Access to research data in the European Union is granted upon decisions made by entities that finance and conduct research. This matter has been changed by the Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on open data and the re-use of public sector information. After implementation of the Directive, opening of research data will become a legal obligation and everyone everywhere will be able to use them. However, the Directive gives member states significant freedom. Considering the above, academic communities should become partners in the dialogue with political decision-makers. The paper describes the provisions of the Directive and the seven recommendations regarding national regulations related to re-use of research data, with particular consideration of their use in medicine.