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Brussels is slowly emerging from its summer break. However, there is still another week to go before things start to get livelier. The first View from Brussels is therefore a little shorter, allowing you – and us – to gently get back into the swing of things.

The next few weeks will be quiet in Brussels. After this week, the European Parliament will go on its summer recess (MEPs will then have a "Green Week" with no meetings before their holidays), the Council still has a two-week programme ahead of it and, in Luxembourg, the ECJ will no longer be in session after this week. However, some progress was made before the break. The Transatlantic Data Protection Framework was signed by the Commission last week. The Chips Act and the Energy Efficiency Directive were endorsed in plenary last week and are on the Council's agenda for 25 July, before they are expected to be signed and published in the Official Journal after the summer break.

For the last time until September, MEPs are travelling to Strasbourg again today. The Energy Efficiency Directive and the Chips Act, among others, are still on the agenda before the summer break. Last week, the Commission received the green light from the Member States on the TADPF. As early as today, the confirmation of the transatlantic adequacy decision is to be announced. And Maximilian Schrems is already in the starting blocks. In the Council, Spain has already presented the first documents in its first presidential week; including on CSAM and AI.

The Council has a new Presidency since Saturday: Spain holds the reins until the end of the year. However, the country is still awaiting the early parliamentary elections on 23 July and a somewhat divided focus. Large tech companies have until the end of the day to notify the European Commission for which digital markets they qualify as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act. The procedure now seems even more unclear than when the laws came into force. The European Commission may also unveil a new law on Tuesday to improve enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by enhancing cooperation in cross-border cases, including investigations against big companies such as Meta, Amazon and Google.

While the European Parliament has now adopted the e-Evidence package, the Council is still somewhat uneasy with regard to its final official endorsement. In the case of the Renewable Energy Directive, confirmation of the obtained trilogue result is still pending. The EP Committee is expected to give its go-ahead this week, and this is viewed to be followed by the Council in mid-July. The trilogue negotiations on artificial intelligence, on the other hand, are only at the early stages. A first feedback will be given this week in the EP, involving the joint IMCO-LIBE Committee.

Things are relatively quiet at the European Parliament this week, as it is not in session. Last week, however, saw a number of advances, such as the e-Evidence Regulation, the AI position and the annual report on competition policy being adopted in Strasbourg. This week, the Council will participate in numerous working party meetings before the next regular Council meeting takes place in the following week. In that week, the time of the Swedish Presidency will also expire.

Another Strasbourg week is on the agenda for the European Parliament. Eva Kaili could also be back in the chamber after her time out. E-Evidence and artificial intelligence will be two of the items on the agenda. The plenary sessions week will be followed by another session-free week. In the Council, multiple working party meetings will take place, with CSAM, EMFA and the Data Act on the agenda.

As the Telecom Council convened last week, its agenda included the Data Act, eIDAS, AI, ePrivacy and GIA. Last week also revealed that MEPs in the LIBE Committee had tabled over 1,600 amendments to the CSAM report. Meanwhile, in the Commission, M. Vestager and T. Breton announced a voluntary code of practice for AI, as well as an AI Pact.

As May draws to a close, this short week will see a mini-plenary session taking place in Brussels. While the report on the AI Act won’t be on the agenda this week, it will be on the cards of the next plenary session. Regarding CSAM: the FEMM and IMCO opinions are to be voted on at the end of June. Following its postponement, RED III could also be on the agenda at that time. This Friday, the Telecommunications Council will take place. As usual, some relevant topics are on the agenda, e.g. GIA, CRA, eIDAS, Data Act, ePrivacy, AI and DESI.

The week gone by was relatively quiet, with the main news relating to the CSAM, as well as the telecoms sector; here there are deadlines for feedback on the Gigabit Infrastructure Act and the consultation on the future of the electronic communications sector and its infrastructure. This week, things in Brussels are once again getting a bit livelier, involving committee meetings in the EP, Council meetings, numerous Council working party meetings, and a further meet-up of the Commission.

This week in Brussels, things are once again a little quieter than usual – and Thursday is also a bank holiday. MEPs from the EP LIBE Committee will travel to the US to meet with government and FTC representatives. Meanwhile, a delegation from the IMCO Committee will travel to Japan. The plenary vote on the e-Evidence proposal didn’t take place and is now due to happen on 13 June. Meanwhile, opposition has been expressed to the CSAM proposal – now also in the Council – and to the TADPF – still in the Parliament.

