The Croatian Presidency of the EU Council does not want to take any risks: after the previous rotating Presidency had almost achieved a general approach on the confidentiality of electronic communications without finally achieving it, Zagreb is no longer making any commitments on the legislative side. This is what emerges from its work schedule published at the end of December.
In this document, Croatia states only that it “will continue discussions on the obstacles associated with the proposal on the confidentiality of electronic communications and will seek to offer adequate solutions”. The proposal for a regulation, presented in January 2017, struggles to receive the support of a qualified majority of Member States. Zagreb is not taking any further risks on the draft regulation on the Cyber Security Competence Centre, announcing here too the continuation of discussions.
Technological sovereignty as a priority
Instead, the country, which holds the EU Council Presidency for the next 6 months, embraces the new priorities of the von der Leyen Commission to guarantee European strategic sovereignty. “The priorities of the [Croatian] Presidency include the development of a secure and high-quality data infrastructure and the creation of conditions for the full functioning and security of 5G networks”, the country said. Further on, Zagreb commits itself to “work on documents that guarantee connectivity, the establishment of a functional digital single market and a breakthrough in new areas such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and the associated data economy”. In particular, the Presidency states that “block chain technology can lead to significant improvements for industry and public administration” and that it will be ready to “accept all initiatives in this segment and work towards their adoption”.
At the Commission, artificial intelligence mid-February
The European Commission has indeed ensured that it places technological sovereignty at the centre of its priorities. However, it did not detail the form these initiatives would take. The only certainty at this stage is the publication, in the coming weeks, of its 5G network security toolkit.
The Commission is, on the other hand, more specific on another aspect of digital policy: artificial intelligence (AI), on which it promised an initiative in the first 100 days of its mandate. According to a draft timetable dated mid-December, the Commission is expected to present proposals to develop a European approach to artificial intelligence on 19 February. This White Paper will be followed in time by a second series of initiatives - legislative this time - entitled ‘A Legal Framework for AI: Addressing the Human and Ethical Implications of AI’. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)