European Digital Rights EDRi

What the Commission proposes

The European Commission proposes the EU Kids Act regulation to establish a uniform digital environment for children across the European Union. The proposal introduces harmonized age limits, restricting autonomous account creation on social media and video sharing platforms for children under 15, with parental involvement allowed for older minors. It also sets out security-by-design requirements for online services, video sharing platforms, online games, AI companions, and app stores. Furthermore, the regulation establishes proportionate, privacy-compliant age-verification frameworks and harmonized enforcement mechanisms to prevent market fragmentation.

• Establishes a single EU-wide digital age limit and restricts autonomous account creation on social media and video sharing platforms for children under 15.
• Sets out security-by-design requirements for social media, video platforms, online games, AI companions, and app stores.
• Introduces proportional and privacy-respecting age-verification criteria and safeguards.
• Defines a structured enforcement framework relying on existing structures with expedited procedures.
• Builds on existing EU rules such as the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act to prevent regulatory fragmentation in the single market.

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What the Commission proposes

The European Commission has proposed a new regulation on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) to reinforce its operational role in combating serious cross-border crime and terrorism. The initiative replaces Regulation (EU) 2016/794, updates Europol's mandate to address a changing security landscape, and provides for increased resources and staff. It also establishes structured cooperation between Europol and eu-LISA for information management and ICT services while ensuring full alignment with EU data protection frameworks.

• Replaces Regulation (EU) 2016/794 to establish a revised mandate for Europol.
• Aims to enhance Europol's operational capabilities against online and offline serious crime and terrorism.
• Establishes structured cooperation between Europol and eu-LISA for information systems and communication infrastructure.
• Allocates an estimated EUR 1.053 billion and 910 additional staff posts over the 2028-2034 MFF.
• Maintains alignment with the EU data protection framework and fundamental rights standards.

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1. 172 Political feasibility The consultation activities have revealed that the EPPO would fully support this measure,238 while both Europol and several Member States remain reluctant toward introducing the possibility for information exchanges in derogation from the “data ownership principle”239. Overall, the measure remains politically feasible, albeit with difficulties. f. Impact on digitalisation (0) This measure would have no to positive impacts on digitalisation depending on whether implementation maintains the current level or increases the digital delivery of services. 2.4 Policy option 2.4: EU Police Cloud and Europol support offices a. Impact on citizens (+) The continued rise of digitally enabled and AI-facilitated crime, combined with increased cross-border mobility, has led to a more diverse and complex threat landscape.

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2. EN 22 EN actors, while maintaining the applicable access restrictions, data ownership principles, and data protection safeguards. It also provides for the adoption of implementing acts setting out the technical procedure, to also ensure coherent technical standards and interoperability across the broader EU anti-fraud architecture. The automation of the hit/no-hit system for data exchange substantially reduces manual follow-up, improving efficiency and operational responsiveness. Articles 81 to 90 further structure and strengthen Europol’s cooperation with key EU bodies, offices and agencies, including the EPPO, Eurojust, OLAF, AMLA, Frontex, eu-LISA, the EU Drugs Agency, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, the EU Customs Authority and ENISA.

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3. This provides an opportunity to ensure full coherence and alignment between Europol’s evolving operational mandate and the EU data protection framework27. In this evolving landscape, ensuring that Europol remains capable of supporting a strong and integrated European response to security threats remains strategically important for the Union. It also provides an opportunity to ensure greater legal coherence across the broader EU internal security framework, including ongoing reforms affecting information

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What the Commission proposes

The European Commission proposes the Cloud and AI Development Act to establish a framework of measures aimed at strengthening Europe's cloud and artificial intelligence ecosystem. The initiative focuses on three pillars, which include research and innovation for greening infrastructure, industrial investments to triple EU data processing capacity, and actions to increase secure data processing capacities for cloud providers in the EU. Ultimately, the proposal seeks to address infrastructure gaps, reduce critical dependencies on non-European providers, and enhance the Union's digital sovereignty and competitiveness.

• Addresses the EU gap in cloud and AI infrastructure capacity through three distinct pillars.
• Promotes research and innovation to accelerate sustainable cloud and AI computing technologies.
• Aims to triple the EU data processing capacity over the next 5 to 7 years via industrial investments.
• Introduces measures to increase secure data processing capacities for high-critical use cases.
• Establishes common criteria for sovereign cloud computing services to reduce extraterritorial dependencies.
• Promotes open-source solutions and joint public procurement activities across the public sector.

