EU Tech Loop

⭕ How have the CEE governments performed in their digital transformation efforts over the past six months? 👉 Take a look at our latest E-GOV OWL report to find out more: https://lnkd.in/dZCKZdhB

🗒️ Ursula von der Leyen has set clear KPIs for the European Commission to reduce administrative burdens: reporting obligations must be cut by at least 25%, and for SMEs by at least 35%. 🔀 Efforts to reduce administrative burdens for both SMEs and public administrations are not new - various initiatives have been in place for some time. ‼️ It is crucial that the new Commission's ambition does not follow the 'old way': the EU must seize the momentum, ensure broad public participation, and adopt digital tools to track proposals and institutional progress in real-time! https://lnkd.in/dMBR2WHd

🇭🇺 The Hungarians criticize foreign interference in Romanian elections via social media, likening Western platforms to CCP propaganda. This may result in stricter media controls ahead of its 2026 elections. 👉 Click the link below to read more https://lnkd.in/dRHA-GqQ

🇪🇺 Last week, European ministers gathered in Brussels for the Transport, telecommunications and Energy (#TTE) Council. What were major topics for digital? 1️⃣ Conclusions adopted on strengthening ENISA (EU agency for cybersecurity) 2️⃣ Polish Presidency's priorities 3️⃣ Conclusions adopted on the Commission's white paper 'How to master EU's digital infrastructure needs' 🔎 What did we find the most interesting about #3? ✅ LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. The Council was modest about achieving a 'level playing field' via extending the same rules for all ecosystem players. Net neturality, functioning internet ecosystem and contractual freedom were emphasized. ✅ TELCO MERGERS. The Council does not want the EU to make quick decisions regarding easier mergers in the telecommunications sector without considering the benefits of the current ecosystem and its' impact on consumers. ✅ IP INTERCONNECTION DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS. The Council has also expressed a desire not to move forward with new initiatives regarding internet protocol interconnection dispute resolution mechanisms, stating that the existing ones function well and potential future action should be carefully weighed. 👉 Read more: https://lnkd.in/d5FWZvPu

📣 There’s a clear gap between the US and the EU when it comes to building large, innovative tech companies. Over the last 50 years, the US has seen many $10 billion+ tech giants emerge. In contrast, the EU has produced far fewer, with its top companies often being older and less focused on tech. What do we need?  ✅ Single Market ✅ Better access to finance ✅ Principle-based action on cutting the red tape https://lnkd.in/daqez9YP

Welcome to November's edition of the EU Tech Loop wrap-up! This month, we explored the major topics shaping Europe’s digital future: from the new EU Commission’s tech agenda and the Digital Networks Act to lessons from Ukraine’s e-government successes, the state of AI regulatory sandboxes, BRICS digital sovereignty plans, the EU's efforts to cut red tape, and the window of opportunity for EU-US tech cooperation. Dive in!

We reviewed Ursula von der Leyen's mission letters to Commissioners, highlighting key agenda points for European tech over the next five years. Read more: https://lnkd.in/db5rKnPF

🇪🇺 Yesterday, the European Parliament approved the new College of Commissioners at the European Commission, set to begin work on December 1, 2024. 🎯 The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, once again emphasized the importance of boosting European competitiveness through a concept she calls the Competitiveness Compass, which will focus on three main areas: 1) closing the innovation gap with the US and China;  2) developing a joint plan for decarbonization and competitiveness; and  3) enhancing security and reducing dependencies. 🔎 We reviewed the mission letters Ursula von der Leyen previously sent to the Commissioners and analyzed the agenda points relevant to European tech sector for the next five years, focusing on its’ potential impact on: ▪️ European competitiveness ▪️ Consumers ▪️ Innovation ▪️ EU’s Member State public administrations https://lnkd.in/db5rKnPF

🇪🇺 📝 The European Commission pledged to reduce administrative burden, enhance interinstitutional cooperation, and ensure better regulation. 🇺🇸 Donald Trump appointed Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to "cut wasteful government expenditure" and "slash excess regulations," among other objectives. ❌ Easy way is not the European way: ▪ No promises have been made regarding staff reductions - quite the opposite. ▪ Henna Virkkunen made modest and realistic statements about reducing the administrative burden in her EP hearings. No big promises before collecting the data and seeing where the administrative burden can be reduced. ❗ It's important that these plans don't turn into another exercise in red-tape-cut-washing: 1️⃣ Better regulation principles must be applied with greater strength, transparency, and stakeholder involvement. 2️⃣ New regulations should improve conditions for everyone - not make it equally difficult for everybody. 3️⃣ European companies are pragmatic - they comply and are absolutely happy with size-based exemptions until they scale. Then, a relocation option is considered. The EU has to plan for the success of European business, long term.  4️⃣ Overregulation impacts national administrations too. The administrative apparatus can only expand so much before it becomes a target for populists advocating simple solutions to complex problems 5️⃣ The EU is already far ahead of everyone in terms of consumer protection and regulatory guardrails. The race isn’t about new regulations - the race should be about achieving global impact, economic development, and winning the hearts and minds of the brightest talent. https://lnkd.in/d5kgwNiM

⭕ If European data is not available to train AI models, then it stands to reason that any European AI experience will be crummy, inaccurate, or reflect poor public data. ✅ More targeted guidance and flexibility will be key to enabling Europeans to create AI tools that consumers want. But we will also have to be vigilant that we don't give way to the naysayers who want to impede progress. https://lnkd.in/dER_6biD