Experts Bertin Martens, Kai Zenner, and Rebecca Christie delve into the complexities of EU digital laws, discussing key regulations like the Digital Markets Act and AI Act. They explore challenges in policy-making, the need for external supervision, and improving regulatory processes for better tech policy in the EU.
EU faces challenges in implementing coherent digital laws with over 170 regulations and 76 enforcers.
Podcast emphasizes the importance of efficient implementation and external expertise for better regulation in the EU tech rules.
Deep dives
Overview of EU Digital Laws
The podcast delves into the vast universe of European Union digital regulation, highlighting the complexity of over 170 digital laws and 76 enforcement bodies. Kai Zenner, in collaboration with Bruegel, developed a comprehensive data set to navigate these laws. Significant regulations like the Digital Markets Act, Digital Services Act, Artificial Intelligence Act, and the historical General Data Protection Regulation are key focal points.
Challenges of Coherence and Implementation
The discussion reveals challenges in coherence and implementation of EU digital laws, citing overlaps, contradictions, and semantic difficulties among regulations. Bertin emphasizes the struggle of making sense of the divergent laws, suggesting the need to address overlaps. The episode underscores the importance of efficient implementation and the value of external expertise to ensure coherence and effectiveness.
Role of Better Regulation
The concept of better regulation, aimed at streamlining and reducing overlapping regulations, is explored. Reference is made to the struggles in past commission terms with better regulation principles and the need for improved mechanisms. The episode advocates for a return to origin, proper impact assessments, and regulatory scrutiny to achieve a more coherent legislative framework.
Influence of Institutions and Stakeholders
Institutional roles and stakeholder influences in shaping EU digital laws are analyzed. The European Parliament's evolving expertise and assertiveness in technical files are acknowledged. Discussions highlight the interaction among the commission, parliament, and member states in decision-making processes. The importance of external assessment and democratic safeguards in policy development is underscored.
How does the EU manage its increasingly vast number of digital laws? Bertin Martens, Kai Zenner and Rebecca Christie discuss how these rules are made, how they work together and how they fit in with the EU's goal of better regulation in this episode of The Sound of Economics.