Barbara Moens

Can Europe get kids off social media? Move follows Australia’s decision to introduce age restrictions over child safety concerns

European countries are edging closer to broad social media bans for children, even as doubts persist over how to implement them and the risk of a new battle with US tech groups.

A deep dive with Leila Abboud & @NicFildes

www.ft.com/content/cf46...

Putin’s week-long ‘ceasefire’ will test Kremlin’s appetite for peace Also in this newsletter: Poland calls for more tech money, not red tape

Europe should focus on investing in tech instead of creating more digital legislation, Dariusz Standerski, state secretary at Poland’s digital affairs ministry, said about the upcoming Cloud and AI Development Act and the Quantum Act.

www.ft.com/content/ff37...

EU should not hold back on Trump retaliation, says bloc’s competition chief [FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: Europe replaces one gas dependency for another

The EU should not “renounce anything that may be necessary to defend its interests” if US President Donald Trump delivers on his threats, the bloc’s competition chief @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu told the FT.

With @andybounds.bsky.social

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Denmark dispatches additional troops to Greenland as tensions rise Donald Trump declines to rule out using force to seize control of Arctic island

Brussels has drawn up detailed options for retaliation, officials said, but is holding back its strongest measure in the hope of a diplomat solution.

@hennavirkkunen.bsky.social told the FT the priority is engagement, but that "we have also tools at our disposal here."

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Brussels in move to bar Chinese suppliers from EU’s critical infrastructure [FREE TO READ] Proposed Cybersecurity Act would phase out groups such as Huawei and ZTE from telecom networks and solar energy systems

EU to bar Chinese suppliers such as Huawei from critical infrastructure such as telecom and solar panels, as Brussels rethinks it security and tech policies.

as.ft.com/r/06943136-8...

EU frets over possible takeover of satellite frequencies by Musk’s Starlink Also in this newsletter: Europe’s pallet industry under pressure from bureaucracy and trade woes

European officials and companies are increasingly concerned over Elon Musk’s possible future control over a strategically sensitive slice of the EU satellite spectrum used for mobile services such as cell phones.

More in today's Europe Express newsletter

www.ft.com/content/7531...

Showdown in Brussels over competition policy is nearing The EU’s rewrite of merger guidelines has become a battleground for how much leeway companies should have on M&A

EU competition chief @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu is facing a delicate tightrope on how the EU will police mergers, while also deciding on new leadership at DG Comp.

Ribera wants a decision soon and prefers a woman that is “sound" and "respected," she told the FT.

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EU readies tougher tech enforcement in 2026 as Trump warns of retaliation Challenges to Google, Meta, Apple and X will test Brussels’ willingness to stick with digital rule book

This year, the EU faces a difficult balancing act as it wants to enforce its digital rules without provoking Trump into siding with Russia on Ukraine.

"You’re just a little bit more quiet perhaps than you otherwise would be” said Fiona Scott Morton.

www.ft.com/content/ca6f...

EU will lose ‘race to the bottom’ on regulation, says competition chief [FREE TO READ] Teresa Ribera says Europe’s competitiveness depends on resisting calls to roll back rules

The EU needs to stand behind its digital rule book and green standards while deepening the single market to ensure the EU remained competitive in a global economic race, said the bloc’s competition chief @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu

With @henryjfoy.ft.com

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Brussels to challenge Meloni over ‘golden power’ to stop foreign mergers [FREE TO READ] European Commission believes Rome’s regulations enabling it to scrutinise foreign takeovers may breach EU law

Brussels to open formal investigation into Italy today, to assess whether Rome's "golden powers" to block mergers break EU law

top scoop from crack team @bmoens.bsky.social @paolatamma.bsky.social @amykazmin.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4phhTt8

How the EU botched its attempt to regulate AI [FREE TO READ] Can Brussels balance its desire to set the guardrails for tech with its need to attract investment?

🤖 Can Brussels balance its desire to set guardrails for AI with its need to attract investment?

