EU leaders to close European Council meeting on migration and tech

EU leaders will today close the European Council meetings held in Brussels.

The two-day talks cover a variety of areas vital to EU interests including COVID-19, rising energy prices and trade. Today’s talks will focus on the implementation of new migration policies and the EU’s digital transformation.

Migration has become a hot button issue in the EU as developments in Afghanistan and Belarus have fueled fears of increased migration to Europe, leading to heightened security and crackdowns in border regions.

Technology is nevertheless equally pertinent as Brussels has pushed heavily for digital sovereignty and safety, looking to expand connectivity while safeguarding privacy rights and combating misinformation.

On the digital front, expect an announcement of a new action plan to increase cyber security. This will likely see the creation of a new joint cybercrime unit and new data laws improving authorities’ cross-border access to criminal data. To protect digital sovereignty and citizens’ privacy, the EU will most likely continue pushing for controversial laws setting a global tax on large tech companies and tighter regulations on algorithmic amplification. These laws are strongly opposed by big tech and will likely be delayed to the medium-term as the EU rallies international support.