Dispatch from Brussels: Updates on EU tech policy

International Trade Srategy: On June 5, the EU Commission unveiled its international Digital Strategy. The Strategy, which aims to boost competititeveness and to conitinue building a rules based global digital order in line with EU fundamental values, identifies three keu objectives:

GPAI Code of Practice and GPAI Guidelines - timeline: As a reminder, the EU AI Code of Practice is a framework established to guide providers of general-purpose AI models in compliance with the EU's AI Act. While not legally binding, adherence to the code and the guidelines helps demonstrate compliance. Despite recent talks about postponing or slowing down the implementation of the AI Act, the EU Commission still appears to be set on releasing the final version of the code and the guidelines by the first week of July.

Consultation on High-Risk AI rules: On 6 June 2025, the EU Commission opened a targeted stakeholder consultation on classification of AI systems as high-risk. The consultation aims to collect input from stakeholders on practical examples of AI systems and issues to be clarified in the Commission’s AI guidelines. The Consultation will close on 18 July.

Simplification

Pausing/delaying AI Act implementation: On 6 June during while addressing EU Member States, EU tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen indicated that “If we see that the standards and guidelines ... are not ready in time, we should not rule out postponing some parts of the AI Act,”. While this does not seem to have affected the adoption timelines of the GPAI Code of Practice, this signals an important development in the current debate around AI Act Implementation. Some EU Member States, such as Germany have indicated their openness to potential delays.

Simplification Recommendations: On 6 June the Polish presidency, during a Council meeting, presented a report on the most frequently raised and broadly supported recommendations in the field of regulatory simplification. The report is of interest as it provides a representative overview of stakeholder perspectives and aims at identifying a number of regulatory overlaps and inconsistencies, challenges experienced related to implementing legislation and other challenges experienced by stakeholders.

Cybersecurity

EU Blueprint for Cyber Crisis Management: On 6 June the Council adopted the EU blueprint for crisis management, which aims to give guidance for the EU’s response to large-scale cybersecurity incidents or cyber crises. The Blueprint, among other things, highlights the importance of civilian-military cooperation in the context of cyber-crisis management, including with NATO, through enhanced information-sharing mechanisms where possible and when needed.

Platforms

New Investigations launched under the Digital Services Act (DSA): The EU Commission has launched investigations into Pornhub, XVideos, XNXX, and Stripchat for inadequate minor protection. The Commission will seek to determine if these online platforms have complied with risk assessment and mitigation measures that safeguard the mental and physical well being of children. This investigation is of interest as this also ties into the EU’s current work on developing a harmonised age verification solution (a temporary solution will be made available summer 2025 until the EU Digital Identity Wallet is made available by the end of 2026)

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