Insights from Inline Policy
The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will establish rules on the production of goods that are sold in the EU market. These rules will cover the entire life cycle of a product, from its design to its recycling. Companies which build tech devices and online platforms which sell those devices to consumers will have new obligations.
On 7 November 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation on data collection and sharing relating to short-term rentals. The proposed Regulation aims to establish a framework to share data between online platforms, hosts and public authorities. This blog analyses the two most pertinent parts of the proposed Regulation; it identifies the aspects that may cause friction; and it suggests how this friction could be addressed by policymakers.
Sweden assumed the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 January and presented its policy programme on Tuesday 17 January to the European Parliament. The programme focuses on competitiveness, security, rule of law and sustainability. In this article, we examine the digital and sustainable priorities outlined in the programme. The Swedish Presidency is expected to drive progress in areas such as cyber security, data sharing, digital identity, and sustainability.
In March, the European Commission presented its strategy for a digital transformation of Europe: the 2030 Digital Compass. Recognising that the pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of Europe’s digital space and its dependence on non-European technologies, the Compass defines some bold objectives to strengthen the European digital economy. However, there are many challenges to overcome.
This month, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) updated its ambitious Digital Markets Strategy. The 2019 strategy was originally meant to address the growth of digital markets and its effect on consumers and competition. The recent update reflects the work that the CMA has done since it first published the strategy - including its all-important recommendations for a pro-competition regime for digital markets - and comes as debates around digital competition continue to gather pace in the UK and beyond.
The European Commission will shortly unveil new rules on digital services as part of its agenda for shaping Europe’s digital future. In this blog we will explore what we expect to see in the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) and how they will impact the tech industry.
The European Union is working on a new regulatory framework for artificial intelligence that seeks to ensure better consumer protection, while enhancing Europe’s technological competitiveness. The risk is for it to become but a duplication of already-existing practices and regulations.
As Europe begins the year in a state of relative stability with the EU Commission firmly in place as well as new governments in the UK and Spain, all eyes are on how policymakers will now respond to popular demand for changes to our liberal order. The tech sector could be in for a rough ride.
