The Commission recently presented new initiatives to transform the connectivity sector, including the ‘Gigabit Infrastructure Act’, which aims at answering the growing demand for more bandwith. But infrastructure is only one part of the answer. Fostering innovation, boosting citizens’ and workers’ skills as well as created a safe ecosystem are also crucial to accomplish the digital transformation succesfully, and while leaving no one behind.

The newly adopted DSA and DMA need to be implemented in an effective and proportionate manner. By disclosing their EU user-counts, large online platforms have taken the first step towards strengthening their accountability. They will also shortly be subject to more stringent rules.

• How are the different stakeholders preparing for implementation?
• What should the Commission care about?
• What are the right processes to be set up?
• How will success be measured?

Data is the new infrastructure for innovation and therefore ensuring the free movement of data remains fundamental in an interconnected global tech market. The von der Leyen Commission took many initiatives to build a single market for data, with the Data Governance Act, the Data Act, and the common European data spaces. The EU’s data strategy aims to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty and boost economic growth and innovation. However, the question of how to turn the idea of digital sovereignty into a digital breakthrough in Europe remains. 

• Will the EU’s data laws deliver?
• How will the new legislation be able to complement existing legislation on data (i.e. GDPR, Open datadirective, the DMA, Free flow of non-personal data regulation)? Is there a risk of creating legal fragmentation?
• What is further needed to increase data-based innovation in Europe and beyond?
• How to strike the right balance between data-sharing and protecting users’ privacy and security?

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States around the world are willing to take back control of the cyberspace with new rules and standards. However, digital services are inherently global and therefore, it is key that those new regulations and their enforcement are coordinated at the global level.

• How should such coordination be set up?
• Which institutions should obtain this mandate?
• Can the EU lead by example?
• Which international partnerships, such as transatlantic collaboration should be built?

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ChatGPT’s raise to popularity undoubtedly highlighted the increasingly large part Artificial Intelligence plays in our daily lives, from social media to medical devices or customer services, and in industries such as agriculture With the AI act still under negotiations between the Council and Parliament, the definition of AI, the scope of the regulation and what counts as a high-risk area is still being decided.

• Can the AI Act set international standards?
• What should be classified as high-risk use of AI?
• How to strike the right balance between innovation and safety?
• Will the AI Liability Directive offer sufficient protection?

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ICT has been recognised as a vital enabler of greater efficiency and sustainability across sectors such as energy, transport, housing and agriculture. However, some policymakers and civil society organisations are expressing concern that the environmental footprint and energy consumption of the ICT sector itself may undermine gains made elsewhere. EU legislative initiatives such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the recently proposed “Right to Repair” Directive aim to tackle this issue at the product level, while other recent proposals also aim to improve the environmental footprint of facilities such as data centres. Additionally, consumer voices are also calling for, in addition to sustainable product design and recyclability, increased durability across the board.

• How is  the EU trying to promote circularity across the ICT supply chain?
• Beyond existing proposals, what other policy and/or corporate initiatives are need to ensure full-lifecycle sustainability of digital products and services?
• What will be the impact of other cross-sector initiatives designed to protect consumers, e.g. “Green Claims” directive?

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There are claims that the current generation of networks are not ready for the ongoing digital transformation – encompassing technologies like connected cars or smart cities. The Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) will put forward new rules to enable faster, cheaper, and more effective networks. There is also a need to develop smarter and faster services to drive demand for these networks, including new cloud, data, AI, and VR technologies.

• What financing model can match the investment needs?
• Who should participate to the cost of their access and use of the networks?

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The Commission recently presented new initiatives to transform the connectivity sector, including the ‘Gigabit Infrastructure Act’, which aims at answering the growing demand for more bandwidth. But infrastructure is only one part of the answer. Fostering innovation, boosting citizens’ and workers’ skills as well as creating a safe ecosystem are also crucial to successfully accomplish the digital transformation while leaving no one behind.

A conversation with: