A coalition of startup groups has sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the @ec.europa.eu, calling on her to stick to the ambitions she has outlined for the 28th regime – a planned EU-wide company entity. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/a-direc...

And another turn for the #28thregime: Startup commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva yesterday publicly backed realising an EU-wide company entity through a regulation. She also echoed startup activist-led calls for an #EUInc, saying “the Inc is a must” and that it will be part of the proposal.

The @ec.europa.eu will propose a Directive to realise a planned EU-wide company entity, known as the 28th regime, suggests a leaked document – leading to praise from Parliament and condemnation from startup groups. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/28th-re...

Are you a scientist whose colleague has recently gone mad with the power of AI? Don’t worry: The @ec.europa.eu might soon introduce a new whistleblowing tool specifically for you. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/eu-scie...

Europe should own the AI it wants to use in defence, Mistral CEO Arthur Mensch said today. For him, that means: Buy European. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/europe-...

We’ve obtained a Dutch position paper that lays out positions on simplifying the EU’s tech rules. Some highlights: Clarify, don’t delay AI; more power to the boards; and make browser settings, not cookie banners. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/dutch-w...

The @ec.europa.eu is trying to get companies to use AI – but today’s Apply AI strategy is vague on detail. Thanks to Daniel Abbou, European AI Forum, and Emmet King, J12 Ventures, for their input. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

Tiktok deleted several bots following an “emergency meeting” with the @ec.europa.eu on the Czech elections, a spokesperson said today. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

The EU will get “one single and simple set of rules” for companies, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today in Turin – marking a push for a strong 28th regime, which is supposed to make life easier for EU startups. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

EXCLUSIVE: The @ec.europa.eu is planning a “virtual” institute for using AI in science, says a draft strategy seen by Euractiv. The institute will include networks of excellence and get access to the EU’s AI Gigafactories. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/exclusi...

The @ombudsman.europa.eu has launched an investigation into the @ec.europa.eu over a lack of transparency in AI Act standard-writing, following up on a complaint lodged by @corporateeurope.org. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/eu-tran...

Should part of the EU’s AI rules be delayed? Member states took sides at a Council discussion last week, with several ideas on the table. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/exclusi...

The @ec.europa.eu has opened an antitrust investigation into SAP over the company’s rules on how its software can be supported. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/eu-open...

Meta has announced it will open its Llama AI model for uses in defence in some European countries, as well as EU and NATO institutions. It also said it’s working with Palantir, Anduril and other companies for this. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/meta-op...

EU countries will tomorrow give input on which parts of the AI Act they would like to “simplify”, according to a Council discussion note obtained by Euractiv. Read my story at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/exclusi...

Turns out, if there are 76 ideas for how to build five things, something’s got to give: @ec.europa.eu and countries are in talks to whittle down the number of AI Gigafactory pitches. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

Commission President von der Leyen announced earlier today that she would sign “pilot projects” for the EU's planned AI Gigafactories. But a spokesperson has now said those projects are actually from an unrelated programme, and they have been edited out of the speech’s official transcript.

Tired of years-long debates about whether European administrations are too dependent on US software? Have a read about a German region busy at work replacing Microsoft Office with open alternatives. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/the-ger...

Website home pages of RTE, BBC, DW, and France24 are all wall to wall Charlie Kirk. Continental humiliation fetish.

The Commission is backing our plans for data protectors in supervising AI, the German digital ministry told me today. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/germany...

I spent this week e-mailing OpenAI, asking where to find documentation the EU’s AI Act requires for new AI models – like GPT-5, which the company released in August. So far, I haven’t gotten a reply. But don’t worry for OpenAI: The Commission will only start enforcing the relevant rule next year.

I had a look at what the different groups in Parliament are thinking of the planned EU-wide company entity, the so-called “28th regime” (a new name would be a good start). It’s mostly teeth-gritted acceptance for having to go for a Directive instead of a Regulation.

