The EC’s planned activities seek to kickstart growth by cutting red tape and enhancing competition, while being mindful of the security of critical digital infrastructure
The EC has published its work programme for 2025, emphasising its focus on competitiveness, security and sustainability
On 11 February 2025, the EC published its 2025 work programme, setting out its key strategies, action plans and pieces of legislation for the year ahead. The simplification of EU rules alongside improved effectiveness in implementation are the overarching themes of the programme, aligning with the deregulatory agenda being championed by the EC through initiatives such as the Competitiveness Compass. Ursula Von Der Leyen (President, EC) stated that “this roadmap charts our course to a more competitive, resilient, and growth-oriented Europe”. Similarly, Henna Virkkunen (EVP for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, EC) explained that “competitiveness and security” are the programme’s main priorities and that she will be particularly focused on the implementation of the AI Act and on accelerating innovation. The programme also references the Draghi Report’s proposals for reforms in priority sectors such as telecoms, energy and clean technologies.
The work programme plans to revitalise the digital economy through the introduction of new regulations and the withdrawal of others in areas such as AI and spectrum
The Draghi and Letta reports emphasised that the telecoms sector underpins the EU’s wider digital economy and so should be regulated in a way that provides the best possible environment for investment and growth. The EC’s work programme looks to be emulating this narrative in its focus on the upcoming Digital Networks Act (DNA), explaining that the most important pre-condition of a thriving digital economy is reliable, high-capacity digital infrastructure. The DNA (a proposal for which will land in Q4 2025) will aim to achieve this by creating new opportunities for cross-border network operation and service provision, enhancing industry competitiveness and improving spectrum coordination. In regulating the digital economy, the programme identifies AI as a priority. To make the most of the opportunities presented by the technology, the EC will work on the AI Continent Strategy, the Cloud and AI Development Act and the Apply AI Strategy, all of which aim to boost AI factories and ‘gigafactories’ across the EU, while nurturing competitive AI ecosystems. However, the EC has withdrawn from the AI Liability Directive programme, which proposed to lay down uniform rules for certain aspects of civil liability for damage caused with the involvement of AI systems. Though MEP Axel Voss, rapporteur for the text in the European Parliament, has described the withdrawal as a “strategic error”, the proposal has been controversial and made little progress among policymakers. Further, while a much-delayed EU Space Act is expected in Q2, the EC has also decided to withdraw the proposal for a new privacy regulation, which would have repealed the existing 2002 ePrivacy Directive.
The Polish presidency of the Council’s security focus aligns well with the work planned by the EC
Aligning with the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU’s ‘Security, Europe!’ motto, the EC has also prioritised the EU’s security in its work programme. In hoping to accelerate its path to a digital regulatory environment, the EC plans to build synergies and produce legislation to establish consistency for data protection and cybersecurity rules. Having already published an Action plan on the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers in January 2025, the EC is now turning its attention to the resilience and security of its undersea infrastructure, most importantly submarine telecoms cables. These cables are deemed to be a critical element of the EU’s digital infrastructure and their protection has become increasingly important due to rising hybrid threats and geopolitical tensions.
The programme reflects activities in other jurisdictions in its approaches to competition, growth, spectrum and security
The EC’s competitiveness and security priorities are reflected in the work plans of other regulators, such as ComReg in Ireland. ComReg has planned to publish guidance and supervision on complying to security measures for the private sector and a report on its Network Operations Unit, both of which will most likely land in Q2 2025, aligning with the EC’s security focus. More broadly, the EC’s work programme is similar to the plans of both Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the UK due to its recognition of a lack of growth. All three hope to kickstart growth in their respective jurisdictions through improving competition, particularly in the digital economy. While the CMA is expected to complete its first strategic market status (SMS) investigations in June 2025 as a part of its new digital competition regime, the EC has already begun to explore pro-competition measures on designated ‘gatekeepers’ under the Digital Markets Act.
