Workshop identifies priorities for the next phase of EHDS implementation
Hands-on experience, support for implementers and continued collaboration across Europe will be essential for putting the European Health Data Space (EHDS) requirements into practice. These were among the key messages from a workshop bringing together representatives from Member States, European projects and the European Commission.
With the EHDS regulation now in place, attention is increasingly turning to how it will work in real-world settings. Against this backdrop, TEHDAS2 and the EHDS2 Community of Practice organised a workshop in Brussels and online on 29 May 2026 to discuss the future implementation needs for the EHDS and secondary use of health data. Around 130 participants across Europe took part.
From guidance to operational implementation
Building practical experience emerged as a priority. To advance this, participants highlighted the value of carrying out cross-border pilot projects and real-world testing. At the same time, they stressed that health data access bodies (HDABs) and other actors involved in the secondary use of health data will require practical tools, operational guidance, training and broader capacity-building support to fulfil their roles under the EHDS.
Building on experience from across Europe
Speakers stressed that collaborative projects such as TEHDAS2, VALO, SHAIPED, EU-HIP and QUANTUM have produced valuable guidance, tools and practical experience for EHDS implementation. Participants emphasised the importance of building on this work, translating the results into day-to-day practice across Europe and continuing cooperation to share experience and refine implementation approaches.
Common approaches for shared challenges
Participants also discussed areas where greater harmonisation and clear governance structures will be important as implementation progresses. These include data quality, interoperability, secure processing environments and the growing role of artificial intelligence in the EHDS ecosystem. Discussions highlighted the importance of coordinated action to support secure, effective and trustworthy secondary use of health data in Europe.
Transparency and trust remain central
The workshop discussions underlined that transparency and continued engagement with stakeholders and citizens will be essential for maintaining trust as implementation moves forward. This includes clearly communicating how health data are used, the safeguards in place, the public value generated through secondary use and the citizen’s rights.
A workshop report summarises the discussions, identified implementation needs and proposed future actions. Read the full report: Workshop on gaps and future needs for successful implementation of the secondary use framework under the EHDS
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