Almost everything is there on break. The EU Artificial Intelligence Act, the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act are at risk. The European Commission is preparing to end the year with virtually no movement on key technology policy initiatives. Many measures can even be reversed.
Possible AI act delay
Europe’s landmark AI law entered into force in August 2024, but the deadline for full implementation has been set for August 2027, with an significant intermediate milestone being 2026. According to the Financial Times, the first review of possible changes could come in overdue 2026 as part of the broader Digital Omnibus package, which aims to simplify guidelines.
At his daily press conference on November 7, Thomas Regnier, the European Commission’s spokesman on digital sovereignty, confirmed the growing concerns. “A lot is happening in the field of artificial intelligence. Standards are lagging. Industry and member states are expressing concerns,” he said. “In this context, the ‘digital omnibus’ is coming and this would be an appropriate framework to address some of these concerns. However, no decision has been made yet.
The most important change would be to postpone the application of penalties for violations of the new regulations by one year – from August 2026 to August 2027 – to “give providers and users of AI systems enough time to adapt.”
The telecommunications industry is collapsing
The Digital Networks Act promised by the end of the year, but the European Commission is delaying. The bill will only be discussed again at the end of January 2026 if an agreement is reached. There are too many differences of opinion between Member States, especially on two issues: closing copper networks and strengthening BEREC, the European regulatory body.
Regarding the closure of copper networks, Germany reportedly opposed the proposed 2030 deadline, which it considered too early. Many national authorities opposed the strengthening of BEREC, citing differences in market conditions as the official justification. In fact, resistance is probably due to fears of losing influence and power in their countries. In short, the single telecommunications market project is getting out of control. The revision of the net neutrality rules has disappeared from the version of the Digital Networks Act currently being drafted, while the initiative aimed at restoring the market balance between telecommunications and large technology companies is ill-defined.
Space is not unlimited
The United States officially spoke out against it The EU Space Actconsidering Europe’s proposal unacceptable because it would make it more difficult for American companies to limit their scope of activities. In a 13-page document responding to a public consultation launched in July by the European Commission, the US Department of State listed all sections that would require review for Europe to avoid retaliation for failure to meet commitments made in the Tariff Framework Agreement. “The current draft EU space law is contrary to the spirit of the agreement,” the State Department wrote forcefully, calling on Europe to “enable smoother cooperation with U.S. government and industry, rather than introducing additional barriers to cooperation.”
US tech giants oppose DSA and DMA
The European Commission continues to send letters to US tech giants urging them to comply with the rules Digital Services Act (DSA) i Digital Markets Act (DMA). However, with the onslaught of appeals from the parties involved, the deadlines are becoming extremely drawn out.
Apple and Google have sharply criticized the DMA in recent weeks, highlighting how tense negotiations with Europe are becoming. Last August, the Federal Trade Commission warned that some DSA rules may conflict with U.S. law, particularly regarding free speech and the safety of U.S. citizens.
Breaking up the team
The US Department of State has reportedly lobbied on behalf of the Wi-Fi industry, which includes major US companies such as Apple, Broadcom, Cisco and Qualcomm, to protect a specific band of the mobile spectrum. According to news site MLex, the Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG), which helps the European Commission develop radio spectrum policy, has proposed a compromise on the employ of the upper 6 GHz band to the benefit of the mobile industry.
The US State Department has reportedly urged member states to reserve almost half of the bandwidth for Wi-Fi services, particularly for high-speed, low-latency applications such as virtual reality and cloud gaming. According to MLex, 13 of 27 countries, including Italy, sided with mobile operators, while the rest abstained. In any case, EU countries can change policy because the RSPG only issues recommendations, not binding decisions. When it comes to the final decision, the ball is in the European Commission’s court.
This story originally appeared on WIRED Italy and was translated from Italian.