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AIG Newsletter 17 April 2023

Lesedauer: 3 Minuten

04.08.2023

NEWS

Parliament’s CULT committee publishes its draft European Media Freedom Act report

On 31 March, the CULT committee published its draft report on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). The amendments in the draft report focuses on media freedom and the independence of journalists, and seeks to balance the need for media pluralism and independence, against the need to respect the domestic laws of EUMS. Rapporteur Sabine Verheyen (EPP) also proposed several amendments in key areas such as content moderation to market concentration.

Commission publishes a call for evidence on Virtual Worlds

On 5 April, the Commission published acall for evidence on Virtual Worlds. Virtual Worlds, which is also referred to as Metaverses, is a Commission backed initiative that aims to capitalise on the potential opportunities posed by the Metaverse for businesses and employment. The EU’s values of openness, safety and respect have been stressed by the EU as forming the inspiration and guiding philosophy behind the initiative. Virtual Worlds has the potential to contribute significantly to numerous sectors, ranging from art & design, to logistics, engineering and manufacturing. The feedback period will open on 5 April and will close on 3 May 2023.

European data regulator forms 'ChatGPT taskforce'

On 13 April, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) set up a taskforce to cooperate and exchange information on enforcing EU laws on OpenAI, the organisation that launched ChatGPT. The decision was taken, following calls from numerous European regulators for greater coordination in response to the activities of the AI chatbot. Italy’s privacy regulator began investigating ChatGPT in March and ordered a temporary ban on the processing of the personal data of Italian users, following allegations of GPDR breaches.

EU and Japan meet to discuss mutual data adequacy arrangement

On 4 April, the Commissioner Reynders Mieko Tanno, the chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission of Japan (PPC), announced the end of the first review of the EU-Japan mutual adequacy arrangement. The EU and Japan had previously classified their data protection regimes as 'equivalent' in 2019. The review showed that the convergence between the two data protection systems has increased over the years, with the adequacy arrangement proving to have worked successfully so far.

WP on Consumer Protection and Information to discuss repair of goods and green transition

The Working Party On Consumer Protection And Information will meet on April 21, 2023. Agenda items include: Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules promoting the repair of goods and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394, Directives (EU) 2019/771 and (EU) 2020/1828; Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directives 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU as regards empowering consumers for the green transition.

MEPs vote for resolution opposing draft adequacy decision

In a resolution adopted by LIBE Committee MEPs on Thursday, MEPs argued that the European Commission should not grant the US an adequacy decision deeming its level of personal data protection essentially equivalent to that of the EU and allowing for transfers of personal data between the EU and US. According to the text, the EU-US Data Privacy Framework was an improvement on previous frameworks but did not provide for sufficient safeguards. MEPs noted that the framework still allowed for bulk collection of personal data in certain cases, does not make bulk data collection subject to independent prior authorisation, and does not provide for clear rules on data retention.