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1. EN 10 EN safeguards to ensure that the processing of personal data involving EU citizens complies with EU data protection standards, including the GDPR. By setting these standards, the proposal minimises risks associated with non-compliant data handling while reinforcing trust in digital infrastructure. One of the core objectives of the proposal is to reduce dependence on third-country providers, whose operations may be subject to non-EU jurisdictions that can permit data access and transfer. Consequently, the proposal enhances the protection of personal data by ensuring that such data remains under the effective supervision of EU authorities, including Member State data protection agencies and the European Data Protection Board. This approach strengthens legal certainty and upholds the right to privacy as enshrined in the Charter.

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2. xxiii Digital Networks Act, information accessed from the 'Have Your Say' page xxiv Commission collects views in preparation of the European Grids Package - European Commission xxv Savings and investments union - Finance - European Commission xxvi Apply AI Strategy | Shaping Europe’s digital future xxvii Data Act xxviii Regulation - 2022/1925 - EN - EUR-Lex xxix Regulation - EU - 2024/1689 - EN - EUR-Lex xxx Cybersecurity Act (CSA) xxxi Regulation - 2022/2554 - EN - DORA - EUR-Lex xxxii Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS2) xxxiii Public Procurement Directive xxxiv Cloud Services Market to Exceed 68 Billion in 2010 | Security Magazine xxxv Gelvanovska-Garcia, Natalija; Mačiulė, Vaiva; Rossotto, Carlo Maria. 2024. Advancing Cloud and Data Infrastructure Markets: Strategic Directions for Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Sustainable Infrastructure Series.

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3. Furthermore, the proposal fosters a competitive single market for cloud computing services, where providers are fully bound by EU legislation and subject to applicable obligations. This not only improves data availability and continuity but also ensures that EU legal obligations, such as those related to data subject rights and regulatory oversight, are consistently met. By increasing the market presence of EU-based providers, the proposal further embeds fundamental rights protections into the digital ecosystem, offering stronger guarantees against unauthorised access or misuse of personal data. The proportionality of these measures has been carefully considered to balance innovation with the imperative of rights protection, in line with the Charter’s principles. 4.

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What the Commission proposes

The European Commission proposes a new regulation on the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) to repeal and replace Regulation (EU) 2018/1727. This initiative responds to an evaluation showing that while Eurojust is indispensable, its operations need greater efficiency and a wider mandate to tackle modern cross-border crime. The proposal expands Eurojust's competence into emerging areas such as cybercrime, gender-based violence, and violations of EU restrictive measures, while transforming it into a more proactive analytical hub. It also aims to streamline the agency's internal structure and improve cooperation with partners like Europol and the European Public Prosecutor Office.

• Repeals and replaces Regulation (EU) 2018/1727 to establish a renewed legal framework for Eurojust.
• Expands Eurojust's mandate to cover emerging crime areas including cybercrime, gender-based violence, and violations of EU restrictive measures.
• Transforms Eurojust from a reactive coordination body into a strategic and analytical hub for cross-border judicial cooperation.
• Standardises National Members' status and powers to improve governance and operational efficiency.
• Addresses findings from the 2025 evaluation regarding complex decision-making, wide case scope, and slow procedures with third countries.
• Aligns with related revisions of the Europol Regulation, the European Investigation Order Directive, and the European Union Data Protection Regulation.

What is asked: The Commission sought the views of citizens, Member States, and other relevant stakeholders on Eurojust and the Eurojust Regulation via an online public consultation to inform the impact assessment for the revision of the Eurojust Regulation.

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1. The proposal reinforces compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, particularly in the area of data protection. The revision ensures that Eurojust’s expanded mandate and operational capabilities are exercised in full respect of individual rights, including the right to privacy and the right to a fair trial. This is achieved by including strict legal bases for data exchange, aligned with the EUDPR8, which governs the processing of personal data by EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, including Eurojust. Oversight by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) ensures that Eurojust adheres to the highest standards of transparency and accountability in its data processing activities. Improved procedural safeguards for cross-border evidence gathering reflect the principles of

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2. The automation of the hit/no-hit system for data exchange with Europol and the EPPO reduces manual intervention, improving efficiency and operational responsiveness. • Fundamental rights The consequences of the proposal for the protection of fundamental rights have been carefully considered. The proposal's design ensures compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, particularly in areas where Eurojust's expanded mandate intersects with criminal procedural safeguards and data protection. The revision of the Eurojust Regulation includes strict legal bases for data exchange, ensuring that any processing of personal data is necessary, proportionate, and subject to oversight by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).

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3. To mitigate these risks, enhanced exchange must be clearly defined in the legal basis (which is EU secondary legislation), strictly limited to specific categories of data and finally linked to precise objectives in accordance with the principle of proportionality. Lastly, effective protection will require an oversight by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS). This is why this impact assessment thoroughly takes into consideration these issues of data protection and privacy and any consequences of the proposed amendments to the current legal framework for the processing and sharing of personal data by Eurojust with its European institutional partners (IBOAs or Member States) and third countries.

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