Vulcan View: The latest EU developments 13 January – 17 January

EU under intense pressure to address disinformation from tech giants

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted in 2022, is designed to safeguard democracy from disinformation, hate speech, and manipulative election campaigns. However, enforcement of the DSA is facing obstacles as leading US firms drop content moderation practices.

After taking over X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk fired moderators and scrapped transparency measures tracking disinformation, in an attempt to turn the platform into a bastion of free speech. Silicon Valley CEOs are now following suit, in efforts to court President-elect Donald Trump. On January 7, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta is getting rid of third-party fact-checkers and replacing them with a system of crowd-sourced “Community Notes,” similar to what exists on X. Fact-checking had become too biased and far-reaching, Zuckerberg argued.

A growing transatlantic divide on content moderation policy is expected under Trump. Whilst US tech companies are taking a step back, the DSA promotes a hands-on approach to tackling online disinformation. It subjects Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) – services with over 45 million monthly users, corresponding to approximately 10% of the EU’s population –  to strict scrutiny, requiring detailed risk assessments and transparency on content moderation practices.

Nonetheless, the DSA t does not require Meta to fund independent fact-checking services. If Meta continues to file risk assessments and offer transparency data, it could still claim compliance – even though it allows hate speech and disinformation to spread. How policymakers will respond remains to be seen.

Other US companies are also in the crosshairs. In July 2024, the European Commission preliminarily found X to be in breach of the DSA for failing to meet transparency and accountability rules. The Commission will face a hard decision of whether to impose fines on X – the first under the DSA – of up to 6% of its revenue and 6% of Musk’s other companies Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink. The fines risk damaging Europe’s already strained relationship with the incoming Trump administration.

“The DSA IS misinformation,” Elon Musk wrote on X in response to the European Commission.  Likewise, Zuckerberg stated that “Europe has an ever-increasing number of laws institutionalizing censorship and making it difficult to build anything innovative there.”

EU policymakers are not happy. “We know that it’s not true,” European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen told Brussels media in response to Zuckerberg’s comments. “In Europe, freedom of speech is one of our fundamental values and it’s also respected and protected [in] our Digital Services Act. So, it’s very misleading.”

Enforcing the DSA will be a key challenge facing Vice President Virkkunen over the next mandate. It looks like a tough task: Brussels will have to reckon with American freedom of speech norms at odds with its own.

EU launches new action plan to protect hospitals from cyberattacks

The new European Action Plan on the Cybersecurity of Hospitals and Healthcare Providers was unveiled on 15 January. The initiative, driven by the European Commission, comes in response to a series of cyberattacks targeting hospitals in countries like Ireland, France, the UK, and Finland, highlighting vulnerabilities in this area. The plan was brought forward a week due to the delay of President von der Leyen’s Competitiveness Compass.

The new action plan aims to bolster the cybersecurity of hospitals and healthcare providers by creating a safer and more secure environment. This will be done through enhancing threat detection, preparedness, and response capabilities of hospitals and healthcare providers.

A pan-European Cybersecurity Support Centre for hospitals and healthcare providers will be established to provide training, services, and tailored guidance. The action plan will focus on the following four priorities:

• Enhanced Prevention: The plan will aid the healthcare sector in preventing cybersecurity incidents through enhanced preparedness measures. Cybersecurity Vouchers may also be introduced by Member States to provide financial assistance to small and medium-sized hospitals and healthcare providers.
• Better detection and identification of threats: By 2026, the support centre will develop an EU-wide early warning service.
• Response to Cyberattacks to minimise impact: The plan proposes a rapid response service under the EU Cybersecurity Reserve. This will provide incident response services from trusted service providers.
• Deterrence, protecting European healthcare systems: this will involve the use of the Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox – a joint EU diplomatic response to malicious cyber activities.

The plan’s specific actions will be progressively rolled out in 2025 and 2026. The Commission will also soon launch a public consultation, open to all citizens and stakeholders.

The European Action Plan on the Cybersecurity of Hospitals and Healthcare Providers represents a step toward safeguarding the healthcare sector against emerging cyber threats. The European Commission’s proposal for a more unified and standardised approach to cybersecurity is essential, as cyber threats are inherently cross-border, with one breach potentially impacting multiple countries and healthcare systems. A coordinated, EU-wide strategy will improve resilience in all member states. Preventative measures will be particularly critical, as they are the most cost-effective and least disruptive means of mitigating cybersecurity risks.

However, challenges such as securing funding and resources, as well as ensuring effective implementation may arise. Close coordination will be needed between national governments, local authorities, healthcare providers, and cybersecurity service providers. The plan highlights the European Commission’s continued efforts to maintain sovereignty in the face of global threats.

Ireland’s renewable energy landscape sees new developments

Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU decreased by 7 per cent in 2023, with Ireland showing significant progress, according to newly released Eurostat data. Between 2013 and 2023, nearly all economic sectors reduced their greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity, gas, and steam activities recorded the sharpest decline, with emissions falling by 43 per cent, while manufacturing saw a significant 17 per cent reduction.

Ireland recorded significant progress with a 50 per cent reduction in emissions intensity from 2013-2023, the second largest reduction after Estonia. A sectoral breakdown of Ireland’s results highlights improvements in mining and quarrying (71.8 per cent decrease in emissions), followed by manufacturing (66.9 per cent), and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (57.6 per cent).

Despite this progress, Ireland recorded emission increases in water supply, sewerage and waste management (13.1 per cent), construction by a notable 79.8 per cent, and transportation and storage (30 per cent). This emphasises the need to look beyond the surface of the figures, focusing on sectors where emissions intensity remains disproportionately high and targeted interventions are needed.

Ireland’s progress in renewable energy adoption has been a critical driver of its emissions reductions. Yesterday, Wind Energy Ireland outlined the financial and environmental benefits of Ireland’s wind and solar farms. It highlighted how €840 million has been saved by consumers since 2000 and added that reaching Ireland’s renewable electricity targets in 2030 has the potential to decrease consumer bills by a further €610 million.

Furthermore, Ireland’s wind generation capacity has increased from 117 MW in 2000 to over 5,000 MW today, supplemented by 600 MW of solar capacity. In 2023, renewables provided nearly 40 per cent of Ireland’s electricity, notably reducing dependence on fossil fuels and cutting CO2 emissions by over 47 million tonnes since 2000.

Compliments of Vulcan Consulting – a member of the EACCNY