INSIGHT: EC Work Programme: Europe’s Independence Moment 

The 2026 European Commission Work Programme with the code name Europe’s Independence Moment” keeps connectivity and digital infrastructure at the heart of EU competitiveness, but reframes telecoms policy around simplification, enforcement, and technological sovereignty. For ISPs, this would be a year less about new slogans and more about how pending flagship files – above all the Digital Networks Act (DNA) – will actually land in practice. 

Strategic priorities affecting ISPs 

The Work Programme stresses competitiveness, innovation and collective security, positioning advanced networks as a precondition for AI, cloud, and quantum leadership. Telecom operators gain political recognition as critical enablers for industrial policy and defence readiness, which strengthens their argument for more investment friendly rules and targeted public support. 

At the same time, the Commission pledges to cut administrative burdens by around a quarter to a third, with more than half of legislative initiatives carrying a simplification component. For ISPs, this raises expectations of streamlined procedures in areas like permits, spectrum, and security reporting, but also hints at stricter enforcement of already adopted rules rather than a full regulatory reset. 

Digital Networks Act and “fair share” 

Although initially planned earlier, the DNA proposal is now expected in early 2026 and is described as the main vehicle for modernising EU telecoms regulation. It is intended to update the Electronic Communications Code, tackle fragmentation, and potentially introduce new IP interconnection dispute resolution mechanisms that could operate as de facto network fee tools vis-à-vis large content and application providers. 

Incumbent operators see this as a chance to rebalance the value chain, seeking obligations for hyperscale’s to negotiate “fair and reasonable” terms for IP data transport and interconnection. Smaller ISPs and some Member States, however, warn that such mechanisms could entrench large operators, distort competition, and overlap awkwardly with existing frameworks like the DMA and DSA. Final wording of the proposal of DNA and the final version after negotiations will be crucial for the next development of EU telco world. 

Beyond the DNA, ISPs are touched by proposals for a pan European critical communication system connecting emergency services across borders, and by acts on cloud, AI and quantum technologies that seek secure, EU controlled infrastructure. These initiatives open new wholesale and managed service opportunities for telecom operators, but also increase their obligations around resilience, cybersecurity, and lawful access. 

We are living in interesting times…