Dr Aura Salla, elected in June 2024 to her first mandate as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), is no stranger to EU policy, having worked for many years in the European Commission and for Meta, as the company’s head of EU affairs. She was also elected to the Finnish Parliament in 2023. Since taking up her seat in the European Parliament in July 2024, MEP Salla has advocated stronger EU support for Ukraine and a steady commitment to both the green transition and a more capable and competitive EU — in particular vis-à-vis China and in light of a second Trump administration.
I spoke recently with MEP Salla (whom I will refer to here as Aura) about what she sees as the EU’s major challenges for the new mandate, in particular regarding technology and global competition. Here follows a brief summary of our conversation.
Conversation with MEP Aura Salla
Written by Nathan Shepura on 04 Dec 2024
Will Breton be back?
Written by Igor Ramage on 26 Jul 2024
In this blog, we investigate what role current French Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton might play in the upcoming European Commission.
European Parliament gets to work
Written by Nathan Shepura on 23 Jul 2024
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has won a second five-year term. Her focus will be competitiveness, security and sustainability — defined less by green ideology than a push for clean industrialisation. With the European Parliament’s committees now formed, work will start in the autumn: to vet commissioners-designate, and vie for political control of the new programme. In this blog, we explore the key committees and committee members for the tech sector.
Commission President candidates clash in "Spitzenkandidaten" debate
Written by Emma Vivian on 28 May 2024
In advance of the European Parliament elections between 6 and 9 June, the candidates from five of Europe's major political groupings debated one another across a wide range of issues, including the economy, the climate and the environment, and technology policy on 23 May 2024. This briefing provides a summary of the key points each candidate made during the debate.
TikTok Lite sparks EU concerns: A deep dive into digital addiction
Written by Emma Vivian on 20 May 2024
In the fast-paced world of social media, concerns about digital addiction are taking centre stage once again, with TikTok and Meta at the forefront of scrutiny.
Trilogue negotiations in the EU
Written by Emma Vivian on 18 Mar 2024
Three key EU institutions - the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union - walk into a room. It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but trust us, it's anything but! They're there to work through laws, policies, and regulations that impact the lives of over 500 million Europeans. In this blog, we're going to lift the curtain on trilogue negotiations and shed light on why this resolution is useful for the swift functioning of EU policy making.
Strategic Security in the EU: New Initiatives to Strengthen Economic Security
Written by Inline Policy on 06 Feb 2024
In the ever-changing global landscape marked by geopolitical tensions and technological shifts, the European Commission is fortifying the economic security of the European Union with a series of new initiatives.
2024: Key things to look out for in tech regulation
Written by Matthew Niblett on 09 Jan 2024
As political institutions slowly emerge from their Christmas hibernation, we look at the key unresolved issues in tech regulation in the UK and the EU.
AI Act: A Game Changer in the Tech World
Written by Inline Policy on 21 Dec 2023
After an intense three-day negotiation marathon, the European Parliament and the Council of the EUreached a provisional agreement on the much-anticipated EU AI Act on 8 December 2023. As the world’s first comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence (AI), this marks a pivotal moment in global AI regulation. With a risk-based approach, the AI Act introduces a structured approach to AI oversight, tailoring regulations to the complexity and capability of various AI systems.
What is the EU doing to regulate artificial intelligence?
Written by Shane Cumberton on 07 Aug 2023
In this blog, we look at the steps the European Union is taking to regulate artificial intelligence.
Say "green" only if you mean it!
Written by Emma Vivian on 01 Jun 2023
Are consumers being deceived by misleading environmental and sustainability claims about products and services? "Greenwashing" is getting increasing attention from EU policymakers. What is the European Union doing to combat "greenwashing" by companies? How does this impact businesses and what should companies expect?
EU short-term rentals regulation: highlights from Inline’s panel
Written by Inline Policy on 26 Apr 2023
This blog is based on Inline’s panel discussion “EU short-term rentals regulation: where should compromise between the EU institutions lie?” which took place in April 2023. The event brought together Ivars Ijabs MEP, Shadow Rapporteur for the STR Regulation in the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection - IMCO Committee; Inge Janssen, Director Public Affairs, EMEA at Booking.com and Chair of EU travel tech; and Amaryllis Verhoeven, Head of the Digital Transformation of Industry Unit at DG GROW, European Commission. You can find a recording of the event here.
How will the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation affect your business?
Written by Emma Vivian on 09 Feb 2023
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.
Short-term rental regulation could lead to fragmentation and legal uncertainty for platforms
Written by Inline Policy on 31 Jan 2023
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.
The Swedish Presidency’s Programme – for a greener, safer, freer Europe
Written by Inline Policy on 20 Jan 2023
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.
Digital Markets Act: EU closes in on Big Tech
Written by Shane Cumberton on 12 Oct 2022
The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is set to establish a concrete list of dos and don’ts for the world’s biggest digital platforms when operating in the EU. These include hitherto absent ‘ex ante’ regulations to provide more fairness in the area of antitrust issues. Quite simply, the DMA aims to level the digital market’s playing field to ensure that smaller firms can operate under fairer competition.
America and Europe remain far apart on Big Tech Regulation
Written by Shane Cumberton on 24 May 2022
Last week, EU and US policymakers met in Paris to discuss trade and technology related issues. Despite some progress on Russia, trade, and sustainability, the two sides remain far apart on the question of how to regulate Big Tech.
Regulating the data economy (Part II): how will the Data Act regulate government access to data?
Written by Inline Policy on 03 Feb 2022
As explained in our previous blog, the European Commission is working on a legislative proposal to ensure European businesses, consumers and governments fully benefit from the free flow of data and are empowered to make better-informed decisions. This initiative, known as the Data Act, will not only regulate data sharing among companies (business-to-business, B2B), but will also specify in which cases and under which conditions companies must share data with governments (business-to-government, B2G). This blog analyses the EU’s plans for the B2G data sharing and identifies outstanding issues for businesses.
Regulating data sharing (Part I) – How will the EU Data Act impact your business?
Written by Inline Policy on 27 Jan 2022
In 2025, the value of the data economy in the European Union will be comparable to the GDP of the Netherlands. The actual impact that data will have on European economies and societies, however, will depend as much on technological advancements as on the rules that will govern data use and data sharing. In February 2022, the European Commission is expected to publish a proposal for a Regulation to facilitate data sharing and use between companies (business-to-business, or B2B) and between businesses and governments (business-to-government, or B2G). Known as the Data Act, this long-awaited initiative will have far-reaching impacts on companies, the public sector, and consumers. In this two-part series, we look at what issues the Data Act should address to harness the value of data while ensuring innovation, property rights, and privacy. This blog focuses on business-to-business data-sharing.
Digital Services Act: EU institutions seek to tighten rules for online players
Written by Inline Policy on 13 Jan 2022
The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), currently working its way through the legislative process, will create an unprecedented set of new rules for intermediary service providers. The legislation will establish a framework for content moderation and reinforce the rules for platforms that should serve to further protect the fundamental rights of all users of digital services across Europe. This blog looks at the DSA’s progress and the positions recently taken by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. We explore how they are seeking to re-shape the original proposal and what this means for businesses and consumers.