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.
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
US trade officials warned on X that European service providers could face fees and restrictions if the EU keeps “discriminatory” tech rules.
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.
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.
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.
Analysis of EU innovation, consumer and tech policy
