Is EDC contract negotiation flow static not to bargain ?

[HabibaAbderrahim]

In the current EDC contract negotiation flow, can a consumer actually negotiate alternative terms (e.g., request access under different constraints (provider requires location = EU, but consumer is in the US)), or is the negotiation strictly a “take-it-or-leave-it” process where the consumer must accept one of the published contract offers from the provider’s catalog? I mean mainly to formally exchange offers and agreements, not to bargain?
Thanks,

[paullatzelsperger]

contract negotiations are not negotiations in a human sense, wherein the seller and the buyer haggle on a price. the provider sets terms ("policies"), and the consumer either accepts them or it doesn't.
So yes, you are correct in saying that it is mainly an automated exchange of terms and an agreement.

[HabibaAbderrahim]

Thank you for the clarification,
I also have a question regarding Contract Policy vs Access Policy like in this example :
"accessPolicyId": "eu-policy",
"contractPolicyId": "eu-policy",
Is it generally recommended to keep them the same, or are there use cases where Contract Policy and Access Policy should differ? For instance, could the contract allow negotiation under certain conditions, but the access policy enforce stricter runtime constraints?

[paullatzelsperger]

accessPolicy determines who gets to see an entry ("asset" or "dataset") in the catalog, and the contractPolicy determines who can negotiate a contract for an asset. For example, you might offer everyone in the EU to see your catalog, but only those company headquartered in Sweden may negotiate a contract.

While technically possible, it does not make much sense logically for the access policy to be more restrictive than the contract policy.

Whether they should be the same or not is completely up to the use case at hand and we cannot make a recommendation.

[HabibaAbderrahim]

Thanks for the clarification.