Connectivity Featured

Digital Networks Act, digital network fees & extending telco rules to digital services: what to expect in 2025?

One of the key agenda points for the upcoming Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union (starting on the January 1, 2025) will be the Digital Networks Act (DNA). The Polish objective is to have an orientation debate and progress report.

News Featured

Letter to Henna Virkkunen in anticipation of Parliament hearings next week

[This is a repost of CCC Europe's letter to VP & Commissioner-designate for Technological sovereignty, security, and democracy Henna Virkkunen in anticipation of European Parliament hearings next week.]

Global Featured

Post US election: let's not bury the future of transatlantic tech cooperation yet

After the U.S. election, some Europeans are calling for greater EU digital sovereignty. Amid global challenges and a shift from a rules-based international order, the EU and U.S. now need to restart constructive dialogue on tech cooperation.

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The EU’s proposals do not match its words on tech overregulation

Talk of red tape’s adverse effects on European tech is becoming popular in Brussels. EU's policymakers hailed former ECB Chief Mario Draghi’s report and subsequent comments on European lack of competitiveness in the tech sector.

Global Featured

What can the EU learn from Ukraine’s digital transformation?

Since Russia's aggression began, Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation has gained attention for its cutting-edge, user-friendly e-government solutions that ensure service continuity and set a global standard. Here’s a look at initiatives the EU can learn from

Connectivity Featured

5G rollout vs uptake in the EU: challenges ahead

The rollout and adoption of 5G technology in the European Union are essential for the region's digital future. This technology enables advancements in healthcare, smart cities, and connected vehicles. While the European dialogue lately revolves around the rollout and additional investments needed, the consumer uptake issues often are

Innovation Featured

Infinite scroll and auto-play unjustly under fire

About a year ago, the European Parliament addressed once again the now mainstream concern of the "addictiveness" of social media, claiming that features such as infinite scroll and auto-playing videos are to blame for hocking users to their apps.

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EU Tech Loop wrap-up: October 2024

With Commissioners-designate soon heading into European Parliament committee hearings and the entire College of Commissioners expected to be approved by early December, the EU tech industry—and consumers—are eagerly awaiting to see what comes next.

News Featured

All eyes on the upcoming Polish presidency of the Council of EU: a window of opportunity for a change in tech regulation

With the tumultuous Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU slowly coming to an end, all eyes are now on the next — Polish one.

Innovation Featured

AI race revisited: how long until China catches up and what can EU & the US do to cooperate better

The the EU, US, Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and other liberal democracies should identify barriers to successful AI cooperation and work on reducing among their economies.

Global Featured

Trans-Atlantic tech cooperation: a plea for Brussels and Washington to work together

In times of war and geopolitical tensions, collaboration between the EU and the US on tech policy is more needed than ever. But despite several attempts to find a common line and more integrated technology trade, both sides struggle to come up with a coherent solution to their policy disputes.

Featured

Outcomes of introducing network fees in South Korea: the impact on consumers and internet experience

Imposing network fees (a newer concept for ‘fair share’) is not an idea exceptional to the European Union. South Korea, a country known for its technological innovation and global leader in internet infrastructure, introduced network fees back in 2016.

Connectivity Featured

Reducing Chinese influence in the EU's telco: Poland moves ahead

Poland has recently announced its plans to phase out Chinese equipment from its telecom infrastructure, particularly 5G networks, where Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE have significant market shares.

News Featured

EU Tech Loop wrap-up: September 2024

EU's September was rich in tech and telco debates: the proposed Commissioners were revealed, Draghi published his competitiveness proposals, the Commission's consultation results on digital infrastructure needs were released.

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Google Cloud’s antitrust complaint against Microsoft explained

The EU's antitrust saga continues. Last week, Google Cloud filed an official complaint with the Commission regarding Microsoft Azure's anti-competitive licensing practices in cloud computing.

E-governance Featured

Bad ideas resurface: expanding telco rules to digital and cloud and rebirth of 'fair share'

Brussels is back to business, so are the discussions on the European Commission’s White paper “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs.”

AI Featured

AI & EU: time to empower innovators

Inspired by an open letter "Europe needs regulatory certainty on AI" Countries can be leading in culture and sciences before they fall back for decades or even centuries. The Roman Empire is one of the many examples of human history that could see the rise and fall of

E-governance Featured

Draghi report: innovation, telco, tech and to-do's for smaller EU Member States

The former head of the European Central Bank (ECB), Mario Draghi, presented his competitiveness report this week.   Draghi's report is best read after getting acquainted with Enrico Letta’s Single Market report, as well as Ursula von der Leyen’s political guidelines for 2025-2029, published earlier this year.

News Featured

Llama, Gemini, now iPhone - the impact of EU's tech regulations for consumers

Between 2019 and 2024, the European Commission adopted a series of new regulations for the tech sector, including the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act, the Artificial Intelligence Act, and many others.  These measures aim to shape the future of the digital landscape in Europe, but, naturally, they also

AI Featured

AI Treaty set for signing in Vilnius: what it means for global AI governance

On Thursday, September 5, 2024, within the framework of the Council of Europe, the AI Treaty, officially known as the “Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law”, will be signed in Vilnius, Lithuania.

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EU Tech Loop wrap-up: August 2024

August was quiet for the EU tech policy bubble, but soon it'll be back to action with the Hungarian Presidency, a new European Commission, and controversial ideas revisited. Last month, we covered key discussions—from Musk vs. Breton to von der Leyen's future plans. Enjoy the read!

Fintech Featured

The EU’s revised Consumer Credit Directive leaves European consumers with fewer choices and more financial struggles

You have seen the option if you have ever shopped online. Instead of paying in full for a product, you can have the item delivered immediately with a smaller up-front payment and cover the rest of the bill in several interest-free installments. The term for the practice is buy now,

Privacy Featured

Digital citizenship to kick off in Hungary – Chinese or Estonian style?

Digital citizenship in Hungary has become a pressing issue as the government pursues initiatives to centralize and digitize citizens' personal information.

Data Featured

How the EU's Data Protection Authorities handle GDPR application

Last month, the European Commission's Directorate General for Justice and Consumers released a second report on the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has been in effect since 2018.

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Tech-related ideas in von der Leyen’s political guidelines 2024-2029

Nearly a month after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's re-election, Europe is eagerly awaiting the formation of the new Commission.