Sector & service specialists

Digital sector lobbying activity has increased substantially since the European Commission launched its flagship digital single market strategy. Since the beginning of Ursula von der Leyen’s tenure as president of the European Commission, tech companies and lobbying groups have had thousands of meetings with EU officials. Apple, Amazon, Meta, Google and Microsoft all boosted their lobbying spending, according to the EU Transparency Register.

A key priority for the EU has been to create a digital single market where the free movement of goods, persons, services, capital and data is guaranteed — and where citizens and businesses can seamlessly and fairly access online goods and services, whatever their nationality, and wherever they live. Brussels is home to more than 15 trade associations involved directly with digital services and technology, from Digital Europe to the Business Software Alliance. Although Google and Microsoft are the two biggest corporate affairs spenders in Brussels, in the words of one tech commentator: “There are new actors who have come to Brussels, lots of them which didn’t exist 20 years ago. They’ve gone from being economically insignificant to being economically substantial, so they want to be part of the policymaking process.”

The digital transformation market in Europe is projected for substantial expansion. Some estimates suggest a compound annual growth rate of almost 30% between 2025 and 2033, reaching a staggering €2.9 trillion by 2033 from approximately €405 billion in 2025. This growth is fuelled by increasing demand for: Artificial Intelligence: Cloud Computing; Big Data & Analytics; Internet of Things; and Cybersecurity.

Transparency International recently stated: “For decades, Silicon Valley companies have turned traditional business models on their heads. From streaming movies to turning private cars into taxis, these companies are known for both innovation and shaking-up the markets they operate in. A similar phenomenon is happening in Brussels where Silicon Valley companies are rapidly changing the lobbying scene. As a result, they are fast becoming the largest, most influential and most transformative players in town.”

The growing AI gap between Europe and the USA and China is of deep concern to policymakers. Hence, in April 2025, the European Commission unveiled its AI Continent Action Plan, with a more business-oriented approach to help AI companies grow, scale, and compete globally.  As Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, Director-General, DIGITALEUROPE said on its launch:  ‘’This is Europe’s chance to close the gap. We already have the ingredients: top-tier talent, buzzing innovation hubs, and world-class companies in advanced manufacturing, green tech, medical devices, and more. But we’re still missing one thing: market demand. Without bold, EU-wide public procurement and smart investment incentives, we will not build scalable AI champions or drive real adoption. Today, Europe captures just 6% of global AI venture capital. That must change. Let’s use this moment of global uncertainty to our advantage, by attracting top AI talent and companies to Europe and giving them the conditions they need to grow, scale, and lead.”  Meanwhile Trump issued an executive order to revoke existing AI policies and directives that are seen as barriers to AI innovation, and China is winning the AI weapons development war over the U.S.

“Big Tech firms have sought to curry favour with the new Trump administration by making generous donations to his inauguration, and by weakening content moderation rules. In exchange, tech firms have successfully weaponised the US Government against the EU’s digital regulation. For instance, Meta / Facebook’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has called the EU’s enforcement of competition rules “almost a tariff” and European digital laws as “censorship”. At the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, US Vice-President Vance railed against EU data protection rules and the regulation of AI.”

The EU’s lobby league table: Corporate Europe Observatory and LobbyControl, February 2025