The Telecommunications Ministers of the EU Member States are meeting in Luxembourg on Friday 2 June. On this occasion, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU will give a final update to the Member States before the end of its term on 30 June on the progress made on the current dossiers.
The ministers will begin the day by taking stock of the progress made in the discussions within the Council of the EU on the regulation on measures to reduce the cost of deploying gigabit electronic communications networks (see EUROPE 13128/9). This will be followed by the regulation establishing measures for a high level of public sector interoperability in the EU, which should enable EU public administrations to cooperate more effectively and ensure the transparent provision of public services.
A final point will be devoted to the horizontal cybersecurity requirements applicable to products containing digital elements (see EUROPE 13164/1). The future Spanish Presidency of the EU Council has already indicated that this issue will be one of its priorities. Between now and the end of its term of office, it intends to set out a general direction (see other news).
Still on the subject of progress on current dossiers, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU will continue with reports on the inter-institutional negotiations currently underway on the European digital identity portfolio (see EUROPE 13181/10), 5G, harmonised rules for fair access to and use of data and the regulation on privacy and personal data protection in electronic communications (e-privacy).
The day will continue with a policy debate on the future of connectivity in the EU. “In view of recent technological and market developments, it is necessary to take measures to stimulate investment in connectivity infrastructures”, said the Swedish Presidency.
The Telecommunications Ministers of the EU Member States will focus on the potential risks and challenges facing related areas.
A few days after the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (see EUROPE 13191/32), the Commission will be briefing the Member States on international digital initiatives. Practices and initiatives concerning the use of AI will also be discussed.
Finally, the Swedish Presidency of the Council will report on the conference on artificial intelligence held in Göteborg on 2 and 3 May. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)