This week sees Strasbourg hosting another plenary session week in France, before the next Green Week kicks in. Items on the MEPs’ agendas include the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework and the AVMSD. The e-Evidence dossier meanwhile appears to have remained in Brussels. The next opportunity will be at the mini-plenary session at the end of May. You can find more details on this week and a short review below and in the attached PDF.

As of today, the Digital Markets Act is (partially) applicable. However, it will still take some time before the full effects are felt. In the meantime, the Commission has named the 19 ( for now) platforms affected by the Digital Services Act. It is not long now until the Commission’s recommendations on the piracy of live online events are presented on Wednesday. There is already plenty of criticism from the media houses and the culture-affiliated MEPs, however. Last week, an agreement was also reached in the AI negotiations in the European Parliament. This means that the trilogue could start before the summer.

Last week saw the release of several reports and draft reports. Two of these were the draft LIBE Committee CSAM report and the IMCO/JURI report on the Product Liability Directive. The Commission also presented a new proposal on the Cyber Solidarity Act. In addition, a leak trickled out on the Commission’s recommendation on online piracy of live events. A number of these current topics can be found in this week’s various EP committees’ agendas. In addition to the presentation of the CSAM report in the LIBE Committee and the consideration of amendments to the CSAM opinion in the IMCO Committee, there will also be a hearing on metaverse in the JURI Committee. On top of that, there’s the Data Act, EED, RED, EMFA, Chips Act, online political advertising, disinformation, etc.

The European Parliament is meeting again this week in Strasbourg. The agenda includes a discussion on Sino-European relations and a speech by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg. Last week, the supplementary impact assessment on CSAM and the report on the Privacy Shield successor were presented and voted on in the EP LIBE Committee. In the Commission, the topic of cybersecurity will be discussed again this week when the Cyber Solidarity Act is presented.

The long Easter weekend may be over, but this week things are still very quiet in Brussels. Which means that our current focus is more on what’s already taken place. There’s nevertheless one highlight of the week: On Thursday, the lengthy impact assessment on the CSAM Regulation and the vote on the report on the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework are on the agenda of the Committee on Civil Liberties.

In the Easter week, things will be quieter again in Brussels. There are only a few meetings in the Council, and there are committee trips on the agenda in the European Parliament. For example, a delegation of the Internal Market Committee is travelling to Singapore. That’s why this week’s focus is clearly on the review, and we can wish you a happy Easter already!

A mini-plenary week still separates MEPs from the quieter Easter break. But there is still a lot on the agenda. In addition, the LIBE, ITRE, IMCO and CULT Committees are meeting. In the Council, too, after the intensive week of the EUCO and the focus on "the car", numerous working group meetings are on the agenda again. In the Commission, the date for the recommendation on online live piracy has been postponed to 3 May.

Last week, the EU Parliament approved both the Data Act report and the eID report, paving the way for trilogue negotiations. The Council might also soon be ready for the Data Act. In the case of the e-Evidence dossier, the negotiators have already completed the trilogue. Approval in Parliament, however, is not yet forthcoming. There is also an apparent unsuccessful proposal to split up the dossier on the Media Freedom Act regulation.

The European Parliament is travelling to Strasbourg again this week, with the Data Act among the luggage. The Council is also trying to get the issue ready for trilogue. The discussion on the infrastructure levy has also reached the Parliament. In the Committee on Economic Affairs, corresponding points might be included in the current competition report. The discussions on the topic of artificial intelligence are not yet over – also thanks to ChatGPT. And in the case of media freedom, the privileging of media content on platforms is still being considered: A 48-hour grace period is to be granted to media.

Last week, the European Parliament discussed the opinion on the CSAM Directive in the Internal Market Committee. The résumé of A. Agius Saliba was: There was praise and criticism, which suggests the opinion succeeded. Meanwhile, the EU Commission has presented the future supervisory fees for the Digital Services Act: An annual budget is to be defined, and fees of up to 0.05% of the respective global profits are to be charged to the platforms concerned.

