Disruptive Competition Project
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European Union
As the European Commission prepares to revise the Cybersecurity Act (CSA), Europe faces a critical moment to learn from past mistakes. Originally adopted in 2019 to build trust in information and communications technology (ICT) products and services, the CSA has yet to produce a single technology-specific certification scheme ready for adoption across the EU market.
Everyone in the digital sector shares responsibility for safeguarding young people online. Yet as policymakers across Europe debate new measures to protect minors on the internet, a pressing question arises: aren’t we about to inadvertently curb the very freedoms that once made the internet a space for growth, creativity, and connection?
The European Union is seeking to modernise consumer protection, and has announced plans for a Digital Fairness Act (DFA) in 2026. The process began in 2024, when the European Commission published its Digital Fairness Fitness Check, evaluating whether EU consumer laws remain fit for purpose and identifying harmful online practices.
The Single Market is the backbone of the European Union’s economic strength, built on the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. As its external frontier, the Customs Union plays a pivotal role – ensuring trade with the rest of the world flows smoothly.
In the context of the European Commission’s call for evidence on the upcoming Digital Networks Act, it’s important to clear up some telecom myths clouding the debate.
Global battery demand is experiencing an unprecedented surge, partly due to the growing shift towards more sustainable, battery-powered products – such as electric cars and bicycles, but also large-scale industrial energy storage systems. However, this exponential growth also brings considerable economic, environmental, and social challenges.
The European Commission should drop the idea of introducing an arbitration or dispute resolution mechanism via the Digital Networks Act for possible conflicts between telecom operators and other ISPs or content providers. This is because: there is no market failure justifying such regulation; existing tools can address the few disputes that do arise; it would unfairly benefit dominant telecom operators and effectively introduce network fees.
While it can be easy to overlook implementation and enforcement of new tech and digital rules once they have been adopted by EU lawmakers, recent experience underlines the need to keep a close eye on these important final steps in the process. Because this is when regulators and companies test the practicality of tech rules, and when European citizens actually ought to reap the benefits.
In today’s rapidly evolving economy, the European Union faces a pressing challenge: a significant shortage of skilled human capital. This issue is particularly pronounced in the tech sector, where digital firms struggle to find the talent they need to innovate in Europe.
The European Commission’s AI Office recently released the third draft of the Code of Practice for Providers of General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Models – the last one subject to stakeholder feedback. Unfortunately, the measures in this third draft remain concerning, as they continue to go beyond the Act’s actual requirements.
