Digital Sovereignty\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) delayed:\u00a0The CADA is now expected to be proposed on 27 May 2026. The proposal is set to be a flagship legislative\u00a0initiative aimed at tripling EU data centre capacity,\u00a0establishing\u00a0EU-wide eligibility requirements for cloud service providers, and creating a single EU-wide cloud policy for public administrations and procurement. The Act, which will be proposed around the same time as a revision of EU public procurement rules, is being dubbed the “tech sovereignty package”. techUK will be paying close attention to the proposal to ensure any impact on non-EU companies is fully understood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Artificial Intelligence\u00a0<\/p>\n
EU Commission opens consultation on evaluations and proceedings:\u00a0On\u00a012 March\u00a0the EU Commission\u00a0published a draft implementing act<\/a>\u00a0on “detailed arrangements for the conduct of certain proceedings” by the EU AI Office. The draft act covers arrangements and conditions for evaluations of general-purpose AI models, including the involvement of independent experts. Interested stakeholders can take part in the consultation until 9 April.\u00a0<\/p>\n Simplification\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n EU Proposes 28th\u00a0Regime (EU Inc.):\u00a0On 18 March, the European Commission\u00a0published its legislative proposal for EU Inc<\/a>, an optional, harmonised EU-level company law framework. It aims to address the fragmentation that currently forces companies expanding across EU borders to navigate 27 national legal systems and more than 60 different company forms. Key features include: company registration within 48 hours, fully online, for less than \u20ac100 and with no minimum share capital; a “once only” principle whereby companies submit information to a single EU-level interface connected to national business registers, with tax identification and VAT numbers issued without resubmitting paperwork; and digital-by-default corporate processes throughout a company’s lifecycle. The Commission will also\u00a0establish\u00a0a new central EU register. An overview of the 28th regime will soon be published on our website.\u00a0<\/p>\n Council and Parliament to begin AI omnibus negotiations: On Friday 14 March, EU Member States adopted the necessary mandate to begin interinstitutional negotiations with the European Parliament.\u00a0\u00a0The AI Omnibus, which forms a part of the\u00a0EU\u2019s Digital Simplification Package<\/a>, will aim to simplify the EU’s AI Act rules before the high-risk requirements August 2026 deadline kicks in. The Omnibus will therefore have the ambitious task of conducting quick negotiations. Should things continue at this quick pace, we can expect an AI Omnibus text to be agreed upon by May 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n Online Platforms\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Digital Fairness Act (DFA) discussions gaining traction:\u00a0The DFA, a new legislative initiative aimed at strengthening consumer protection in digital environments by tackling certain online practices (such as dark patterns, addictive design, unfair personalisation, or subscription traps), is increasingly being discussed. The legislative proposal is expected for Q4\u00a02026\u00a0but discussions are currently picking up. On 13 March, over 200 civil society groups urged the EU Commission,\u00a0in an open letter<\/a>\u00a0to deliver an ambitious proposal that ensures “meaningful protection in the digital environment for people of all ages”. This was followed by\u00a0an\u00a0industry letter<\/a>\u00a0by 34 trade associations and organisations addressed to the EU Commission on 16 March calling for the DFA to focus on consistent enforcement and further clarity regarding existing rules rather than the creation of new rules. In response to this, Consumer Protection\u00a0Commissioner Michael McGrath said<\/a>\u00a0the upcoming legislation would only introduce “targeted and proportionate” measures and would not\u00a0seek\u00a0to “duplicate efforts or reopen matters already settled”.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cyber Resilience\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n EU Publishes draft guidance for Cyber Resilience Act (CRA):\u00a0The CRA is part of the broader EU product law framework and\u00a0establishes\u00a0mandatory cybersecurity requirements that will affect most hardware and software products made available on the EU market. On 3 March, the\u00a0EU published its first draft guidance<\/a>\u00a0intended to\u00a0assist\u00a0economic operators and market surveillance authorities applying the CRA. Interested stakeholders have\u00a0until 31 March to provide feedback<\/a>\u00a0on the guidance. As a reminder, the CRA\u2019s main obligations will apply from 11 December 2027 with reporting obligations to apply as of 11 September 2026.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n