The European Commission has set out rules and procedures for the imposition of supervisory fees on digital service providers under its supervision, as authorised by the Digital Services Act (EU DSA). The EU DSA allows the Commission to impose a fee on designated Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) under its supervision, and the detailed rules aim to provide legal certainty to those service providers. The delegated regulation specifies the methodology and procedures to calculate and levy the supervisory fee, as well as further details on the calculation of estimated costs and individual fees.

The European Commission has signed the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on AI and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, expressing the EU’s intention to become party to the Convention. The Convention, which is the first legally binding international instrument on AI, aims to ensure that activities within the lifecycle of AI systems are compatible with human rights, democracy and the rule of law by following a risk-based approach. The Convention will be implemented by the EU AI Act and is compatible with it, sharing concepts like a risk-based approach, key principles of trustworthy AI, transparency for AI systems and documentation obligations. The Commission will now prepare a proposal for the Council and the European Parliament to give their consent.

The European Commission has signed the Pax Silica Declaration on behalf of the EU, committing to cooperate with global partners on artificial intelligence (AI) and silicon supply chain security. The initiative seeks to strengthen supply chains and coordination among partners, with implications for European business and economic security. The signature follows the Technological Sovereignty Package, including the Chips Act 2.0, aimed at building resilience in semiconductor supply chains and supporting EU tech sovereignty.

The European Commission has signed the UN Convention against Cybercrime on behalf of the EU in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Commission negotiated the convention between 2019 and 2024, with the UN General Assembly adopting the final text on 24 December 2024 and the Council authorising the EU to sign it on 13 October 2025. The convention criminalises harmful acts, such as child sexual abuse, online fraud and ransomware attacks, and establishes measures for the extradition of suspects and the exchange of electronic evidence. Following the signature, the Council will decide on the formal conclusion of the convention, which requires the consent of the European Parliament. EU Member States will sign and ratify the convention according to their national procedures. The convention will enter into force once ratified by 40 countries and will enhance international cooperation with and between the 112 UN Member States that are not party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime.

The European Commission has announced procedural changes to the Horizon Europe programme for 2025, implementing simplified application and reporting requirements. Key changes include the introduction of lump sum grants covering 35% of the total budget, reduced financial reporting obligations for beneficiaries, and a new two-stage application process for 29 topics. The Commission has also implemented shorter topic descriptions and more open topics to provide applicants greater flexibility in proposing innovative solutions. These administrative changes aim to reduce the burden on grant applicants while maintaining programme oversight.

The European Commission's Deputy Director General for Financial Stability, Alexandra Jour-Schroeder has delivered a keynote speech outlining the Commission’s strategic vision for the future of EU capital markets. Jour-Schroeder emphasised the transformative role of technology—particularly distributed ledger technology (DLT) and artificial intelligence (AI)—in reshaping financial services, while also highlighting the importance of managing associated risks. Jour-Schroeder stressed that regulatory reform must evolve alongside innovation to maintain Europe’s global competitiveness.

The European Commission has submitted proposals to the Council of the European Union for the signature and conclusion of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and India. The proposals, submitted in line with the fast-track procedure laid out by the EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, earlier in 2026, seek Council authorisation for the signature and conclusion of the agreement. Following signature, the European Parliament’s consent will be required before the agreement can be concluded and enter into force.  Once adopted and entered into force, the FTA will improve market access, reduce tariffs, address unnecessary barriers to trade and provide more predictable rules for trade and investment between the EU and India. It aims to eliminate or reduce tariffs on 96% of EU goods exports to India, with annual duty savings of around €4 billion on European products. India is in parallel carrying out its own internal ratification procedures.

The European Commission has adopted two implementing regulations on 14 April 2025 regarding trade countermeasures against US steel and aluminium tariffs. The first regulation establishes countermeasures worth €21bn on US exports, while the second immediately suspends these measures until 14 July 2025. The suspension follows the US's 90-day pause of its tariffs on 9 April 2025, creating space for bilateral negotiations. The measures can be reactivated if negotiations prove unsatisfactory.

The European Commission has announced on 25 March 2025 three key changes to EU steel safeguard measures: reducing the liberalisation rate from 1% to 0.1%, restricting the use of unused country quotas, and eliminating the carry-over mechanism for high-pressure import categories. The changes, requested by 13 EU Member States, will be implemented in two phases starting 1 April 2025, with the liberalisation rate change and unused volume provisions taking effect from 1 July 2025. The measures aim to protect EU steel production and will remain in force until 30 June 2026.

The European Commission has announced that it will launch a consultation on new standard contractual clauses (SCCs) for transferring personal data to third-country controllers and processors which are subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation, Regulation (EU) 206/679 (EU GDPR). These new SCCs will complement the existing clauses for data transfers to third-country data importers who are not subject to the EU GDPR. The Commission plans to adopt the new documents in Q2 2025.

The European Commission has announced plans to engage with consumers and video game publishers by the end of 2026 following the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) ‘Stop Destroying Videogames’, which called for legislation to ensure players can continue to play video games after publishers stop providing commercial support. The Commission considers it cannot currently propose a legal obligation to keep video games playable after they are no longer provided commercially due to existing intellectual property rights, including copyright protections. It notes that existing EU consumer law already provides safeguards protecting consumers’ economic interests, including information requirements on contract duration and termination, and remedies under the Directive on digital content and digital services where content or services do not conform with contracts or consumer expectations. To address players’ concerns, the Commission intends to initiate discussions with the video game industry and consumer representatives on a code of conduct for managing video games’ ‘end of life’, and will work with consumer organisations and authorities to raise awareness of applicable consumer rights.

The European Commission has announced that its EU age verification app is technically ready and will soon be made available for citizens to use when accessing online platforms. Users will be able to verify their age by setting up the app using a passport or ID, based on the same model as the Commission's coronavirus (COVID-19) certificate app. The system is intended to meet privacy standards by enabling age verification without disclosing other personal information. It is designed to operate anonymously, without tracking users, to function across devices and to be fully open source. Seven Member States—France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Ireland—plan to integrate the app into their national digital wallets. The announcement forms part of the Commission's wider efforts to enforce EU rules on children's online safety, with Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, noting that platforms can rely on this age verification solution.