The European Commission has designated Temu as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU Digital Services Act (EU DSA). Since Temu is above the VLOP EU DSA threshold with 45 million monthly users in the EU, it is required to comply with the DSA’s obligations to assess and mitigate systemic risks in its services by the end of September 2024. The Commission will monitor Temu’s compliance with the EU DSA.

The European Commission has formally designated XNXX, an adult content platform, as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the EU Digital Services Act (EU DSA). XNXX has an average of over 45 million monthly users in the EU, which it has communicated to the Commission, is above the EU DSA threshold for designation as a VLOP. XNXX will now have to comply with the most strict rules under the EU DSA within four months (by mid November 2024) of its notification. Some of the VLOP obligations include adopting certain measures to protect users online, preventing minors from accessing pornographic content online, providing access to publicly available data to researchers and publishing a repository of ads. XNXX must also duly examine and minimise any systemic risks as a result of its services, such as risks linked to the dissemination of illegal content or the negative impact on the physical and mental well-being of the user. XNXX must submit the first risk assessment report by mid-November 2024. The Commission will work with the Czech Digital Services Coordinator to supervise XNXX's compliance with the EU DSA.

The European Commission has initiated the development of detailed rules for calculating the annual price difference between eligible aviation fuels and fossil kerosene. This initiative, part of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme, aims to establish a mechanism for allocating allowances for the use of eligible fuels. These rules will play a crucial role in supporting the use of sustainable aviation fuels within the EU. The Commission has opened a draft act for public feedback from 9 December 2024 to 6 January 2025, with adoption planned for the third quarter of 2024.

The European Commission has announced that, as of 14 November 2024, Booking Holdings Inc. (BHI) must ensure its online intermediation service, Booking.com, complies with all relevant obligations under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA). This development marks a significant shift in the European tourism ecosystem, as hotels, car rental companies, and other travel service providers are no longer required to guarantee best prices on Booking.com. EU businesses can now freely differentiate prices and conditions across various online sales channels. Booking has published a compliance report to demonstrate its compliance with the EU DMA, as well as an independently audited description of techniques it uses for profiling consumers. The Commission will analyse the report to assess whether the implemented measures are effective in achieving the objectives of the relevant obligations under the EU DMA. Interested stakeholders are also invited to provide input on the Commission's assessment.

The European Commission has established the artificial intelligence (AI) Office, on 29 April 2024, in aims to enable the future development, deployment and use of AI in a way that fosters societal and economic benefits and innovation, while mitigating risks. The Office will be central for the implementation of the EU AI Act, particularly for general-purpose AI models, and also foster research and innovation in trustworthy AI, placing the EU as a leader in international discussions.

The European Commission has launched the European Board on Agriculture and Food (EBAF), a new consultative body aimed at fostering dialogue and trust among stakeholders in the food supply chain and civil society. It was formed based on a recommendation from the final report of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of Agriculture. A call for applications to form the Board's membership was opened with a deadline of 8 January 2025. The Commission aims to finalise the membership at the beginning of 2025, and the Board's first meeting will be convened immediately after.

The European Commission has launched two whistleblower tools for the EU Digital Services Act (EU DSA) and EU Digital Markets Act (EU DMA). The tools will allow individuals to safely recognise and reveal harmful practices of Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) and Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) under the EU DSA or gatekeepers under the EU DMA. Whistleblowers can submit information anonymously in any EU official language and format, with encryption ensuring privacy and adherence to standard legal frameworks. Complaints about VLOPs and VLOSEs can be submitted to national Digital Services Coordinators, while EU DMA breaches by gatekeepers are reported to the Commission or national Competition Authorities.

The European Commission has announced extensive expansions to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), effective 1 January 2026. The reforms extend CBAM's scope to 180 steel and aluminium-intensive downstream products—covering 15% of current goods by volume and 53% by value—to mitigate carbon leakage risks. Enhanced anti-circumvention measures have been introduced, including the incorporation of pre-consumer scrap in emissions calculations and stronger reporting requirements. A temporary decarbonisation fund will provide support to EU producers facing carbon leakage risks, funded partly through CBAM certificate sales. The Commission has also adopted comprehensive implementing acts detailing methodologies, verification, certificate pricing, and related procedures, with sector-specific measures for fertilizers and new trade facilitation provisions to ensure WTO compliance and international cooperation.

The European Commission has extended the voluntary agreement between 22 European and seven Ukrainian telecommunications operators for another 12 months. This will ensure refugees from Ukraine can make affordable calls to friends and family across borders. The Body of European regulators of electronic communications noted that the agreement has been efficient in the past by providing affordable calls and operators from the European Economic Area should continue to offer free SIM cards to refugees, free international calls to Ukraine and monthly packages usable in the host country.  The Commission urges all operators to join the agreement. After this agreement is endorsed by the Member States and a decision is made by the EU-Ukraine association committee, Ukraine will become part of the EU Roaming area.

The European Commission has adopted a decision to extend the equivalence for UK central counterparties (CCPs) for three years, until 30 June 2028. The Bank of England has welcomed the extension, saying it ‘supports financial stability and the sound functioning of financial markets in both the UK and the EU’.

The European Commission has announced the conclusion of negotiations for a comprehensive EU-Mercosur partnership agreement. This landmark deal, the largest ever negotiated by the EU, aims to remove trade barriers, boost competitiveness, and strengthen political ties between the two blocs.

The European Commission has concluded in its review of the 11 existing adequacy decisions adopted under Article 25(6) of Directive 95/46/EC (the Data Protection Directive), that personal data transferred from the EU to Andorra, Argentina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland and Uruguay can continue to take place without additional requirements. The Commission found that these countries and territories have carried out a comprehensive modernisation of their privacy legislation, aligned their frameworks with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR)), and are subject to safeguards including effective oversight and redress mechanisms, ensuring an adequate level of protection for personal data transfers from the EU. The Commission will continue to monitor developments in these countries in line with the EU GDPR requirement to periodically review adequacy decisions.