In the Council and Council working parties’ meetings this week, one of the issues under discussion is the Data Act. This could soon be ready for the trilogue. The Parliament does not seem to be fully ready when it comes to the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework – the successor to the Privacy Shield. A discussion on this is on the agenda in the LIBE Committee. Andrea Jelinek from EDPB will be a guest on this occasion. On March 10, the TADPF is on the agenda of the Council (JHA). The EU Commission has very fresh items on the table: namely, the proposal for a Gigabit Infrastructure Act and the long-awaited consultation on the future of the connectivity sector (including the debate on an infrastructure levy).

Large sections of Europe have school holidays this week, while in some regions, the “jesters” are enjoying their festivals (especially in Cologne, although Brussels is also no stranger to Carnival). Fittingly, the ECJ is on judicial holiday and the European Parliament has a Green Week. But there is still work going on in Brussels in the institutions, especially in the Council and the Commission. The latter, as is well known, is still waiting for the consultation on the infrastructure levy. Meanwhile, the Digital Services Act is slowly getting underway.

The consultation on the EU Commission’s infrastructure levy could also start this week. After the last circulated date of 10 February passed, there are now indications for Tuesday or Wednesday this week. But please do not rely on it. However, we can be confident that Strasbourg will be alive again this week – despite very wintry temperatures – as the Parliament is in session there before entering the week off. Work on the AI Act is also active. A five-hour meeting of the shadow rapporteurs is scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, eIDAS and the Data Act are on their way to the trilogue after the EP committees gave the green light last week. However, the Council still has to complete its own work on the Data Act first.

This week might see the start of the consultation on the EU Commission’s infrastructure levy. However, the date is anything but certain. A draft of the questionnaire, at least, has now been circulated by the media. When it comes to AI, it is also likely to take a little longer; in the case of AI liability, even far longer. What is more likely to happen sooner is the finalisation of the chapter on e-Evidence: COREPER and the EP committee have delivered the first two endorsements. While it isn’t yet clear when the Member States and the EP plenary will finally close the chapter, it should happen soon. The Digital Services Act is already in force. There is now also guidance from the EU Commission on how users may/could/should be counted.

Last week, the Council endorsed the E-Evidence Regulation in the Committee of Permanent Representatives. The corresponding vote in the EP-LIBE Committee is already scheduled for Tuesday. In addition, this week a mini-plenary session is taking place in Brussels. Items on the agenda include platform workers and online political advertising.

This could be the week when we get to learn whether the E-Evidence Regulation will be finally brought to a conclusion. When it comes to the Council of Europe’s Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, things are looking a bit more upbeat. The question of “when” also lingers when it comes to the consultation on the infrastructure levy. The next window of opportunity could be on 10 February. There is also a back-and-forth on the Data Act. The EP is continuing to work on the related reports and the Opinion. In the Council, Germany has voiced its dissatisfaction.  

The European Parliament is convening again this week in Strasbourg, while many of the world’s politicians are meeting in Davos. The EU Commission has launched a call for evidence on online piracy of live content while, in the meantime, the consultation on the infrastructure levy is still in the pipeline. A note on our own behalf: eco invites you to a bxlTalk (in presence) on the topic of CSAM and to a New Year’s reception on 30 January. You can find more information and registration on our website. All in all, you can find more details on this week and a short review in the attached PDF.

Brussels is filling up with life again this week and the Christmas lull is now finally over. Sweden has taken over the presidency from the Czech Republic and while Qatar-Gate caused a stir before the break, theCommission’s planned infrastructure levy survey was not published as planned. A public consultation is expected in mid-January; together with the publication of the Broadband Reduction Directive, renamed the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA). The NIS2 Directive was, however, published – in the Official Journal of the EU.

Before heading into the Christmas break, the European Parliament is meeting for the last time this week – once again in Strasbourg. Just before the weekend, MEPs were thrown by an alleged corruption scandal that is likely to overshadow the plenary week. In the Council, there are still numerous meetings this week, during which the Czech Presidency will finish its work and hand over to Sweden. From the Commission’s side, the adequacy decision on the Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework – the TADPF, which is the successor to the Privacy Shield – is expected today. However, this is only a first step on the part of the EU, as the data protection authorities of the 27 countries still have to give their feedback on the adequacy agreement.

