Promoting and protecting digital sovereignty in the EU
On Wednesday, MEPs will debate with Council and Commission representatives ways to promote and protect the EU’s digital rules and reduce tech dependency on non-EU actors.
The debate will likely focus on the importance of building a secure and autonomous digital economy and of implementing the EU’s digital rules in full. These rules include the Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts, the AI Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, the Data Act, the Chips Act and the Crypto-assets rules. MEPs are expected to call on the Commission to make full use of its regulatory powers, to maintain the highest standards for its citizens and businesses and to step up investment in EU digital infrastructure.
Background
Since the EU-US trade agreement was reached over the summer, pressure to defend the EU’s digital rulebook has been rising. The US administration meanwhile alleges US tech companies are being unfairly targeted in Europe.
In her State of the Union speech, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reassured MEPs that “whether on environmental or digital regulation: We set our own standards. We set our own regulations. Europe will always decide for itself”. She presented the Commission’s plans to boost investment in Europe’s tech sovereignty, speed up funding for digital and clean tech, and simplify rules for companies. Among the initiatives von der Leyen announced were the “28th regime” (a new legal framework for innovative companies), the savings and investment union, the “Scaleup Europe” fund, a cloud and artificial intelligence development act, and the EU quantum sandbox.
Procedure: Council and Commission statements, no resolution
Debate: Wednesday 8 October