Top 5 EU Policy Issues to Watch in 2021

As the world emerges to a new, post-pandemic normal, policy discussions around the world are back to being busier than ever. In the European Union, legislation remains in flux with shifting demographics, changing political parties, trade and climate crises, and a whole host of other rapidly changing issues.

To help you stay ahead of the rapidly changing landscape, FiscalNote's team of EU policy experts in Brussels created a report with the top 10 policy issues in the EU right now. As a preview, here are the top 5 to help you identify and stay ahead of potential risks and opportunities for your organization.

1. New Digital Services Act

The Digital Services Act, a proposal for a regulation to amend the eCommerce Directive, sets out rules for intermediary services regarding: 

• The framework of condition exception from liability
• Due diligence obligations tailored to specific categories
• The implementation and enforcement of the regulation

The proposal, in parallel with the proposal for the Digital Markets Act (DMA), seeks to update the horizontal regulatory framework for digital services in the Single Market. Both proposals are now under discussion in the European Parliament and the Council. 

2. Mandatory Transparency Register for Lobbyists

The Commission presented a proposal for an Inter-Institutional Agreement on a mandatory Transparency Register presented in 2016, aimed to establish a framework for the interaction between interest representatives engaging in activities covered by the proposed Agreement and any of the three Institutions (Commission, European Parliament, and Council). It would build on the existing voluntary Transparency Register of the European Parliament and the Commission.

3. EU Trade Policy Review 

The Commission published a Communication setting out its trade strategy, focusing on the concept of open strategic economy. The document aims to present the new directions of the EU’s trade policy, both internally with EU stakeholders, and externally with the EU’s international partners, including on issues related to the WTO reform. The launch of the review of the EU’s trade policy was announced in the Commission’s Communication on the EU’s COVID-19 Recovery Strategy. This would be the first significant EU Trade Policy communication since the “Trade for All” Strategy, published in 2015.

4. EU Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Taxonomy

To further develop the Taxonomy Regulation, the Commission has prepared a Delegated Regulation which aims to enable sustainable investment and implement the European Green Deal as part of the EU's response to the climate and environmental challenges.

As such, the measure would establish the technical screening criteria for determining the conditions under which an economic activity qualifies as contributing to climate change mitigation or climate change adaptation. 

5. Digital Green Certificate

The Commission's proposal aims to offer a single tool to ensure EU citizens can exercise their right to freedom of movement despite the sanitary restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The “Digital Green Certificate” would be a framework for the issuance, verification, and acceptance of interoperable health certificates to facilitate free movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read our full report about the top policy issues in the EU right now and how you can stay ahead of them.

Don’t Miss Opportunities to Shape Legislation in the EU

If a new policy initiative takes your organization by surprise, it can cause significant damage. FiscalNote’s EU Issue Tracker is the radar that helps you identify regulatory risks before they become formal proposals.

Our team of EU policy experts in Brussels analyzes changes and sends you concise updates on your dossiers that cut through the clutter of your inbox. EUIT covers all of the EU’s regulatory agencies at a granular level so you can follow individual measures and clearly see how existing regulations will change.