The boxes, wires and wireless connectivity that makes everything run.
If Europe wants to compete with the US and China on AI, stanch market share losses to China’s state-sponsored champions, and improve broadband connectivity, it needs to ensure that it gets its “Rip & Replace" policy right, and right now.
The European Commission's goal of tripling the EU’s data center market within 5 to 7 years would not be possible without intrusive market engineering, and CADA does exactly that.
The EU’s tech sovereignty plans are moving forward, but foundational debates persist.
The Commission’s revised Cybersecurity Act may face resistance from China-friendly Member States and telecom operators, who warn of high compliance and vendor-switch costs and seek public reimbursement.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Just in: The US and EU have agreed on a new Framework for Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade after weeks of talks. On digital policy, the EU confirmed it will not adopt or maintain network usage fees, reaffirming the White House’s earlier position.
The IEA's data center map shows that Central and Eastern Europe remains underserved by data centers, despite favorable conditions. As the EU prepares €20B AI Gigafactories, Poland and the Baltics push to secure investment and strengthen the region’s digital sovereignty.”
The current debate on European digital sovereignty largely targets American tech, while 5G infrastructure sovereignty and security are often sidelined as "non-priority" or "too expensive".
Innovation and consumer-centric insights into the EU’s digital policies and initiatives
