Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Telecommunications), 6 December 2022

Telecommunications ministers are expected to adopt general approaches on two key legislative files for the EU's digital transformation:

• the regulation laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act)
• the revised regulation on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (eIDAS)

Artificial intelligence

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act is a proposal aiming to implement the development of an ecosystem of trust by proposing a legal framework for trustworthy AI within the EU. The proposal is based on EU values and fundamental rights and aims to give people and other users the confidence to embrace AI-based solutions, while encouraging businesses to develop them.

AI should be a tool for people and be a force for good in society with the ultimate aim of increasing human well-being. Rules for AI available in the Union market or otherwise affecting people in the Union should therefore be human centric, so that people can trust that the technology is used in a way that is safe and compliant with the law, including the respect of fundamental rights.

eID

The revised regulation on electronic identification offers a European digital identity framework based on the revision of the current one, at least 80% of citizens should be able to use a digital ID solution to access key public services by 2030. Furthermore, the security and control offered by the European digital identity framework should give citizens and residents full confidence that the European Digital Identity framework will offer everyone the means to control who has access to their digital twin and to which data exactly.

Other matters

Ministers will also take note of progress reports on two pending legislative files:

• harmonised rules on fair access to and the use of data (Data Act)
• horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements (Cyber Resilience Act)

Regulating data access and use is a fundamental prerequisite for seizing the opportunities presented by the digital age we live in. The European strategy for data, adopted in February 2020, aims at building a genuine single market for data and at making Europe a global leader in the data-agile economy.

The Data Act is a key pillar of this strategy as it contributes to the creation of a cross-sectoral governance framework for data access and use by legislating on matters that affect relations between data economy actors, in order to provide incentives for horizontal data sharing across sectors.

The Cyber Resilience Act aims to ensure a better cybersecurity of both hardware and software products throughout the whole supply chain and throughout their whole lifecycle.

In the presence of the Ukrainian deputy minister of digital transformation, ministers will hold a policy debate on the digitalskills for the digital decade. Given the crucial importance of basic digital skills within the working population, ministers will discuss what additional upskilling actions could be envisaged with a particular focus on upskilling measures which could be especially useful for SMEs.

Ministers will also explore possibilities to join forces building on best practices and good experiences identified in member states with a view to boosting the number of ICT specialists and sector specialists possessing advanced digital skills. Ministers will be finally invited to discuss actions that could be envisaged to help key industrial ecosystems and, in particular, SMEs to attract digital talent.

In an informal lunch, ministers will discuss the topic of international digital engagement.

In the afternoon session and in the presence of the Ukrainian deputy minister of digital transformation, the Commission will update ministers about the support that is being provided to Ukraine in the area of telecommunications.

The presidency will update ministers on the state of play of the regulation concerning the respect for private life and the protection of personal data in electronic communications (e-privacy), as well as of the European declaration on digital rights and principles for the digital decade.

The presidency will also inform ministers on the outcome of the virtual high-level expert meeting on the governance and enforcement of Union rules in the digital sphere held on 17 October 2022, as well as of the conference on "EU Secure and Innovative Digital Future" held in Prague on 3-4 November 2022.

The Commission will brief ministers on the state of play on international initiatives in the digital field with a focus on Trade and Technology Councils and digital partnerships.

Finally, the Swedish delegation will inform ministers on the working programme of the upcoming presidency during the first semester 2023.

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