DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 13 May 2025
Commission publishes draft guidelines on protection of minors online under the Digital Services Act
Today, the Commission launched a public consultation on draft guidelines for the protection of minors online under the Digital Services Act (DSA). With this step, the Commission aims to create a safer online environment for children by supporting online platforms accessible to minors to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for children.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “Children's safety online is our top priority. The draft guidelines we are publishing today under the Digital Services Act will help shape a better and safer online environment for younger users. The wide range of measures will aid the different online platforms in protecting minors' safety, security, privacy and well-being.”
The draft guidelines cover a wide range of measures such as verifying user's age, improving how content is recommended to users to reduce the risk of children being exposed to harmful content, setting children's accounts to private by default, best practices for child-safe content moderation, child-friendly reporting channels and user support, as well as guidance on platforms' internal governance.
Stakeholders, including Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) Youth ambassadors, have been extensively consulted and contributed to the development of the draft guidelines. The measures outlined in the guidelines will apply to online platforms of all sizes, except micro and small enterprises, that are accessible to minors, including very large online platforms with over 45 million monthly users in the EU.
The draft guidelines are now open for public feedback until 10 June 2025. The Commission is seeking contributions from all stakeholders, including children, parents and guardians, national authorities, online platform providers, and experts.
The Commission plans to adopt the guidelines before summer 2025, marking a significant milestone in the EU's efforts to create a safer digital environment for children.
Find further information in the draft guidelines.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier - Tel.: +32 2 29 91099; Patricia Poropat - Tel.: +32 2 29 80485)
EU launches a European vulnerability database to boost its digital security
Today the European Commission has announced the launch of the European Vulnerability Database (EUVD) by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). The EUVD will strengthen Europe's digital security. It will help entities meet supply chain and vulnerability management requirements under the NIS2 Directive, which improves cybersecurity for critical sectors like energy, transport and health. It will also support the implementation of the Cyber Resilience Act, ensuring that products with digital elements, such as software and smart devices, are protected from cyber threats.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “The EU Vulnerability Database is a major step towards reinforcing Europe's security and resilience. By bringing together vulnerability information relevant to the EU market, we are raising cybersecurity standards, enabling both private and public sector stakeholders to better protect our shared digital spaces with greater efficiency and autonomy.”
The EUVD collects vulnerability information from trusted sources, enhancing situational awareness and protecting our digital infrastructure from potential threats. It offers vital tools for stakeholders across the public and private sector, including national authorities and researchers, to safely navigate the digital space. This effort supports the EU's commitment to strengthening technological sovereignty by providing reliable resources to manage and mitigate cybersecurity risks across information and communication technology products and services.
More information on the EUVD is available online.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier - Tel.: +32 2 29 91099; Nika Blazevic — Tel. + 32 2 299 27 17)
Twenty-three EU-funded films nominated at the 78th Cannes Film Festival
The 78th Cannes Film Festival opens today, shining a spotlight on European supported cinema. The EU financed 23 films which have been nominated across six categories.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said: “The Cannes Film Festival celebrates creative works that help us connect, share and shape our experiences. This year, 23 EU funded films have been nominated at the Cannes Films Festival. For over 34 years, the Creative Europe Media programme has been helping European creators nurture their talent and tell their stories woven into Europe's history. We are thrilled to see some of them in the spotlight at one of the world's most prestigious film festivals.”
Among the nominees for the main Palme d'Or prize are Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier (Norway, Germany, France, Denmark), Romería by Carla Simón (Spain), Dossier 137 by Dominik Moll (France), Sirat by Ólivier Laxe (Spain, France), La Petite Dernière by Hafsia Herzi (France, Germany), Renoir by Chie Hayakawa (Japan, France, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines), and Alpha by Julia Ducournau (France, Belgium).
These films were funded through the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, supporting film production and distribution with a total contribution of €1.3 million.
Two works supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme, Ceci Est Mon Coeur by Nicolas Blies & Stéphane Hueber-Blies (Luxembourg, France, Canada) and Floating With Spirits by Juanita Onzaga (Luxembourg, Belgium, The Netherlands), will feature in the Cannes Immersive Competition.
Creative Europe MEDIA will also support the discussion panel ‘Picture from Auschwitz', which marks the launch of the Digital Twin of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial – allowing the audiovisual industry to access a digitally recreated version of the site.
Meanwhile, in cooperation with the Conferencia de Autoridades Audiovisuales y Cinematográficas de Iberoamérica (CAACI), the Commission will organise an event focusing on the audiovisual cooperation between Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, to broaden the reach of co-creations to wider audiences.
Joint press release by the European Union and Ukraine on strengthening military industry ties amid war efforts at the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum
The second EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum took place in Brussels on 12 May to bolster cooperation and integration between the Ukrainian and EU defence industries.
More than 500 representatives from EU and Ukraine defence industries came together to strengthen cooperation between both sides, to encourage joint procurement and help Ukraine to obtain capabilities in priority areas. A strong and capable defence industry is crucial to put Ukraine in a position of strength to defend itself and deter any future aggression.
In the margins of the Forum, a newly announced EU-Ukraine Task Force on Defence Industrial Cooperation also met for the first time, paving the way for potential flagship projects between the EU and Ukrainian defence industries. At the Forum, Ukraine and the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) have also signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen defence industrial cooperation. The initiatives are designed to attract greater EU investment in Ukraine's defence sector and deepen industrial ties between the two sides.
More information on the EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum is available online.
(For more information: Anitta Hipper – Tel.: +32 460 76 14 21; Thomas Regnier – Tel.: +32 460 75 31 32)
Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen in the United States for high-level meetings with tech industry and government officials
Today, Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, will travel to the United States for high-level meetings in San Francisco and Washington, DC.
In San Francisco, on Tuesday, the Executive Vice-President will meet with the CEO of Salesforce.
In Silicon Valley, on Wednesday, Executive Vice-President Virkkunen will give a keynote speech at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence, focusing on Europe's AI future. She will also meet the CEOs of Apple and Google, as well as senior representatives from NVIDIA. The next day, the Executive Vice-President will meet with the CEO of Anthropic, followed by a meeting with EU tech startups. Later that day, she will also have a discussion with the founder and CEO of Meta.
In Washington, on Friday, Executive Vice-President Virkkunen will hold a series of high-level meetings. She will meet with Congressman Jim Jordan, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Brendan Carr, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, as well as Andrew Ferguson, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, to discuss transatlantic cooperation in the field of technology and innovation.
(For more information: Thomas Regnier — Tel. + 32 2 299 10 99; Nika Blazevic — Tel. + 32 2 299 27 17)