Tag Archive for: EU

2026: What’s ahead

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EU Digital Agenda for 2026: from strategy to action 

The time for action has arrived. Over the last months, the European Commission has defined broad policy guidelines for the current mandature (2024-2029): simplification, competitiveness, and innovation. The European executive has learned from the Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta reports – a welcome shift toward pragmatism for Internet Service Providers.  

In 2026, the Commission will translate these priorities into concrete proposals. Its work program directly impacts EuroISPA members across connectivity, data protection, cybersecurity, AI and platform regulation – making active engagement essential.  

KEY LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

The future Digital Networks Act is one of the major priorities for EuroISPA members. As Europe recasts its Electronic Communications Code, the stakes could not be higher: ensuring sustainable investment models while meeting connectivity demands for decades ahead. We expect the Commission to deliver a framework that balances regulatory certainty with technological evolution, incentivizing investment in digital infrastructures.  

EuroISPA welcomed the October 2025 Digital Omnibus Package. Aligning e-Privacy with GDPR is critical – reducing administrative burdens while clarifying legal obligations. Ensuring AI Act implementation is innovation-friendly similarly heads in the right direction. For our members, simplification here means tangible operational relief.  

On the revision of the Cybersecurity Act, EuroISPA supports a targeted revision of the Regulation.  

On the Digital Fairness Act: while we support strong consumer protection, creating new legislation risks regulatory fragmentation. Existing frameworks can achieve these goals more efficiently.  

On online piracy of sports and other live events, following its evaluation of the 2023 Recommendation, the Commission has concluded that this non-binding instrument is insufficient to tackle this illegal phenomenon. It is likely that a new legislative initiative is being considered to harmonise cooperation tools and EuroISPA will carefully follow how the issue may evolve, ensuring any framework respects technical feasibility and fundamental rights.

COOPERATION BETWEEN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND JUDICIAL AUTHORITIES   

EuroISPA remains committed to ongoing discussions on the CSAM regulation which is at the final stage of negotiations. It welcomes the Council’s general approach adopted under the Danish Presidency, which excluded detection obligations from the scope of the future regulation.   

The August 2026 e-evidence regulation implementation presents significant operational challenges, particularly the decentralized IT system. EuroISPA will facilitate dialogue between members and the Commission to ensure workable compliance pathways.  

On metadata retention, we await the early 2026 impact assessment. Any legislative initiative must avoid imposing requirements that compromise EU competitiveness, digital sovereignty, or cybersecurity – outcomes that benefit neither security nor innovation.  

Finally, encryption remains paramount. As the Commission launches its expert group, EuroISPA’s co-signed global statement underscores our position: encryption is foundational to digital trust and economic security. Proposals weakening encryption to facilitate law enforcement access would fundamentally undermine these objectives – a tradeoff Europe cannot afford.  

EuroISPA’s strength lies in our diverse membership – representing the full value chain from infrastructure providers to content platforms. Our established relationships with European institutions (Commission, Parliament, Council) and agencies (EUIPO, BEREC) position us to effectively advocate for balanced, evidence-based policies. As 2026’s legislative agenda unfolds, our collective voice will be essential in shaping Europe’s digital future. 

Romain Bonenfant

President of EuroISPA

Managing Director of FFTélécoms – Fédération Française des Télécoms

EuroISPA signs MoU with RIPE NCC

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Brussels, 28 November 2025 – EuroISPA, the pan European association of Internet Service Provider Associations, last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with RIPE NCC, The Regional Internet Registry for Europe, Middle East, and Central Asia. The agreement aims to enhance collaboration to support Internet stability in Europe.

“This agreement represents another step in EuroISPA’s efforts to contribute to a reliable future for European Digital Users,” said EuroISPA President Romain Bonenfant.

The agreement, signed at the RIPE 91 Meeting in Bucharest by Hans Petter Holen, RIPE NCC Managing Director and CEO, and Alex de Joode, EuroISPA Board Member, and later, at the EuroISPA General Meeting, by Romain Bonenfant, EuroISPA President, focuses on developing technical insights and educational materials on how the Internet functions, promoting best practices and technical standards, and encouraging evidence-based policymaking in line with a multistakeholder approach to Internet governance.

