The document discusses the importance of metadata in promoting fair data practices and open science, emphasizing its role in making research data accessible, reliable, and interoperable. It outlines policy actions, metadata principles, and standards required for effective data management, particularly in the context of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). Additionally, it highlights the need for 'cool' metadata characteristics such as completeness, accuracy, and timeliness to enhance the usability of scientific data.