What’s coming up on EU technology policy?

Ahead of the ‘rentrée‘ and end of the summer recess, here is Euronews’ guide for what to expect of technology policy in the coming months, and a catch up on what you might have missed during the summer break.

What’s coming up:

(New?) Commissioner on digital

In October, the European Parliament is set to approve the new Commissioners, and we will know who will succeed Thierry Breton as Internal Market Commissioner in charge of a range of digital files. Breton, who has been nominated for a second mandate, might succeed himself, as most of the other candidates lack technology experience.

The newly elected college of commissioners is expected to take office on 1 November but delays cannot be excluded. Euronews gathered the confirmed and rumoured candidates, as well as their desired portfolio, in its constantly updated Commissioners Tracker.

US elections

Former Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris are running neck and neck in the opinion polls for the Presidential election. The results could significantly impact the country’s relationship with the EU, and more generally, would also affect its tech policy. Kamala Harris, with her strong connections to Silicon Valley and emphasis on ethical tech innovation, is likely to continue Biden’s approach, which is closer to the EU’s regulatory focus on AI safety and digital governance.

Under a next Trump administration there will likely be an “America First” agenda. His policy prioritising deregulation and domestic issues could potentially lead to renewed transatlantic tensions. Trump is supported by tech figures like Elon Musk who has openly opposed EU platform regulations.

AI

The AI Act entered into force in August, but the hard work is just starting. Companies need to begin complying with the rules, but member states also need to start appointing regulators. The AI Office has begun gleaning company feedback in a consultation on trustworthy General Purpose AI ahead of upcoming guidance. 

We are also expecting more to come out of the AI Pact – which are preparatory commitments to help businesses get ready for the legal framework. With the Pact, the Commission aims to let businesses anticipate the AI Act with voluntary commitments and share ideas through workshops organised by the EU executive’s AI Office. The incoming Parliament will likely focus on grey areas such as AI and copyright, liability and AI in the workplace.

CSAM

After the compromise proposed by the Belgian presidency on the controversial Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) Regulation failed last June, new discussions will begin at the Council of the EU in October. The Hungarian presidency will be responsible for reaching a general approach after both the Spanish and Belgian presidencies stalled on the issue of scan encrypted messages and images. The Hungarians plan to find a way out of this deadlock in December.

Cyber

An EU Commission expert group failed to find an agreement on voluntary certificates for cloud services (EUCS) and the debate became politicised in recent months. Discussions are expected to continue after the summer. Meanwhile, the Cyber Security Act (CSA), which gives the EU’s Cybersecurity Agency ENISA a mandate to develop such certificates, is up for a review.

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Telecom

We’re awaiting the results of the consultation on the future of telecom and digital infrastructure which closed in late June, which will be the basis of a Commission proposal in early 2025. The discussion, started by Breton last year, became the subject to heavy lobbying from the telecom industry as well as the biggest platforms. Neither wants to contribute more to the build-out of advanced networks.

Keeping an eye on

The citizens’ initiative ‘Stop Killing Video Games‘ is gaining momentum. The petition, launched on July 31st, has already gathered over 300,000 signatures, calling on the EU to stop video game license publishers from disabling their games when support ends. The authors of this initiative have one year to gather the one million signatures needed for it to be considered by the European Commission.

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Here’s what you missed while you were out:

European chips

In a bid to ramp up European production of microchips, a European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) will be built in Dresden, Saxony. The new plant will produce so-called high performance chips used for automotive and industrial applications, and is set to be operating at full capacity by 2029.

No holiday for Elon Musk

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Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of social media platform X, kicked off July by challenging the Commission’s initial findings that pointed to breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Musk fired back on X, claiming that “The European Commission offered X an illegal secret deal if we quietly censored speech without telling anyone.”

In late July, the UK was shocked by a knife attack, followed by violent protests nationwide. Musk escalated tensions on social media, declaring a “civil war” to be breaking out. These actions could potentially add to the already substantial DSA investigation against X, the Commission told Euronews.

In early August, Musk faced fresh complaints over the use of user data to train X’s AI model. With the US elections drawing nearer, Musk, a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, shared fake video of Kamala Harris and scheduled an interview with the Republican candidate for 13 August. The day before, Thierry Breton issued a letter reminding X of its obligations under the DSA. Despite Musk’s blunt response, he was backed by Republican politicians and civil society who all claimed Breton’s move should be interpreted as election interference.

New Parliament, new faces

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The newly elected Members of the European Parliament gathered for their first plenary session from July 16 to 19. Euronews prepared a list of those who will be influential in tech and digital matters during this term. Among them are two former Meta employees, reigniting the conversation on regulating revolving doors. The next plenary session will take place from September 16 to 19 in Strasbourg.