Europe’s most important technology policy projects are entering a period of uncertainty. According to the source article, the European Commission is preparing to close the year with almost no movement on several major initiatives, while some measures may be reconsidered or reversed.
The pressure is not limited to one file. The EU AI Act, Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Digital Networks Act and EU Space Act are all described as facing delays, disputes or demands for revision. Since the tariff agreement between the United States and Europe was signed last August, big tech companies, backed by the Trump administration, have increased pressure to soften restrictions on all fronts.
The EU AI Act could lose momentum before full enforcement
Europe’s artificial intelligence law went into effect in August 2024, but full implementation is set for August 2027. The source notes that the law also has an important intermediate milestone in 2026, making the next phase especially important for how the EU AI Act will work in practice.
According to the Financial Times, the first review of possible amendments could happen toward the end of 2026. That review would be part of a broader Digital Omnibus package, which is intended to simplify guidelines.
At a daily press briefing on November 7, Thomas Regnier, the spokesman for the European Commission for Digital Sovereignty, acknowledged that the issue is under active discussion. He pointed to fast movement in artificial intelligence, delayed standards and concerns from industry and member states.
“A lot is happening in the field of artificial intelligence. Standards are lagging. There are concerns from industry and member states,”
He also said the coming digital omnibus could be the right framework to address those issues, while stressing that no decision has been made yet.
The most important possible change would delay the application of penalties for violations of the new rules by one year. That would move the timing from August 2026 to August 2027 in order to “grant sufficient time for providers and users of AI systems to comply.”
Telecom policy is stuck on national disagreements
The Digital Networks Act had been promised by the end of the year, but the European Commission is now stalling. The source says the act will not be discussed again until late January 2026, assuming an agreement can be reached.
The split between member states centers especially on two issues: shutting down copper networks and strengthening BEREC, the European regulatory authority. These disputes show how hard it is to turn a single European telecom market into a working policy when national priorities remain different.
Germany reportedly opposed the proposed 2030 deadline for shutting down copper networks, considering it too soon. On BEREC, many national authorities have pushed back while citing differences in market conditions as their official reason.
The article says the real concern is likely the loss of influence and power in individual countries. As a result, the single telecom market project is slipping away. The revision of net neutrality rules has disappeared from the version of the Digital Networks Act now being worked on, while the effort to rebalance market conditions between telecoms and big tech companies remains ill-defined.
The EU Space Act faces direct US objections
The EU Space Act has also become a point of conflict. The United States has officially spoken out against the proposal, saying it is unacceptable because it would hinder American companies by restricting their scope of operations.
In a 13-page document responding to the public consultation launched in July by the European Commission, the US State Department listed sections it said would need to be revised. The source says this was framed as necessary for Europe to avoid retaliation for failing to meet commitments made in the framework agreement on tariffs.
“The current draft of the EU Space Act contradicts the spirit of the agreement,”
The State Department also called on Europe to “allow for smoother cooperation with the U.S. government and industry rather than introduce additional barriers to cooperation.”
That language places the EU Space Act inside the broader dispute over whether European technology regulation will remain strict, or whether it will be reshaped to reduce conflict with the United States and American companies.
DSA and DMA enforcement is becoming drawn out
The European Commission is still sending letters to American tech giants calling on them to comply with the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. But the source article says timelines are becoming extremely drawn out because of appeals from the parties involved.
Apple and Google have sharply criticized the DMA in recent weeks. Their criticism underlines how strained negotiations with Europe have become.
The Digital Services Act is also under scrutiny from the United States. Last August, the Federal Trade Commission warned that certain DSA rules might conflict with American laws, especially on freedom of expression and the security of United States citizens.
Taken together, the DSA and DMA show the same pattern as the other policy files: Brussels continues to push compliance, while legal and political resistance slows the route from written rules to practical enforcement.
The spectrum fight adds another layer
The dispute also reaches into mobile spectrum policy. The US State Department reportedly lobbied on behalf of the Wi-Fi industry, which includes major American companies like Apple, Broadcom, Cisco, and Qualcomm, to protect a specific band of the mobile spectrum.
According to the MLex news outlet, the Radio Spectrum Policy Group, which assists the European Commission in developing radio spectrum policy, has proposed a compromise on the use of the upper 6-GHz band in favor of the mobile phone industry.
The US State Department reportedly urged member states to reserve nearly half of the band for Wi-Fi services. The stated focus was high-speed, low-latency applications such as virtual reality and cloud gaming.
According to MLex, 13 out of 27 countries sided with the mobile operators, while the others abstained. The RSPG only issues recommendations, not binding decisions, so EU countries can still change the policy. The final decision now rests with the European Commission.
The larger message is clear: Europe’s digital policy agenda is no longer moving on a single track. Artificial intelligence, online platforms, telecom networks, space rules and spectrum policy are all being pulled into the same wider argument over regulation, market access and transatlantic pressure.