The Commission’s digital agenda – what is the effect of COVID-19 on the timelines?

The European Commission published its Digital Package on 19 February 2020, setting the framework for action over the next five years in the digital sphere.

The package included:

• A Communication on ‘Shaping Europe’s digital future’
• A White Paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) – A European approach to excellence and trust
• A Communication on European Strategy for Data

The COVID-19 outbreak has, however, forced the European institutions to rapidly switch into crisis management mode; political energy has been drawn towards containing the spread of the virus, with marginal reviews so far of its 2020 Work Programme.

At the same time, the Commission is seeking to quell concerns related to a possible slowdown of legislative activity, indicating its intent to move current initiatives forward as planned.

While constantly fluid, this document by FIPRA is a snapshot of the current Commission’s digital agenda, highlighting the main initiatives already postponed or expected to slip over the next days and weeks.

These will be reviewed again on April 29^th, when the Commission will release an updated programme. See also our digital timeline, updated in light of delays, for a visual representation of the digital policy horizon.