EuroISPA Board Member Alex de Joode affirmed that, “The value of bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and practices that EuroISPA and RIPE NCC have been developing over many years is essential to ensure Internet stability in Europe. EuroISPA and RIPE NCC are two of the most important organisations in this area, and such a collaboration can only bring good things for Europe’s Digital Future.”

About EuroISPA

Established in 1997, EuroISPA is the world’s largest association of Internet Services Providers Associations, representing over 3,300 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across the EU and EFTA countries. EuroISPA is recognised as the voice of the EU ISP industry, reflecting the views of ISPs of all sizes from across its member base.

Download the Press Release here

EuroISPA signs Global Statement on the Role of Encryption in Securing Trust and Enabling the Digital Economy

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Last Monday, EuroISPA, along with over 60 other organisations, endorsed a Global Statement a Global Statement on the Role of Encryption in Securing Trust and Enabling the Digital Economy.

We believe that strong encryption is essential to the global digital economy. Encryption safeguards user privacy, protects sensitive data, and enables trust, which are foundations of commerce, communication, and innovation.

Any effort to undermine encryption, whether through backdoors, key escrow systems, or technical mandates, undermines that trust. Weakening encryption introduces systemic vulnerabilities that criminals and hostile actors can exploit.

We call on governments around the globe to advance policies that protect encryption as a vital enabler of digital trust and economic prosperity. Policymakers should strengthen, not weaken, the tools that protect our shared digital infrastructure

Read the joint statement

EuroISPA appointed new Board at General Meeting

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Brussels, 18 November 2025 – EuroISPA, the pan-European association of Internet Service Provider Associations, appointed its new Board, including the Association’s President, Vice-President, and Treasurer, during its latest General Meeting in Brussels.

The new Board leadership includes Romain Bonenfant of Fédération Française des Télécoms as President, Lars Steffen of eco as Vice-President, and Dalia Coffetti of AIIP as Treasurer, alongside Stefan Ebenberger from ISPA Austria and Alex de Joode from AMS-IX as Board members. The Board is responsible for coordinating the activities and budget of the Association.

Romain Bonenfant spoke on his appointment as President of EuroISPA: “I am honored to take on the role of President after several years of active involvement on EuroISPA’s Board. We will stay true to our mission to represent Internet Service Providers by providing our technical expertise to EU institutions and stakeholders, and supporting our members through shared knowledge and best practices. Our strength lies in collaboration; Internet Service Providers need a strong, informed and united voice in Europe.”.

Lars Steffen highlighted EuroISPA’s role in uniting ISPs across Europe, noting that collaboration enables common approaches and clear positions to shape balanced frameworks. Newly appointed Treasurer Dalia Coffetti added that she looks forward to supporting EuroISPA’s priorities and working with the Board to ensure their efforts deliver meaningful impact.

About EuroISPA

Established in 1997, EuroISPA is the world’s largest association of Internet Services Providers Associations, representing over 3,300 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) across the EU and EFTA countries. EuroISPA is recognised as the voice of the EU ISP industry, reflecting the views of ISPs of all sizes from across its member base.

Download the Press Release here

EuroISPA Response to the Public Consultation on the Digital Fairness Act

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EuroISPA shares the European Commission’s objective to protect and empower consumers. Nevertheless, we emphasise that the EU already has the world’s most comprehensive consumer protection framework, strengthened by recent major legislative updates, including the Omnibus Directive, DSA, DMA, Data Act, and AI Act.

Should the Commission remain committed to proposing a DFA, such an initiative should fully reflect the overall aim of ensuring a simple, competitive, and innovation-friendly legal framework, which benefits both consumers and businesses. It should also enable effective and consistent enforcement of existing laws, addressing specific gaps without duplicating existing legislation. Hence, before considering any new rules, the Commission should conduct comprehensive impact assessments of existing legislation and its implementation.

Only where genuine gaps are demonstrated should evidence-based, targeted, and technologically neutral measures be considered. Even then, the Commission should first assess whether the objectives can be achieved by amending existing instruments—such as the DSA—instead of adopting a new legislative act.

