2022 FRENCH PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EU

On 1 January 2022 France took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU. The new Presidency aims to achieve three ambitions: a more sovereign Europe, a new European model for growth and a humane Europe. The programme of the French Presidency is a part of a more broader one - the programme of the Trio Presidency with the upcoming Czech and Swedish Presidencies.

The website of the French Presidency can be found here.

French presidency of the Council of the EU:

1 January - 30 June 2022.

Digital Transformation in the French Presidency's programme

The French Presidency will:

• enhance cybersecurity by pushing forward the negotiations on the revision of the NIS Directive.
• continue work on the ePrivacy Regulation.
• begin work on the Data Act.
• begin work on reviewing the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive (BCRD). In its programme the Presidency states that the BCRD "will expedite the roll-out of ultrafast broadband if the revised Directive is published in the first half of 2022."
• endeavour to strengthen the European cooperation on the basis of the digital policy programme proposed by the European Commission and a future interinstitutional declaration that will lay down the European Union’s overarching principles in the digital field.
• move as forward as possible with talks with the European Parliament on the Digital Services Act.
• take forward the negotiations for the Digital Markets Act.

The Programme of the Presidency can be downloaded from here.

Events:

Early February: a ministerial conference on digital sovereignty will be held.

Late June: Digital Assembly 2022 will be held.

Digital Transformation in the Trio Presidencies' programme

One of the main objectives of the Trio Presidencies will be the preparatory work on digital skills and education in line with the 2030 Digital Compass. The Trio aims to finalise the revision of the regulatory framework for online platforms, in order to create a safer digital space and step up the fight against illegal content online by reinforcing their responsibilities. It will also strive to improve the EU’s cybersecurity crisis management framework and establish common cybersecurity standards for products.

The Trio Programme can be downloaded from here.

                

UPGRADING DIGITAL COMPANY LAW: PUBLIC CONSULTATION

The European Commission launched a public consultation on upgrading digital company law. This public consultation aims to give all citizens and organisations the opportunity to inform policy development. It will collect data and views of stakeholders on the problems to be addressed, as well as on policy options and their potential impacts.

The public consultation is divided in four parts:

• Transparency - Better access to more information about companies in the EU.
• Making the most of the company information in the EU - using company data available in national business registers in cross-border administrative or judicial procedures.
• Making it possible for companies to use information from their national business registers when expanding to markets in other Member States.
• Digitalising company law procedures and addressing new digital developments in EU company law.

More information can be found here.

Deadline for submitting responses: 08 April 2022.

6G RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PROGRAMME

The Joint Undertaking on Smart Networks and Services towards 6G (SNS JU) adopted its Work Programme 2021-2022 with an earmarked public funding of about € 240 million. It sets out four main complementary work streams:

• Stream A: Smart communication components, systems, and networks for 5G Evolution systems.
• Stream B: Research for radical technology advancement (in preparation for 6G and radical advancements of IoT, devices and software).
• Stream C: SNS Enablers and Proof of Concept, including development of experimental infrastructure(s) that could be further used during later phases of SNS.
• Stream D: Large Scale SNS Trials and Pilots with Verticals, including the required infrastructure to explore and demonstrate technologies and advanced applications as well as advanced services in the vertical domains.

The press release can be found here.

Next steps: The Calls for Proposals will be launched in early 2022.