article, the concept of data space is one that applies well to the smart city and, in particular, to mobility. Transport and mobility in general are a key sector of our daily life, from a social and economic point of view. Just think of commuting to work, ordinary trips for personal errands, visits to relatives and friends, travel for tourism or business. But also consider the functioning of supply chains for goods that arrive on the shelves of shops in our cities, or the processes necessary for industrial production. The free movement of people and goods is a fundamental freedom of the European Union and its single market. According to a report by Eur Lex, it is the second area of ​​expenditure for EU families: the transport sector represents 5% of the EU GDP and directly employs around 10 million workers.

The Common European Mobility Data Space (EMDS) aims to facilitate access, pooling and sharing of data (existing and future) for more efficient, safe, sustainable and resilient transport. In a word: smart. The overall objective is to accelerate the digital transformation of the European transport sector and fully exploit the benefits of data for mobility and other players, and for society as a whole. The digitalisation of the sector and a better use of data for all means of transport – for passengers and goods – are key factors in evolving towards safer, more efficient and accessible mobility. All players involved will be given equal opportunities to enjoy an ideal context, thanks to the harmonisation of data sharing conditions that ensure interoperability.

Just to give some practical examples, the use of the Common European Mobility Data Space could be crucial in improving the efficiency of the logistics sector at European level; in the implementation of MAAS systems that include agreements at European level or between individual countries within the EU; in supporting local authorities in the field of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMP); in implementing the regulation on urban vehicular access (UVAR); in promoting the cross-border multimodal model for passengers and goods; in facilitating access to data on electric mobility in the European Union. It should also be considered that there will increasingly be strong synergies with other data spaces in related sectors such as, for example, construction, energy, environment or health that will allow the full exploitation of the advantages of electric mobility. Although it must be taken into account that the reference legal frameworks are still constantly evolving. In any case, at European level, several initiatives have been undertaken or are in the pipeline to support the digitalisation of all transport modes by making it easier to access and exchange data relating to the mobility sector.