EuroISPA’s specific recommendations address:

  • The relationship between regulators and businesses
  • Dark patterns
  • Addictive design
  • Unfair personalisation practices
  • Harmful practices by social media influencers
  • Issues with digital contracts
  • Simplification measures
  • Horizontal issues (age assurance, fairness by design, burden of proof, definition of consumer). 
Read the Position Paper

GDPR blocks growth opportunities 

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The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) promised harmonised rules and a stronger internal market. In reality, interpretations vary between member states, and case law is inconsistent. Companies live in uncertainty about which rules to follow in which country and this undermines the competitiveness of the entire economic area. 

The obligations of the GDPR are in many respects overly detailed and rigid. Contractual requirements, the 72-hour breach notification, and unclear rules on anonymisation and pseudonymisation create extra bureaucracy without real added value for data protection. Supervisory authorities treat guidelines as binding regulations, leaving risk-based thinking aside. 

Excessively strict interpretations also prevent the use of data in healthcare, research, and new digital services. When pseudonymisation cannot be applied flexibly, innovation stalls and international cooperation dries up. For example, telecom operators have enormous opportunities to develop business by using pseudonymised data generated by their networks: mobility patterns could be used in urban planning, service capacity, or tourism development without compromising individual privacy. Current restrictive interpretations, however, make this nearly impossible. 

The situation is made worse by conflicts between the GDPR and ePrivacy rules, as well as by authorities’ low notification threshold, which burdens oversight and wastes resources. In addition, the sanction mechanism is unbalanced: companies may face heavy penalties, while the public sector rarely faces administrative fines, even though authorities handle massive amounts of personal data. This is neither acceptable for citizens’ legal protection nor for equal treatment. 

A correction to the GDPR is essential. We need more consistent interpretations, risk-based regulation, sanctions that also apply to the public sector, and proportionality – so that data protection genuinely works for citizens rather than stalling European companies’ growth and the development of new business models. 

Elina Ussa

President of EuroISPA

and FiCom Managing Director

Promoting Sustainability through Digital Infrastructure

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As underscored in EuroISPA‘s Position Paper on Sustainability, the role that digital technologies and infrastructure play in driving environmental responsibility across the economy is crucial. From reducing energy consumption in telecom networks to encouraging investments in sustainable data centres, the paper presents actionable strategies for driving a greener future powered by responsible digitalisation.  

Digitalisation already plays a key role in sustainability, replacing outdated, energy-intensive technologies with more efficient alternatives. For instance, 5G networks consume 80% less energy than 4G, and fiber optic cables use five times less energy than copper. This high-performance connectivity creates opportunities for energy savings across all sectors. 

However, more can be done. EuroISPA advocates for proactive measures, such as phasing out aging 2G and 3G equipment, fostering industry collaboration, and sharing best practices to optimise data distribution. Consistent regulation and increased investment in renewable energy infrastructure are also vital in ensuring that Europe’s digital ecosystem remains both competitive and sustainable. 

Data centres as the backbone of digitalisation, key to decarbonising the EU economy. EuroISPA encourages further investment in EU-based data centres, supported by renewable energy, to enhance both competitiveness and environmental sustainability. 

The digital infrastructure sector holds the key to a greener future, and we at EuroISPA are committed to leading that transition. By promoting energy-efficient technologies and investing in sustainable data centres, we can drive decarbonisation across Europe, ensuring both sustainability and digital resilience. 

By embedding sustainability into every level of the digital supply chain, EuroISPA envisions a future where responsible digitalisation powers a greener, more prosperous Europe. 

Lars Steffen

EuroISPA Vice President

Head of International, Digital Infrastructures & Resilience of eco – Association of the Internet Industry

EuroISPA publishes its Vision for the EU mandate 2024-2029

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EuroISPA is excited to publish its Vision for the 2024–2029 EU Mandate, a strategic document that outlines a clear, actionable roadmap to strengthen Europe’s digital resilience, competitiveness and innovation.

In a time of rapid technological evolution and increasing global competition, Europe must pivot from being a “regulatory hyperscaler” to a continent that fosters investment, entrepreneurship and forward-looking policymaking. Our Vision identifies six key strategic priorities:

  1. Completing the Digital Single Market to reduce fragmentation and scale innovation.
  2. Simplifying regulation to empower disruption and reduce compliance burdens, especially for SMEs.
  3. Building secure and resilient digital infrastructure that supports technologies like AI and quantum computing.
  4. Defending European rights and democratic values, including strong privacy and encryption protections.
  5. Maintaining openness to global cooperation while safeguarding strategic autonomy.
  6. Advancing the green transition through smart digital sustainability and energy efficiency.

