EOSC-SIESTA continues its series of webinars. In previous sessions, the project partnered with EOSC-TITAN and EOSC-ENTRUST to present the three projects together with dedicated technical talks. In the second webinar, different data privacy tools developed within SIESTA were introduced along with an introduction to trusted data repositories. Most recently, the third webinar offered a journey through the SIESTA computing infrastructure, presenting the platform from the perspective of providers, users and developers.
This time, EOSC-SIESTA will hold its fourth webinar, “Responsible Data Management: Legal Frameworks and Ethical Standards,” on September 18, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. CEST.
In this session, we will explore the fundamental ethical principles and legal frameworks that shape the responsible use of data in scientific research. The webinar will introduce some of the main ethical perspectives and explain how they influence today’s legal and regulatory frameworks, while also examining the challenges and opportunities related to the management of sensitive data. Special attention will be given to the new European Health Data Space framework, looking at how this legislation can create opportunities for research, innovation and public policy, while also bringing new legal, governance and ethical responsibilities. No prior legal knowledge is required.
The session will be hosted by Judith Sainz-Pardo Díaz and Álvaro López García, from the Institute of Physics of Cantabria (IFCA), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Cantabria (UC).
The first talk, delivered by Javier de la Cueva, “What are we speaking about when we speak about ethics?”, addresses the foundations behind the ethical requirements that have become commonplace in scientific projects. While several legal and scholarly texts serve as guidelines for meeting these requirements, their foundations lie in philosophical thought. This session will review the main ethical perspectives, where they come from, and how they materialise in legal norms — not only from an atomic perspective, such as scientific data or activities, but also within the broader political structure. No prior legal or philosophical knowledge is required.
The second talk, delivered by Laura Centeno Casado (Institute of Philosophy, Spanish National Research Council – CSIC), “New Ethical and Legal Opportunities and Challenges in the Secondary Use of Health Data: Data Governance Through the Lens of Regulation (EU) 2025/327 on the Health Data Space,” analyses the impact of the creation of the European Health Data Space. This EU initiative aims to improve patients’ access to data and to generate value from that data for purposes such as public policy, innovation and scientific research. The new regulatory framework creates opportunities, but also obligations and challenges that must be addressed from both a legal-compliance and an ethical standpoint. Drawing on several use cases and practical examples, the talk explores and reflects on the potential and impact of health data for healthcare and, especially, for scientific research.
Together, the two talks will provide a comprehensive look at responsible data management, from its ethical foundations to the concrete legal frameworks shaping it today. The webinar is aimed at researchers, data scientists, project managers, legal and ethics officers, and anyone interested in the responsible use of data and the emerging European Health Data Space.
Registrations are now open.