Policy & Law
17.02.2026

The View from Brussels #06-2026

News, Publications and Consultations from the Past Week

News CW 06 (02-08.02.2026)

Data Act: The EU Commission has published draft guidelines for reasonable compensation pursuant to Article 9 of the Data Act as part of a consultation. The provision contains guidelines for calculating compensation for data sharing. Feedback on the draft can be submitted until 20 February 2026.

AI: The second International AI Safety Report has been published. The expert report deals with the capabilities and risks of general-purpose AI systems.

Media freedom: The EU Commission has published guidelines on Article 18 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). The standard contains requirements on the content of media service providers on very large online platforms and the implementation of a corresponding declaration function.

Submarine data cables: The EU is investing €347 million in the security and resilience of deep-sea cables.

DMA: The EU Commission has decided that Apple Ads and Apple Maps do not fall under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Social media: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SĂĄnchez has announced that his government plans will ban children under the age of 16 from accessing social media.

Digital tax: Members of the European Parliament have spoken out in favour of introducing a digital tax or digital levy. The idea had been put on hold by the European Commission during negotiations on a trade agreement with the US.

Selected Publications from the EP Think Tanks

Ongoing Relevant European Commission Consultations

(until 24.02.2026)

Selections of the Current Week, CW 07 (09-15.02.2026)

Council:

The current preview of the Council’s work for the upcoming days until 22.02.2026 can be found here.

Summit and Ministerial Meetings:

  • Informal EU leaders` retreat, 02.2026

Preparatory Bodies:

 

An overview of the various Council dates can be found here.

Commission:

The agenda of the current Commission meeting was not available at our time of writing. You can potentially find it on the Commission’s website in the near future.

Parliament:

Plenary Sittings (STRA)

The agenda for the current plenary sittings week can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

Here you can find a list of the upcoming dates of the European Parliament. The calendar of the plenary sittings for 2026 is available here (PDF).

Committees

LIBE Committee (Civil Liberties)

No meeting of the LIBE Committee is scheduled for this week.

The current timetables of the LIBE Committee can be found here.

JURI Committee (Legal Affairs)

The agenda for the current meeting of the JURI Committee taking place on 12.02.2026 can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

  • Amending Regulations (EU) 2024/1689 and (EU) 2018/1139 as regards the simplification of the implementation of harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Digital Omnibus on AI)

The current timetables of the JURI Committee can be found here.

ITRE Committee (Industry)

No meeting of the ITRE Committee is scheduled for this week.

The current timetables of the ITRE Committee (as of 03.02.2026) can be found here.

IMCO Committee (Internal Market)

No meeting of the IMCO Committee is scheduled for this week.

The current timetables of the IMCO Committee (as of 27.01.2026) can be found here.

CULT Committee (Culture and Education)

The agenda for the current meeting of the CULT Committee taking place on 09.02.2026 can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

  • Amending Regulations (EU) 2024/1689 and (EU) 2018/1139 as regards the simplification of the implementation of harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Digital Omnibus on AI)

The current timetables of the CULT Committee can be found here.

 

Outlook:

An overview of the following session weeks can be found here.

 

European Court of Justice

You can find the judicial calendar of the CJEU here.

  • The judgment in the case WhatsApp Ireland v. European Data Protection Board (C-97/23 P) is scheduled for Tuesday, 10 February 2026.
  • The Opinion of the Advocate General in the case Traugott Ickeroth (C-67/25) is scheduled for Thursday, 12 February 2026.
The View from Brussels #48-2025 1

You might also be interested in

eco Board Member Norbert Pohlmann on Log4J Security Vulnerability: Cyber crime hits new level – German federal government must continue to promote trust and security on the Internet
Security

1. eco Industry Pulse 2026

Cyber attacks are considered the greatest security risk by the German population. This is shown by the current Munich Security Index 2026, which was published ahead of the Munich Security Conference. However, a survey of IT decision-makers in Germany commissioned by eco Association and conducted by the polling institute Civey paints a more nuanced picture.
17.02.2026
Gcore Joins the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany
Policy & Law

Gcore Joins the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany

Gcore operates its own global IT infrastructure across six continents and is the newest member of the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of eco. In this interview, Elena Simon, Managing Director of Gcore DACH, addresses the key challenges and significant advantages of Germany as a digital location.
02.02.2026
Securing Europe’s Digital Future through Trust, Sovereignty, and Policy
Policy & Law
dotmagazine

Securing Europe’s Digital Future through Trust, Sovereignty, and Policy

dotmagazine is an international online magazine covering Internet industry topics, featuring articles from members and partners. This particular edition highlights how Europe can build digital trust, strengthen sovereignty, and align policy, technology, and leadership for a secure digital future.  
28.01.2026