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How will Trump respond to this? @anupriyadatta.bsky.social has this huge story here. www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

The European Chips Act is just two years old, but the Commission still sounded the starting shot on its revision today. I had a look at what this could mean for Europe’s chip ambitions. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Short view to Jülich, where Europe’s most powerful supercomputer is being inaugurated today – with prominent guests attending and special focus on its AI capabilities. My article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Germany’s plans for implementing the AI Act have led to a revolt of data protectors. They’re incensed about not being set to supervise especially sensitive AI systems – and say the government is overstepping the AI Act itself. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Companies have been calling to delay the EU’s AI law, pointing to delays in drafting important standards. One of the people leading the drafting now hit out at these companies for not taking part – saying that is producing the delays. My article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Hello everyone coming back from the summer break! A short heads-up that my story on the pitches for billions of EU euros for AI gigafactories is now accessible without paywall. If you want get an overview as the discussions heat up again, here's the link: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

There is now a roadmap for the Franco-German tech engine in the EU – but it doesn’t go very far. Today’s agenda agreed by Macron and Merz outlines broad agreement on a range of issues, but several debates remain open. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

EU borders are facing an ever-increasing number of cheap parcels from China. In a report released today, the @ec.europa.eu is now criticising EU countries unusually strongly for not doing enough to control these products. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

At which point should – and could – society step in when chatbots try to become intimate with their users? That’s the question I tackled in today’s article, especially looking at how various EU rules on AI and on consumer protection deal with chatbot behaviour.

Ursula von der Leyen’s dash to Donald Trump’s golf resort in Scotland last month to seal an unbalanced trade deal has raised fears among politicians and analysts that Europe has lost the leverage that it once thought it had as a leading global trade power.

The @ec.europa.eu has launched a call for evidence for its scheduled review of the Digital Markets Act, focusing on AI services. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

The @ec.europa.eu has laid out the legal difficulties it currently sees for AI agents autonomously making contracts in a paper obtained by Euractiv. The paper puts two options on the table for how to make things clearer: Either follow a recently-published UN model law or take a softer approach.

Clicking through pop-up ads about enlarged mens’ prostates and MyPillow summer deals really makes me feel like I’m about to read a serious president’s announcements

Yesterday’s joint statement on the EU-US trade deal finally gives a bit of detail on tech – US tariffs on EU chips will be capped at 15% – but leaves many other questions open.

The on-air death of a French streamer after long abuse by his “colleagues” has led to political outrage in France – and questions about why authorities didn’t step in sooner. A criminal investigation is ongoing.

If it helps anyone, I’ve made a list of the MEPs on the SEDE Committee which you can find here: bsky.app/profile/did:... There’s not many of the MEPs using Bluesky, but among those who do, they tend also to contribute more to the EP’s overall output.

Poland is planning to join the club of EU countries with their own #digitaltax, with an EU-wide attempt having failed years back and global negotiations still ongoing.

How capable are AI models? Sounds like an easy question, but the benchmarks that companies use to test their models actually have tons of problems.

OpenAI has told California’s governor Gavin Newsom to align any new AI rules with the EU’s Code of Practice for large AI models – and even better, to lead the way in harmonising AI regulation across the whole US.

"There is a name for the discrepancy between the strength of Trump’s radical political agenda and the inadequacy of the European response to it: “vassalisation heureuse” a sort of willing submission." www.ft.com/content/0fa0...

DeepSeek will stay on Germany’s Play Store – at least for now. Google has told Berlin’s data protectors that it will not remove the AI app. The authority branded the DeepSeek app as unlawful because it transmits user data to China. My article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

My colleagues and me had a look at Palantir: We tried to find out in which EU countries the controversial US tech company is working with authorities. It wasn’t the easiest task. Palantir might specialise in bringing together information for its clients, but it’s also very secretive about itself.

The @ec.europa.eu is planning to plow 20 billion Euros into building five giant AI training hubs – “AI gigafactories” – together with national governments and companies. It hasn’t so far said who is interested in working on these enormous projects. So we can be glad that others are a bit more open.

Elon Musk’s AI company xAI, which runs X’s Grok chatbot, has announced it will only sign the safety part of the EU’s generative AI Code of Practice. Grok came under scrutiny several weeks ago when it started producing posts seemingly praising Hitler. www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

The @ec.europa.eu has confirmed the withdrawal of the AI Liability Directive to Euractiv. It will instead monitor how AI Act and Product Liability Directive function in practice, a spokesperson said. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday: "US AI chips will help power our AI gigafactories and help the US to maintain *their* technological edge." EU factsheet today: "The EU also intends to purchase €40 billion worth of AI chips essential to maintaining *the EU's* technological edge." Which one is it?

Europe needs common rules on AI liability – stronger than the @ec.europa.eu’s proposal for an AI Liability Directive and definitely stronger than the _nothing_ left after the Commission announced it would withdraw that proposal.