This brief provides an overview of the open data landscape from the perspective of European social science data archives, focusing on key principles and practices in data stewardship. It discusses community principles for data management and stewardship, including FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), TRUST (Transparency, Responsibility, User Focus, Sustainability, Technology), and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics). It highlights the importance of trustworthy repositories, the European Open Science Cloud Federation, other European Union initiatives, as well as CESSDA’s contribution to advancing open science. Moreover, the brief addresses the need for performance assessments, including key performance indicators and FAIR evaluations, to foster transparency and accountability. The findings offer key takeaways for stakeholders such as funders, research infrastructures, data repositories, and researchers, aiming to promote open data practices and maximise the societal impact of long-term data preservation.