CESSDA has already had an impact on the social sciences and related research communities. CESSDA Data Catalogue provides a single interface to thousands of unique datasets from social science data archives across Europe, thus widening access to data, permitting European comparative research and providing an input into numerous scientific publications. CESSDA also has an impact on its area of work by providing effective leadership and acting as a catalyst for change across its area of interest − data curation in its broadest sense − by allowing the transfer of knowledge and tools across the consortium and reducing duplication of certain activities. All CESSDA’s objectives have the end-user of the data holdings of the various Service Providers at their heart. Every objective ensures that the rights of the data subjects and the responsibilities of the data owners are managed appropriately. CESSDA supports Open Data, but only in cases where the rights of the subjects and the data controllers are respected.

CESSDA ERIC provides a suite of services to enhance scientific excellence and ensure accessible, high-quality data for global researchers. The CESSDA Data Catalogue (CDC), the largest of its kind, features over 37,000 datasets in 15 languages, curated and maintained for FAIR principles, with accessibility broadened through various organisational harvests. In FAIR and Research Data Management, CESSDA excels by offering support across the Research Data Lifecycle, including domain-specific metadata curation, open data access, long-term preservation, and extensive training. CESSDA also conducts research in data science and management, focusing on metadata interoperability, digital preservation, and emerging data types like social media to tackle challenges in data accessibility and examine the impact of AI on archival practices. CESSDA employs industry-standard tools and techniques to ensure the quality and reliability of its software services, including Continuous Integration and Testing pipelines and EOSC services for monitoring. We also provide technical advice to other Research Infrastructures within the European Research Area, actively participating in significant initiatives like the European COVID-19 Data Platform. Additional services include the CESSDA Vocabulary Service, which enhances data discoverability with controlled vocabularies in multiple languages. The Data Management Expert Guide and Data Archiving Guide help researchers achieve FAIR data standards, while the CESSDA Metadata Model and Validator enhance data discoverability and ensure metadata quality. These combined efforts support CESSDA's mission to promote scientific excellence and provide seamless access to essential data resources.