A broad coalition of 86 consumer protection and digital rights organisations and 116 individual signatories has published a joint call urging the European Commission to develop an ambitious Digital Fairness Act (DFA).

The proposed Omnibus Package VII (Digital Omnibus) is much more than a mere simplification of existing regulations put forward by the Commission. Rather, this package proposes serious changes that threaten to lower the current level of consumer and data protection.

The Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour (AK EUROPA) and the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) hosted the following event "Why the Digital Fairness Act needs to tackle addictive design".

Every day, an estimated 12 million parcels arrive in the EU by air. The rapid growth of e-commerce has a significant environmental impact and also leads to more and more non-compliant and dangerous goods arriving in the European market. A visit to one of Europe's most important cargo airports, organised by the European Consumer Organisation BEUC, highlighted how difficult it is in practice to monitor and impose sanctions on unsafe products, counterfeits, undeclared goods and fraud.

Amid geopolitical tensions and growing dependence on foreign tech giants, the idea of strengthening Europe's technological autonomy is gaining more prominence. EU legislation on digital markets, digital services and AI has been passed. Yet, strong concerns remain over the economic and social influence of non-EU tech giants. What are the risks associated with the current situation, and how can the EU achieve digital sovereignty? We spoke with digital transition expert Justin Nogarede.

The rapid developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are changing the world of work. On 20 and 21 February 2025, the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) held a conference on the “Future of Work”. The subject matter of the conference was the impact of digital technologies, AI and computer-based control. To ensure a fair digital transformation of the world of work, employees need to be given a voice.

The Regulation on Artificial Intelligence (AI Act) entered into force on 1 August 2024 and is to become fully applicable in two years. The provisions of Chapter I (General Provisions) and II (Prohibited AI Practices) already apply since 2 February 2025.

The EU Commission has developed guidelines for the implementation of the AI Act, including on the definition of AI system and on prohibited AI practices. Beforehand, the EU Commission carried out a targeted stakeholder consultation, in which AK participated and gave its opinion from a consumer policy perspective.

Since the EU Commission presented its competitiveness compass on January 29, the whole of Brussels has been discussing how Europe can assert itself economically against the USA and China to secure long-term prosperity. The Council under the Polish Presidency is not alone in directing its attention towards industrial policy for the next six months. By hosting two events at the beginning of February, AK EUROPA also took a stand on this issue.

Do current EU consumer protection laws meet the challenges that consumers face in the digital space? The EU Commission has thoroughly examined this question and the answer is no. In a comprehensive report, the EU Commission largely confirms AK's analysis. The findings are now to be incorporated into the development of a Digital Fairness Act.

The final decision on the AI Regulation was taken by the Council of the EU on 21 May 2024. This represents an important step for the safe use of artificial intelligence and the protection of fundamental rights. The European Parliament has made a significant contribution – one out of many reasons to vote in the EU elections on 9 June 2024!