The FReSH portal is rooted in French and European commitments to promoting the value of human health research data. Its implementation responds to a growing need: to make visible and accessible data sources from studies involving individuals, in line with the principles of open science and scientific cooperation.
Open Science
FReSH is part of France’s Second National Plan for Open Science. This plan promotes broader access to research publications and data. In line with the 2016 Digital Republic Act, data from publicly funded research must be made accessible whenever possible. By providing a structured and interoperable reference of studies, FReSH facilitates such openness while respecting the ethical and legal frameworks specific to health data.
European Health Data Space
At the European level, the European Health Data Space (EHDS) aims to establish a harmonised framework for accessing, sharing, and reusing health data for research, innovation, policymaking, and care. This initiative requires a structured inventory of available data, through metadata catalogues that allow assessment of their quality, provenance, and access conditions. By structuring information on French individual health data collections, FReSH supports interoperability and connection with this future European space.