EuroISPA and its members remain committed to working closely with EU institutions and stakeholders to help shape a digital Europe that is open, competitive and aligned with core democratic principles.

Read the full Vision for 2024–2029 here: EuroISPA Vision for the EU mandate 2024-2029

EuroISPA Response to the Digital Networks Act Call for Evidence

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EuroISPA contributed to the European Commission’s consultation on the upcoming Digital Networks Act (DNA) and emphasises the importance of a transparent, inclusive and proportionate approach to reforming the EU’s electronic communications framework.

EuroISPA’s key messages:

  • Defining limits to harmonise access regulation and network transition: Harmonised access products must remain optional and copper switch-off plans must reflect national readiness and diversity.
  • Advancing harmonisation and simplification: Simplification must lower administrative burdens without compromising national flexibility or increasing regulatory overlap.
  • Enabling technology-neutral connectivity framework: A level playing field for fibre, wireless and satellite is essential to closing the digital divide.
  • Aligning environmental legislations with existing EU frameworks: Environmental rules should align with existing horizontal ESG frameworks, avoiding telecom-specific duplication.
  • Distinguishing consumer protection from enterprise services: Enterprise and public sector services should be exempt from consumer protection rules due to their bespoke nature.
  • Ensuring proportional and non-redundant governance structures: Knowledge sharing is welcome, but expanded EU-level powers must respect the principle of subsidiarity.
  • Focusing on demand-side gaps and digital skills: Efforts should address adoption barriers and digital skills rather than expanding costly Universal Service Obligations.
  • Maintaining a consistent commitment to net neutrality: Net neutrality must remain a cornerstone of the open internet and be upheld without reinterpretation or compromise.

Read the full response to the European Commission here.

The future of digital infrastructure: what’s next after the European Commission’s White Paper

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With the publication of its White Paper on digital infrastructure in 2024, the European Commission has finally launched a long-overdue debate on the future of the telecom regulatory framework. EuroISPA has taken an active role in these discussions, committed to shaping an ambitious vision for the sector. Engaging with policymakers to highlight the essential role of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in fostering innovation, resilience, and the twin transition, we reaffirm our dedication to keeping telecom networks at the heart of Europe’s economic and technological leadership. 

As we move towards 2030, unlocking the necessary investments to achieve the Digital Decade connectivity targets remains a top priority. To this end, Europe must establish a regulatory framework that incentivises investment, notably through a comprehensive Digital Networks Act, ensuring a robust, sustainable, and competitive telecom ecosystem for the future. 

Achieving true internal market integration will largely depend on harmonising and streamlining regulations across multiple areas, including infrastructure investment, spectrum management, and taxation. This also requires assessing the relevance of existing sectoral rules alongside broader horizontal frameworks. The regulation of our sector must adopt a more coordinated approach and foster investment-friendly conditions while preserving effective national frameworks and ensuring fair competition. 

Prioritising network sustainability is also crucial to supporting the green transition of our economy. The telecom industry plays a key role in driving sustainability gains across sectors and reducing its own environmental footprint by replacing legacy technology with more energy-efficient infrastructure. The inclusion of connectivity networks in the EU Taxonomy for sustainable finance is a positive step toward securing funding for greener networks. Additionally, engaging with equipment suppliers and digital service providers across the entire value chain will be essential to adopting the most efficient technologies, achieving net-zero emissions, and ensuring optimal network efficiency. 

Looking ahead to 2025, we believe the Digital Networks Act must serve as a cornerstone for turning these priorities into concrete action. By simplifying regulation, securing investment, and strengthening network sustainability and security, Europe can build digital infrastructures that are both competitive and future-proof. EuroISPA and its members remain committed to working alongside European stakeholders and institutions to ensure these vital reforms become a reality. 

Romain Bonenfant

EuroISPA Board Member

Managing Director of FFTélécoms – Fédération Française des Télécoms

Contact details

EuroISPA

38, Rue de la Loi
1000 Brussels

+32 2 789 6618

[email protected]

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