The European Union has built a name for itself as a tech regulator, not an innovator. As it looks to grow its tech sector, The Parliament's latest policy report looks at how the EU can regulate tech without stifling innovation.
Europe has long had a tricky relationship with technology. Preferring to act as referee rather than revolutionary, it has struggled to balance consumer protection with business-friendly innovation.
In this policy report, I interview MEP Dóra Dávid, a member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection and a former lawyer at several tech companies, about what lessons the EU can learn to foster a more dynamic tech ecosystem.
I also examine the EU’s awkward relationship with emerging technologies and how it could better support business owners, while Raphael Tsavkko Garcia explores how the EU’s regulatory approach has made it the home of unextraordinary tech revolutions.
In the opinion section, MEP Arba Kokalari calls for simplification and sensible application of the EU’s landmark AI Act, while MEP Regina Doherty makes the case for the European AI Office as a force for good governance and business practices.
Dr Nicole Lemke argues that the EU needs to focus its AI investment into its AI hubs to create several leading centres, rather than spreading investment across member states.
Europe will continue to regulate tech, but will it be able to do so without stifling innovation? Only time will tell.
- Matt Lynes, Opinion & Policy Report Editor