Sector & service specialists

Digital sector lobbying in Brussels has escalated dramatically since the Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy and intensified further under von der Leyen’s tenure. Apple, Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft all significantly boosted their Brussels presence. Digital industry spending on EU lobbying reached a record €151 million annually in 2025 – up 56% since 2021 – with 890 full-time digital lobbyists in Brussels now exceeding the 720 MEPs. Big Tech held an average of three lobbying meetings per working day in the first half of 2025 alone. AI regulation dominated 40% of all Commission meetings with industry. 

The EU AI Act is now in implementation. High-risk AI system requirements are taking effect, AI literacy obligations and transparency requirements for AI-generated content under Article 50 will be mandatory – requiring machine-readable marks so that AI-generated public interest content can be detected. The EU AI Office is developing the Code of Practice on general-purpose AI and the transparency framework. For EU regulatory affairs and advocacy professionals, understanding the AI Act’s requirements has become a core compliance competency. 

The AI Continent Action Plan represents a significant shift. Acknowledging Europe’s lag behind the US and China – currently capturing just 6% of global AI venture capital – the Commission has adopted a more industry-friendly approach, focused on helping European AI companies grow, scale, and compete globally. The plan includes AI gigafactories, expanded compute access, and procurement incentives. DIGITALEUROPE welcomed it while stressing the need for demand-side measures. 

The geopolitical dimension has become acute. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has publicly described EU competition enforcement as ‘almost a tariff’ and EU digital laws as ‘censorship.’ US Vice-President Vance attacked EU data protection rules at the Paris AI Action Summit. The Trump administration has been actively weaponising US government pressure against EU digital regulation, including threatening trade measures over the DSA and DMA. The EU insists its digital rules are non-negotiable expressions of sovereignty. This standoff is now a central feature of the EU-US relationship – and a defining challenge for any Brussels digital sector practitioner.