As the end of the year approaches, the Council will be particularly busy before the Czech Republic hands over the Presidency to Sweden. In addition to numerous Council meetings and EP committee meetings, the next round of the TTC – the Transatlantic Trade and Technology Council – will also take place between the EU and the USA. Two of the topics will be Biden’s “Buy American First” policy and the Inflation Reduction Act. Speaking of the Council and Parliament, a political agreement was reached last week in the trilogue on the e-Evidence proposal from 2018. And on the subject of the EU-US from our perspective: eco is organising another event in the “Transatlantic Dialogues” series on Tuesday morning in Brussels. This will cover the topic of “Reawakening Digital Trade – Part II: The Future of the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework”. You can register here today.

In the European Parliament, committee meetings will be taking place once again this week. In the Council, working party meetings will be held, while the next round of Council meetings is kicking off. Next week will see the Telecom Council meeting taking place. The EU Commission also has a busy programme this week: the first package on the circular economy, in addition to the health package, are to be presented.

The EU “travelling circus” will once again head to Strasbourg this week – the penultimate time this year. The Council is also heading into the home stretch for 2022: On 6 December, the Telecom Council will meet up, and the status and next steps for numerous tech dossiers will be decided upon. News on multiple negotiations has correspondingly emerged. ePrivacy is one of the topics that has resurfaced – but don’t expect too much from that end.

The NIS2 has surmounted the next hurdle, which entailed the EP. Last week, MEPs voted by a clear majority in favour of the new rules. Now it comes down to the Council. There is also a momentum on the Data Act, where the deadline for amendments in the EP has ended, as is also the case with the AI Act. With regard to the CSAM, the Council is presenting a new proposal – and France is “intervening” with its own measures. Meanwhile, the EU Digital Tax could be making an undesirable comeback. This week, the EU Commission is devoting itself to Schengen enlargement. Last week it was announced that Croatia is to join next year – while Bulgaria and Romania have already been added to the list, but are still resisted by the Netherlands.

Around the time of All Saints’ Day last week, things were rather quiet in Brussels. News on the Data Act and the AI Act can nonetheless be found below. This week, the EP in Brussels is holding a mini-plenary session. NIS2 is one of the items on the agenda. In the Council working parties, topics under discussion will include AI, eID, the Data Act and EMFA.

Today is the start of a Green Week – i.e. there are no EU Parliament meetings and, for many people, the day before All Saints’ Day is also part of a long weekend. Which means it is likely to be rather quiet here in Brussels. Just a few working party meetings in the Council are on the agenda.

Last week saw the DSA being signed into law, and this week it is to be published in the Official Journal. Also this week: The Data Act is taking centre stage in the European Parliament. Several opinions are available and are to be discussed in the committees. In the Council, the screws on AI and chips are being particularly tightened. And the Commission is urging Member States to implement cybersecurity rules more quickly. On an eco Association note: We are organising the second online workshop on CSAM on Wednesday. You can register on our website. We look forward to your participation.

On Friday instead of Monday, US President Biden signed the Executive Order for an EU-US Data Privacy Framework, with this to form the future Privacy Shield 2.0. This was soon followed by an expression of criticism and disappointment from data protection activists (including Max Schrems). Criticism has also been levelled at the EU Commission’s CSAM proposal. This will be presented to the MEPs in the LIBE Committee on Monday afternoon by Commissioner Johansson. On Wednesday, eco is hosting the first of two online workshops on the topic of CSAM. You can register for the workshops on our website. The event will be held in English. The second workshop will take place two weeks later.

It’s a Strasbourg week again in the European Parliament – accompanied by the EU budget and the European Commission’s 2023 work programme. A debate on the latter will take place in the plenary on Tuesday afternoon. A propos: The Commission will present its work programme on Tuesday. The media received a leak of the draft late on Friday. More on this in the following post. And more on the Commission: Commissioner Johansson was a guest in the EP LIBE Committee last Monday, where she presented her CSAM Regulation. The proposal faced a number of critical questions by MEPs.

While the Day of German Unity is being celebrated as a bank holiday in Germany, European politicians are once again travelling to Strasbourg for plenary sessions.  But they are also looking to Washington: A milestone on the successor to the Privacy Shield was expected there today or tomorrow. But it could (once again) take a little longer. Meanwhile, new sanctions against Russia can be expected this week. Last week, the EU Commission already presented the new rules on AI and product liability. 

Apart from the ECJ ruling on blanket data retention, the Green Week in the European Parliament was as quiet as expected – but that is set to change this week. The European Commission, for example, is presenting its proposals for updating the Product Liability Directive and the new AI Liability Directive. In addition, a wide range of Council working party meetings round off the calendar.