Presented at the end of December, the detailed priorities set out by Cyprus – who holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU from 1 January 2026 – mention several strategic aspects of the EU’s digital policy, some of which are closely linked to current geopolitical problems.
In its programme, Cyprus sets out its ambitions for European sovereignty and competitiveness in digital and new technologies, a pillar of European leadership (see EUROPE 13769/10).
“Strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty and reducing external dependencies are necessary (...). The Presidency will therefore focus on key technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity”, explains the programme in detail.
In particular, Cyprus wishes to support work on the reform of European telecommunications, the ‘Digital Networks Act’ (DNA), which the European Commission is due to present on 20 January (see EUROPE 13715/12), as well as legislation on the development of Cloud computing and artificial intelligence (Cloud and IA Development Act) (see EUROPE 13674/12).
“Simplifying administrative processes remains a key objective”, the document stresses. As regulatory efficiency “becomes ever more critical”, the Cyprus Presidency wants to push ahead with the ‘omnibus’ legislation to simplify the digital legislative framework (see EUROPE 13755/3, 13755/2) “to streamline and modernise the EU’s digital framework”.
Another highly political issue is the protection of minors online. For Nicosia, which is one of the six countries in the test phase of the European online age verification scheme (see EUROPE 13728/1), it is vital to create a safe and healthy environment for young people on the Internet. However, the country does not say whether it would like to see the EU move towards a European upper age limit (see EUROPE 13760/5).
Finally, the fight against disinformation, foreign interference, pressure on media freedom, hate speech and electoral manipulation are also cited as serious threats to the EU’s foundations and core values.
See the programme: https://aeur.eu/f/k4d (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)