Wiser Regulation Featured

Better regulation: speed should not become a substitute for transparency

On February 4, the Commission closed its Better Regulation consultation: most of the 286 respondents urged keeping impact assessments and consultation tools strong.

Connectivity Featured

Confusing messaging on potential network fees at the ITRE committee

At ITRE, EVP Henna Virkkunen pitched the Digital Networks Act. The DNA's Articles 191–193 revive fears of de facto network fees, and S&D’s Mattias Ecke pressed for safeguards. The Commission offered little clarity and hinted it could later “revise” the mechanism.

AI Featured

Estonian ambition to leverage AI: 50% GDP increase by 2035

Estonia just launched eesti.AI project, targeting +25% GDP by 2030 and +50% by 2035, by pairing AI with its digital-state know-how and public-private partnerships to deliver scalable AI applications .

Wiser Regulation Featured

Italo-German competitiveness to-do list for Europe

Merz and Meloni’s updated Italo-German Plan of Action doubles down on legislative self-restraint, simplification, and better regulation. The real test now is the Omnibus push and a Better Regulation reform.

Connectivity Featured

Digital Networks Act: backdoors for network fees and more

The Commission’s draft Digital Networks Act would replace the 2018 EECC and reopen old fights: less national control over spectrum, a costly copper switch-off by 2035, and a “voluntary” conciliation backdoor that could revive de facto network fees.

AI Featured

Who uses AI in Europe - and where it’s still taboo

The EU is funding AI adoption, drafting preparedness plans, and issuing ethics guidance, but AI tool use remains uneven and sometimes taboo. With 64% of Europeans saying AI literacy will be essential by 2030, the real test is turning ambition into measurable, high-scale outcomes.

Innovation Featured

Europe will not be sovereign behind walls

As digital sovereignty rises on the agenda, Denmark’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Caroline Stage, and Danish Entrepreneurs’ Peter Kofler argue Europe won’t secure its future by turning inward, but by boosting competitiveness, innovation, and scaling in an open global economy.

News Featured

2026: a year for preparation and a sharper focus

2026 is the EU’s digital “set-up” year: a time to simplify rules, set priorities, and brace for transatlantic spillovers as major legislative initiatives race toward 2027.

Featured

Time to tone down the arrogance - we need the 28th regime to be ambitious

In 2026 Q1, the Commission will propose the 28th regime - an EU-wide regime for corporate law. It won’t fix everything, but it’s a real test: do we build a single market for founders, or another paper initiative?

Featured

Between a rock and a hard place: Europe needs a mental shift in 2026

The world that many generations of Europeans, especially Western Europeans, have been used to is now gone, and a change in perspective is needed. Either we do it willingly, or worsening circumstances will force that change upon us.

News Featured

US threatens European companies (and why it may not have the desired effect)

US trade officials warned on X that European service providers could face fees and restrictions if the EU keeps “discriminatory” tech rules.

AI Featured

Europe has both a competitiveness and a fantasy-thinking problem

As EU governments discuss the Digital Omnibus, Europe is divided: some see the Omnibus as a necessary step to help European companies, while others cling to rules like the GDPR and the AI Act.

Connectivity Featured

EU’s plans to reduce dependency on high-risk vendors

As the EU prepares to revise its Cybersecurity Act, the EU is quietly choking off funding for “high-risk” Chinese 5G vendors, pushing mobile operators and Member States toward European suppliers like Nokia and Ericsson.

Connectivity Featured

Digital Networks Act: new pushback from 6 EU member states

Six EU countries are challenging the upcoming Digital Networks Act, pushing to keep national control over key telecom rules. Meanwhile, European consumers, trade partners, and the EU’s own watchdog cast doubt on the Commission’s plans.

Privacy Featured

Old wine in new bottles: Denmark strong-arms the EU on Chat Control

Despite fierce criticism from privacy advocates, EU governments have backed a "compromise” Chat Control deal that still paves the way for mass scanning of encrypted messages and de facto digital ID checks for all users.

Privacy Featured

Time to talk about encryption (again)

Consumer Choice Center Europe has joined a global statement defending strong encryption, warning that efforts to fight online crime must not weaken secure communication or end-to-end encryption as the EU debates the controversial Chat Control proposal.

Best practices Featured

Reforms to boost AI in the EU: an overview of TBI’s ideas

A new Tony Blair Institute paper lays out how Europe can stay competitive in the AI age – by reforming regulation and capital markets, boosting compute and energy, and exporting its digital government stack.

Privacy Featured

A dangerous new proposal for Chat Control

Denmark’s EU Presidency has released a new, 203-page draft for Chat Control. Despite diplomatic tweaks, vague “risk mitigation” obligations could still require scanning of private messages, including those encrypted.

News Featured

EU Commission’s 2026 work programme: what’s next for digital

19 EU leaders urge “self-restraint” on new laws, yet the EU's 2026 plan is packed: 68 new initiatives, 20 evaluations, 153 pending files. Digital highlights: Public Procurement, Cloud & AI Development Act, Digital Fairness Act, plus pending digital euro and Chat Control.

Data Featured

Between the lines: GDPR in the EU Data Strategy Union consultation

DG Connect’s recap of the EU Data Strategy consultation brings few surprises: Western Europe led participation, Europeans are more active in providing unique feedback, and 25% want the GDPR reviewed.

Privacy Featured

New Danish proposal for Chat Control: three fat problems remain

Denmark’s update to the EU “chat control” plan shifts to “voluntary” scanning, but ex-MEP Patrick Breyer warns it still sidesteps Parliament’s court-order safeguard, would ban under-16s from messaging apps, and could effectively end anonymous communication.

DMA Featured

CEE consumers’ DMA experience and two ways to fix it

A new ECIPE/EPPP paper, based on a 3,500-person CEE survey, finds low DMA awareness but clear UX fallout: slower launches, missing features, and safety worries. The authors urge two paths: repeal the DMA or reform it to put consumers first.

Data Featured

What do Europeans have to say about the Digital Fairness Act?

Record 4,325 Call for Evidence submissions (boosted by gamers) show a split. Most business groups opposed it, and many publicly funded NGOs supported it. The EU “champions” (Wolt, Ryanair, Vinted, Spotify) warned of over-regulation, urging focus on implementation.

Best practices Featured

Is the EUDI wallet a digital silver bullet?

When EU policymakers launched the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI) under eIDAS 2.0, they promised a secure single ID for seamless cross-border use. But seen through the lens of wicked problems, it’s no silver bullet—more a starting point that merits cautious optimism

Best practices Featured

The DFA’s public consultation exposes Europe’s survey sore spots

The DFA consultation is structured in a traditionally biased way: supporters of more regulation can justify their view, while dissenters cannot. To uphold Better Regulation principles, the Commission should adopt a neutral, balanced survey design.