Archive

European Commission

  • 2022 is set to be another big year for EU Digital Policy

    January 27, 2022

    2021 saw digital policy take centre stage in Europe with significant progress on the negotiations on the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act, the Digital Governance Act, as well as on the Digital Finance Package, not to forget the introduction of the AI Act. Expect more of the same in 2022. With the European Commission now in full legacy-setting mode, 2022 will be another packed year for European tech actors across all sectors of the economy, with further major initiatives such as the...

  • The EU’s Digital Services Package: An Attempt to Reshape the Digital Platform Economy

    February 16, 2021

    After several years of intense debates, the European Commission recently released its legislative overhaul of the EU digital rulebook. This includes the two flagship initiatives on content moderation and competition in the digital economy. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA) will have far-reaching consequences on digital markets and online platforms. The question remains how far. The EU’s approach includes some of the most stringent legislative changes ever seen since the adoption...

  • Introducing: Mette Analysis | September 2020

    September 4, 2020

    A warm welcome to the inaugural Mette Analysis. As European policymakers return from the summer break, our General Manager, Mette Grolleman, looks ahead at the challenges which the EU faces for the remainder of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. The resignation of the Irish European commissioner Phil Hogan ,also know as 'Big Phil', may have a significant impact on the way the EU conducts negotiations in the future.   Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the...

  • How will the Commission act on endocrine disruptors?

    May 28, 2020

    In July 2018, the European Commission released its Communication on a ‘Comprehensive European Union framework on endocrine disruptors’ outlining the strategic approach to deal with these substances in the future. To do this, the European Commission is undertaking a Fitness Check on endocrine disruptors to look at how the various pieces of relevant EU legislation delivers on the objective of protecting human health and the environment by minimising the overall exposure to endocrine disruptors. A...

  • #EUinTwo: How the EU Green Deal is taking shape

    March 26, 2020

    The European Green Deal is the flagship political project of the von der Leyen Commission and is expected to impact business across sectors. The European Green Deal will redirect all Commission policy efforts towards achieving climate neutrality in Europe by 2050. The plan sets out a new approach for growth that promotes a more sustainable EU economy with climate-friendly industry and clean technology. The plan will also increase CO2 reduction targets for 2030 and 2040...

  • #EUinTwo: Implementing the Circular Economy

    March 26, 2020

    As a key area of the European Green Deal, the recently announced Circular Economy 2.0 has put in place specific and ambitious actions to transform Europe’s economy. The Commission is focused on reducing the environmental and social impact of products by making sure that by 2030 all products will be circular, increasing the use of secondary raw materials and tackling waste at the source. These measures go hand in hand with greater use of the...

  • Paving way to a Circular Economy

    March 12, 2020

    On 11 March the Commission published it New Circular Economy Action Plan which will facilitate the EU’s transition to a circular economy, to achieve the 2050 net-zero emissions target. According to Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, the Plan has the goal to strengthen the competitiveness of EU industry, empower consumers and protect the environment. By introducing a sustainable products policy framework, it will be easier for consumers to identify sustainable and circular options on...

  • #EUinTwo: Artificial Intelligence in the Commission’s first 100 days

    February 5, 2020

    Throughout 2018, the European Commission’s approach to Artificial Intelligence (AI) was gradually ticking over with a non-legislative Communication on AI for Europe, and the ongoing work of the grandiosely titled ‘High-Level Expert Group Artificial Intelligence’ who were trying to define ethical principles for a ‘human-centric’ AI. However, this was up-ended in July 2019, when the then President-elect of the Commission, Von der Leyen, used her political guidelines to declare that she would “put forward legislation”...

  • European Green Deal: Anticipating the two years ahead

    December 13, 2019

    It is not exaggeration to suggest that the Green Deal is the farthest reaching environmental policy initiative ever undertaken by the European Commission. The integration of sustainability into every pillar of the EU’s activities, from industrial strategy to development aid, is what many have advocated for years. The question now is whether the Commission can follow through on its ambitious work programme, and how well will its unified vision survive the inevitable bruises of co-decision...

  • What are the priorities of the new European Commission?

    December 4, 2019

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdsZV3YESZ8 Today, Ursula von der Leyen chaired the first meeting of the new College of Commissioners. Her team of 26 new Executive Vice-Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Commissioners are ready to deliver on her promises for a Union that strives for more. Her first few days in office are already marked by strong European ambitions on climate policy. Von der Leyen’s first trip as Commission President was to the COP25 meeting in Madrid on Monday. Her first...