Bundesnetzagentur becomes responsible authority for the Data Act in Germany
Year of issue 2026
Date of issue 2026.05.30
With the entry into force of the German Data Act Application and Enforcement Act (DADG), the Bundesnetzagentur is now the responsible German authority for the implementation of the European Data Act. As a single point of contact for all questions relating to the Data Act, the Bundesnetzagentur supports market players and monitors compliance with the new rules.
"We will work to ensure that opportunities for data exchange are better utilised"
, says Klaus Müller, President of the Bundesnetzagentur. "Start-ups and SMEs in particular stand to benefit from better access to data. At the same time, sensitive data such as trade secrets must remain protected."
New tasks to strengthen the data economy
As the central supervisory authority for the Data Act, the Bundesnetzagentur is assuming several new tasks. It is responsible for domestic and cross-border cooperation with other authorities, such as the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in matters related to data protection, as well as the European Commission and the European Data Innovation Board, to ensure that the Data Act is applied consistently and efficiently.
In addition, the Bundesnetzagentur certifies dispute resolution bodies in Germany, monitors technological and economic developments in the area of data economy and contributes to the work of various standardisation bodies to improve the interoperability of data. The Bundesnetzagentur will also be monitoring compliance with the new rules to simplify switching cloud providers.
The Bundesnetzagentur has also been tasked with promoting data literacy among undertakings and consumers. The Bundesnetzagentur can thus make a key contribution to strengthening Germany’s data economy.
Information on offer and online information sessions on the Data Act
In September 2025 the Bundesnetzagentur published a wide range of information on the Data Act to provide all market players with the best possible support in implementing the European provisions from the beginning. With today’s transfer of tasks, this information has been updated and expanded. In addition, the Bundesnetzagentur will regularly hold online information sessions to provide practical insight into the Data Act and to discuss questions about the new rules. The first session will take place on 15 July 2026. Further information about the information sessions is available at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/1106342.
About the Data Act
The Data Act is a key pillar of the European strategy for data and creates a uniform legal framework for accessing and using data throughout Europe. Consumers and businesses gain more control over the data of the devices they use such as connected vehicles, smart household appliances and industrial machines. The Data Act applies to all sectors, ranging from the automotive industry to mechanical engineering and through to agriculture and the healthcare sector among others, and lays the foundation for a fair, innovative and competitive European data economy. The Data Act also contains rules for the provision of data to governmental bodies in cases of exceptional need (eg public emergencies) as well as provisions that facilitate the switching of cloud providers.
The new rules aim to create a competitive European data market that incentivises innovation and new data-based business models. The Data Act has been in effect in all EU Member States since 12 September 2025.
All information from the Bundesnetzagentur on the Data Act is available (in German) at www.bundesnetzagentur.de/data-act.