GERMANY TO SET NEW PROCUREMENT RULES FOR PUBLIC MARKETS
The German Bundestag on 23 April 2026 adopted the “𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗴𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘇” (Procurement Acceleration Act) whic not only includes some simplification measures but fundamentally restructures public procurement. The objective is to accelerate procedures, reduce documentation and verification burdens, raise thresholds for direct awards (up to €50,000) and strengthen participation of SMEs and innovative firms.
But its most strategic shift lies deeper: Digital sovereignty is now embedded in procurement logic:
- Public buyers can explicitly consider digital sovereignty and supply security in execution conditions (§128 GWB)
- Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty are recognized as legitimate security interests in procurement decisions (§107 GWB)
- Digital sovereignty can be used as a formal award criterion in tender evaluations (§58 VgV)
Says Katharina Schwarz, public affairs director at MYRA Security, a proud member of the ECA : « This marks a structural shift: Procurement moves from purely price-efficiency logic toward strategic state capability building.
By embedding digital sovereignty directly into procurement criteria, Germany is repositioning the state not just as a regulator, but as a market-shaping actor in the digital economy. »
ECA note : what about generalizing this move at European scale ?
SEVEN KEY EUROPEAN TECH COMPANIES PLEDGE FOR INNOVATION IN AI
ASML, Airbus, Ericsson, Mistral AI, Nokia, SAP, Siemens. In a rare move, the CEO of these 7 European companies deliver a message: AI should be regulated, BUT the main objective at this instant is to unleash the innovation capabilities of European actors in this domain. The warning comes at a time when the Commission is seeking to simplify the AI Act, adopted two years ago among harsh controversial discussions.
The balance between fostering innovation and regulating risks remains a key issue in Europe. The same question can be asked on new cryptocurrencies and financial actors. Europe prepares a new regulation named MICA, while many actors fear it will freeze a dynamic sector.
At the time we publish, the EU Council and the EU Parliament have reached an agreement on delaying the application of some parts of the AI Act and waiving some of them for SMEs and mid-size companies. The above mentioned call seems to have been heard.
HOW TO REGULATE AI WITHOUT HINDERING INNOVATION ?
Another example of this controversial issue is the proposal of law voted by the French Senate (it should also be voted in the National Assembly to become a law, which so far is not sure at all): AI systems providers should now prove that they haven’t illicitly resorted to artistic works to train their systems. Authors have been campaigning against AI providers for long as they claim authors’ rights are ignored.The opponents to this project have two objections: firstly, it inverses the classical run of law, where prosecutors have to prove the defender is in breach of law secondly, use a book to train a system is not the same as illicitly publishing and reselling it. The right path between the two positions is not an easy one to define…
Precisely at the same time, five major players in global publishing Hachette, Elsevier, McGraw Hill, Cengage and Macmillan have filed a class action lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against Meta, which they say is deliberately plundering millions of copyrighted works to train its Llama models.
FRENCH JUSTICE DECIDES TO SUE ELON MUSK AND HIS COMPANY X
After Mr Musk’s absence in a hearing by Justice on April 20, the prosecutor has requested the indictment of Mr Musk and his company X, for permanent violation of French laws and European regulation.
