Policy & Law
02.10.2025

The View from Brussels #36-2025

News, Publications and Consultations from the Past Week

News CW 38 (15-21.09.2025)

AI and data protection: In a speech marking the first anniversary of his report on European competitiveness, Mario Draghi called for pausing the AI Act’s rules on high-risk AI systems and a simplification of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

DSA, DMA & Co: Politico reports on nine upcoming political battles in the EU, including disputes over the enforcement of digital rules, the protection of critical technologies, the Digital Omnibus, online child sexual abuse, and the European Democracy Shield.

Cookie banners: Euractiv reports on the European Commission’s plans to reduce cookie banners by amending the ePrivacy Directive.

Digital euro: Politico reports on the heated debate about the digital euro.

Electronic commerce: The ECJ press release on the opinion of the Advocate General Szpunar in the joined cases WebGroup Czech Republic and NKL Associates (C-188/24) and Coyote System (C-190/24) can be found here.

Quantum Internet: Computer scientist and quantum physicist Stephanie Wehner has been awarded the Körber Prize for European Science.

Innovation: The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has published the Global Innovation Index 2025.

Digitalisation: The think tank “Agora Digitale Transformation” has published the German study “Making Digitalisation Measurable. Approaches and Indicators for Policy and Administration,” along with an accompanying paper.

Blockchain: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will set up a Blockchain Academy at the beginning of October.

AI: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has presented the World Trade Report 2025, “Making trade and AI work together to the benefit of all.” It predicts that the use of AI could increase trade in goods and services by nearly 40% by 2040 thanks to productivity gains and lower trade costs, and that global GDP could increase by 12-13%.

Selected Publications from the EP Think Tanks

Ongoing Relevant European Commission Consultations

Selections of the CW 39 (22-28.09.2025)

Council:

The current preview of the Council’s work for the upcoming days until 05.10.2025 can be found here.

Summit and Ministerial Meetings:

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

There are no plenary sittings of the European Parliament taking place this week.

Here you can find a list of the upcoming dates of the European Parliament. The calendar of the plenary sittings for 2025 is available here (PDF).

Committees

LIBE Committee (Civil Liberties)

The agenda for the current meeting of the LIBE Committee taking place on 22-23.09.2025 can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

  • The digital simplification package and digital policy area fitness check concerning safeguarding fundamental rights
  • The EU Civil Society Strategy
  • Information security in the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union
  • Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management in the workplace – shaping the future of work
  • The Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report and the closer link between its recommendations and financial support envisaged in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)
  • EU budget 2028-2034: AgoraEU Programme

You can find the agenda for the joint committee procedure of the LIBE Committee and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality on 23 September 2025 here.

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 23.09.2025 can be found here.

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

ITRE Committee (Industry)

The agenda for the current meeting of the ITRE Committee taking place on 22-23.09.2025 can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

  • Exchange of views with Christina Egelund, Minister of Higher Education and Science, (research, innovation, space)
  • Quantum, AI and cloud – technology development and industrial capacity building in Europe
  • Exchange of views with Robert Mourik, BEREC Chair 2025, Marko Mišmaš, BEREC Chair 2026 and Dr Verena Weber, Director of the Agency for Support for BEREC (The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications)
  • Exchange of views with StĂ©phane SĂ©journĂ©, Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, on the European Competitiveness Fund

The current timetables of the ITRE Committee (as of 16.09.2025) can be found here.

 

IMCO Committee (Internal Market)

The agenda for the current meeting of the IMCO Committee taking place on 24-25.09.2025 can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

  • Working Group on the implementation and enforcement of the Artificial Intelligence Act
  • Reporting back to committee by Brando Benifei (S&D), Co-Chair of the Working group
  • Protection of minors online
  • Guidelines on measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security for minors online, pursuant to Article 28(4) of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 • Exchange of views with the Commission
  • Commission Delegated Regulation supplementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council by laying down the technical conditions and procedures under which providers of very large online platforms and of very large online search engines are to share data with vetted researchers
  • A new legislative framework for products that is fit for the digital and sustainable transition
  • Amending Regulations (EU) No 1024/2012 and (EU) 2018/1724 as regards certain requirements laid down by Directive (EU) XXXX/XXXX
  • Establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (‘ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities, repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/522, (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/783, repealing provisions of Regulations (EU) 2021/696, (EU) 2023/588, and amending Regulation (EU) [EDIP]
  • Amending Directives 2000/14/EC, 2011/65/EU, 2013/53/EU, 2014/29/EU, 2014/30/EU, 2014/31/EU, 2014/32/EU, 2014/33/EU, 2014/34/EU, 2014/35/EU, 2014/53/EU, 2014/68/EU and 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards digitalisation and common specifications
  • Amending Regulations (EU) No 765/2008, (EU) 2016/424, (EU) 2016/425, (EU) 2016/426, (EU) 2023/1230, (EU) 2023/1542 and (EU) 2024/1781 as regards digitalisation and common specifications
  • Amending Directives 2014/65/EU and (EU) 2022/2557 as regards the extension of certain mitigating measures available for small and medium sized enterprises to small mid-cap enterprises and further simplifying measures
  • Amending Regulations (EU) 2016/679, (EU) 2016/1036, (EU) 2016/1037, (EU) 2017/1129, (EU) 2023/1542 and (EU) 2024/573 as regards the extension of certain mitigating measures available for small and medium sized enterprises to small mid-cap enterprises and further simplification measures

 

The current timetables of the IMCO Committee (as of 02.09.2025) can be found here.

CULT Committee (Culture and Education)

The agenda for the current meeting of the CULT Committee taking place on 24-25.09.2025 can be found here. From the perspective of the Internet industry, the following agenda items are relevant:

  • Audiovisual Media Services Directive obligations in the transatlantic dialogue
  • Protection of minors online
  • Establishing the ‘AgoraEU’ programme for the period 2028-2034, and repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/692 and (EU) 2021/818

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

 

Outlook:

An overview of the following session weeks can be found here. The provisional agenda for the upcoming plenary sittings can be found here.

European Court of Justice

You can find the judicial calendar of the CJEU here.

The View from Brussels 11 June 2018

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