AIG Newsletter 23 September 2024

In this week's edition: Mario Draghi presents his competitiveness report, outlining priorities for EU growth and innovation. EC President von der Leyen unveils a new College of Commissioners, striking a balance of gender, political, and geographical representation. The AI Board convenes for its first meeting. The EDPB and EC agree to develop guidance on GDPR and DMA interplay. IMCO holds discussions on DSA's enforcement, whilst an EP plenary debate focuses on strengthening the DSA's role in protecting democracy online. IMCO engages in talks on the geo-blocking regulation and the Digital Europe Work Programme 2023-2024 sees a series of amendments. Lastly, the Irish Data Protection Commission launches an inquiry into Google's AI practices.

News

DRAGHI PRESENTS COMPETITIVENESS REPORT

On 17 September, Mario Draghi presented his anticipated report. The report, generally well-received by mainstream political groups but rejected by the far right and left, outlines three key priorities for future growth: closing the innovation gap with the USA and China, aligning decarbonisation with competitiveness, and enhancing security whilst reducing dependencies. Draghi emphasised the need for a stronger economic base to bolster EU global competitiveness and importantly advocated for reforms to support innovators and start-ups, leveraging AI opportunities and creating a European company statute.

NEW COMMISSIONERS' PORTFOLIOS ANNOUNCED

On 17 September, EC President von der Leyen unveiled her list of Commissioner-designates, with Henna Virkkunen named Executive VP for Tech Sovereignty. Von der Leyen strived for gender balance, achieving 40% female representation despite challenges from Member States. The process was marked by last-minute changes, including the resignation of France's Thierry Breton. Von der Leyen presented a more collaborative structure, with six Executive VPs overseeing portfolios that overlap with other commissioners. The nominees now face Parliamentary Committee hearings, starting with a review of their declarations of interest by the Legal Affairs Committee, followed by portfolio-specific questioning.

EC HOLDS INAUGURAL AI BOARD MEETING

On 10 September, the EC convened the inaugural meeting of the AI Board, comprising high-level representatives from the EC and Member States. The meeting agenda covered topics such as the Board's organisational structure and procedural rules; discussion of EU AI policy, including the GenAI4EU initiative and international AI activities; and updates on the EC's initial deliverables for implementing the AI Act.

EDPB AND EC AGREE TO DEVELOP GUIDANCE ON GDPR AND DMA

The EC services responsible for enforcing the DMA and the EDPB have agreed to collaborate on clarifying the relationship between the DMA and the GDPR. Their joint effort will focus on clarifying the obligations applicable to gatekeepers under the DMA that significantly interact with GDPR requirements. 

EP IMCO EXCHANGES VIEWS WITH VIOLA ON DSA 

On 12 September, IMCO held a discussion on the DSA's enforcement and impact, highlighting an urgent need for swifter and more effective implementation to tackle disinformation and protect online users. Concerns were raised about the current measures' efficacy and the delicate balance between content regulation and free speech. The committee stressed the importance of enhancing transparency, expediting investigations into major platforms, improving age verification systems, and the necessity of better data access for research and enforcement purposes.

EP PLENARY DISCUSSES DSA AND DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM ONLINE 

The EP Plenary discussion centred on the DSA and its role in protecting democracy and freedom online with outgoing Executive VP Margrethe Vestager emphasising that the DSA regulates platform responsibilities rather than content, aiming to mitigate negative impacts whilst safeguarding free speech. MEPs expressed concerns about disinformation, the power of tech giants, and the need for swift enforcement. Some praised the DSA as a tool to defend democracy, whilst others criticised it as potential censorship.

EP IMCO EXCHANGES VIEWS WITH EC ON GEO-BLOCKING REGULATION

IMCO held a discussion with the EC about the geo-blocking regulation, highlighting the progress made in reducing geo-blocking practices, but also revealing ongoing challenges in the audio-visual sector. Issues persist with territorial supply constraints, market partitioning practices, and consumer access to cross-border content. The EC acknowledged limitations in addressing these problems due to the Regulation's scope and lack of legal basis for certain actions. The EC plans to continue monitoring and collaborating with stakeholders to improve accessibility and discoverability of content, whilst balancing cultural and copyright considerations.

NEW AMENDMENT TO DIGITAL EUROPE WORK PROGRAMME 2023-2024

The Work Programme 2023-2024 for the Digital Europe Programme has been amended to incorporate new initiatives such as support for an age verification application to protect underage users from unsuitable or illegal content, in line with the DSA, and backing for the third AI Action Summit to be hosted by France in February 2025.

DPC LAUNCHES INQUIRY INTO GOOGLE AI MODEL

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched a cross-border statutory inquiry into Google Ireland Limited to determine whether the company complied with its obligations under the GDPR to conduct a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) before processing EU/EEA data subjects' personal data for its PaLM 2 AI Model.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

25 September: Tech and the new mandate - opportunities and challenges(Euractiv)

9 October: EU Digital Assembly (Living-in.EU)

15 October: All Digital Summit (All Digital Summit, co-funded by the EU)

16 October: The Great Debate - Trust and Transparency (IAB Europe)

17 October: 1st CEF Digital Community Event (European Commission)

Stand: 23.09.2024