Must-read deep dive on how the EU botched its attempt to regulate artificial intelligence - and now is trying to desperately fix it, by @bmoens.bsky.social @melissahei.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4o59nws

Europe’s defence spending spree must fund domestic AI, official says [FREE TO READ] Henna Virkkunen says 10% of investment should be directed to artificial intelligence and quantum computing developed in EU

Brussels wants 10% of EU defence spending boom to be ploughed into home-grown "disruptive" military tech such as AI & quantum computing

"We have to of course look from where we are buying [defence] products," EU tech chief @hennavirkkunen.bsky.social tells @bmoens.bsky.social & I

on.ft.com/4r6V9Ol

New EU members could be put ‘on probation’, says official Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos says bloc has to prevent Russian ‘Trojan horse’ behaviour from new entrants

Brussels is considering stronger rule of law safeguards for future entrants to prevent bringing "Trojan horses" into the EU, the bloc's enlargement chief @martakos.ec.europa.eu told the Financial Times.

With @henryjfoy.ft.com

www.ft.com/content/9493...

Meta and Apple close to settling EU antitrust cases [FREE TO READ] US Big Tech groups in final stages of agreeing deal with Brussels to avoid series of escalating fines

Meta and Apple are in the final stages of agreeing a deal with European regulators to change a range of business practices to settle antitrust cases with Brussels, as the US Big Tech groups seek to avoid a series of escalating fines.

Great scoop from @bmoens.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4q7W3d1

EU pushes new AI strategy to reduce tech reliance on US and China [FREE TO READ] Brussels to unveil plan targeting digital sovereignty as it warns technology can be ‘weaponised’ by geopolitical rivals

The EU wants to reduce its tech reliance on US and China via a new Apply AI strategy, seen by the Financial Times, which promotes digital sovereignty.

The bloc warns AI can otherwise be “weaponised” by rivals.

With @henryjfoy.ft.com

on.ft.com/3WkfSjs

EU moves to advance Ukraine’s accession by sidestepping Hungary [FREE TO READ] Brussels advises Kyiv to advance technical work despite Budapest holding up talks

The EU is preparing to start technical work on Ukraine and Moldova joining the bloc despite Hungary’s blockade of advancing accession talks, according to officials briefed on the process.

With @henryjfoy.ft.com @benhallnews.bsky.social @christopherjm.ft.com

on.ft.com/3IGHwnE

Brussels told to prove digital rules do not ‘punish’ US tech or fix them [FREE TO READ] Donald Trump’s ambassador to EU says no US president can ‘allow these kinds of infringements’ on American companies

Prove your rules don’t target US tech or fix them, Trump’s ambassador to Brussels warns EU

“Obviously, if we’re going to have a good relationship going forward, you can’t have legislation that punishes... your ally,” Andrew Puzder tells @financialtimes.com

w @bmoens.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4nUQVXH

EU targets Apple, Google and Microsoft over online financial scams [FREE TO READ] Brussels to look closer into US Big Tech groups and Booking Holdings over handling of fake apps and search results

(Another) big digital EU-US scoop from @bmoens.bsky.social

EU targets Apple, Google and Microsoft over online financial scams, as Brussels probes US Big Tech groups and Booking Holdings over handling of fake apps and search results - despite Trump's ire at EU tech regulation

on.ft.com/46OYxoJ

EU to block Big Tech from new financial data sharing system [FREE TO READ] Germany argues groups such as Apple and Meta are excluded to protect Europe’s ‘digital sovereignty’

Big story in the battle between Brussels and Big Tech:

The EU is poised to exclude Meta, Apple, Google and Amazon from a new system to share citizens’ financial data, in the face of Trump’s retaliation threats

@bmoens.bsky.social & @paolatamma.bsky.social with the news

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EU economy falls behind global rivals due to ‘complacency’, warns Mario Draghi [FREE TO READ] Former Italian PM frustrated with ‘inaction’ a year after his report on how to improve Europe’s competitiveness

Draghi puts the boot into Brussels, blaming "inaction", "inertia" and "complacency" for failing to implement economic reforms that mean the EU has fallen further behind global rivals such as China & the US

on.ft.com/48hey86

w crack competitiveness crew @bmoens.bsky.social & @paolatamma.bsky.social

Mario Draghi equally impatient: "A review of merger guidelines is under way, but industry cannot wait until 2027— the deadline consistent with the procedure that was chosen. Resilience and innovation must be built into competition policy now."

Antitrust chief Teresa Ribera under pressure as EU merger reform drifts Commission’s executive vice-president has yet to lay out policy vision, creating uncertainty for dealmakers

"We will have to advance the publication of the merger guidelines. I think it's now time to deliver", European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech, after we reported this weekend that competition chief Teresa Ribera is increasingly under pressure.

www.ft.com/content/9e51...

Antitrust chief Teresa Ribera under pressure as EU merger reform drifts [FREE TO READ] Commission’s executive vice-president has yet to lay out policy vision, creating uncertainty for dealmakers

Despite orders to “modernise the EU’s competition policy”, and rising pressure from industry to clearly define her vision, Ribera has moved cautiously - while prioritising other political interests

A brilliant insight into the EU’s antitrust uncertainty by @bmoens.bsky.social

on.ft.com/3K14tSH

Europe slow-walks Draghi plan as global rivals surge A year after former Italian PM’s report on competitiveness, EU implements just 11% of his ideas

One year on, implementation of Mario Draghi's recipe for Europe's economic renaissance is shy and partial, as EU headspace has been preoccupied with crisis mode, analysis found. @alicemhancock.bsky.social @bmoens.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/4423...

Belgium to soften stance on frozen Russian assets if EU shares risk [FREE TO READ] Foreign minister warns bloc not to ‘kill the hen laying golden eggs’

Belgium is open to discuss riskier ways to maximise profits arising from Russian immobilised assets, provided the EU shares the legal risks, its foreign minister told @lauramdubois.ft.com and me - an option just suggested by Ursula von der Leyen in her SOTEU.

on.ft.com/4m5yFt9

Business hopes over Europe-US trade suffer digital disruption Tensions over tech regulation add to geopolitical upheaval, dashing hopes of more certainty

The Europe-US trade deal was meant to bring some stability for European business. It has not worked out like that. @bmoens.bsky.social explains why in this column www.ft.com/content/84f8...

ASML and Mistral agree €1.3bn blockbuster European AI deal Dutch chip equipment maker backs French artificial intelligence champion as US-China tensions rock tech industry

ASML and Mistral agree €1.3bn blockbuster European AI deal on.ft.com/3IbzeUu

EU hits Google with €2.95bn antitrust fine despite trade tensions with US [FREE TO READ] Sanction comes despite Trump’s threat of retaliatory tariffs over digital regulations

EU hits Google with €2.95bn antitrust fine for search advertising practices, in the face of Trump’s threat of retaliatory tariffs over Brussels’ digital regulations

@bmoens.bsky.social @financialtimes.com

on.ft.com/4mOkV7k

Are Ukraine’s ‘coalition’ allies willing to turn words into action? [FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: The European Commission’s stop-gap solutions for its competition problems

Ursula von der Leyen has appointed Michele Piergiovanni to her cabinet as competition adviser, amid tensions in the European Commission over enforcing the bloc’s antitrust rules in the face of threats from US President Donald Trump.

More in today’s Europe Express

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How Meta is using the Trump administration to lobby against EU tech rules [FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: Two of Europe’s most pro-Russian leaders travel to Beijing for a military parade

Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has raised the EU’s Digital Markets Act directly in a meeting with US President Donald Trump, the company said. It showcases how how Big Tech is using the Trump administration to lobby against the EU’s digital rules.

on.ft.com/45ZLz69