How to watch the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO)

Vote: AI institutional aspects opinion to AFCO

Gheorghe Piperea and 1 other

The committee resumes with a short voting session on the draft opinion on institutional aspects of artificial intelligence for AFCO, with rapporteur Gheorghe Piperea confirming compromises are stable. After a test vote, IMCO adopts compromise amendments by show of hands and then approves the final opinion by roll‑call vote (33 in favour, 5 against, 1 abstention).

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Medical devices simplification omnibus: rapporteur and shadows

Anna Cavazzini and 5 others

IMCO opens day two with Maria Guzenina presenting her draft opinion on simplifying the MDR/IVDR rules, focusing on balancing patient safety with reduced administrative burden, time‑limited certificates, unannounced and remote audits, keeping medical devices within the AI Act, and fee reductions for SMEs. EPP and Renew shadows broadly support simplification and competitiveness while stressing safety, and DG SANTE’s Flora Giorgio underlines the Commission’s risk‑based approach, integration of AI requirements into MDR, proportional recertification and transparency via EUDAMED; the rapporteur closes by welcoming negotiations.

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Item 16: Data Omnibus opinion: opening and mandate

Anna Cavazzini and 2 others

The Chair closes the previous point, briefly suspends the meeting, then opens agenda item 16 on IMCO’s opinion to the Digital (Data) Omnibus proposal and gives the floor to the rapporteur to outline scope, safeguards and links with GDPR, ePrivacy, P2B, data intermediaries and AI-related data use for SMEs and consumers.

In this chapter

1. Procedural transition to Digital Omnibus itemAnna Cavazzini
2. Data Omnibus opinion: scope, safeguards and P2B/GDPRAlex Agius Saliba

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Single Market funding and digital enforcement toolbox

Anna Cavazzini and 4 others

IMCO examines the study on a horizontal enforcement toolbox for the EU digital rulebook, including legal design, sanctions and institutional options, then turns to the Single Market and Customs Programme compromise on scope, budget structure, co‑financing and customs infrastructure under the next MFF.

In this chapter

1. Enforcement of EU digital rulebook: study and Q&AAnna Cavazzini
2. SMCP compromise: scope, funding and Commission positionAnna Cavazzini

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Panel II and Commission: abandonware, smart goods and liability duration

Anna Cavazzini and 3 others

Prof. Loos introduces the abandonware concept and proposes targeted reforms to SGD, DCD, Ecodesign and unfair terms/practices rules, followed by the Commission’s explanation of the existing framework for smart goods and digital content and a debate with MEPs and experts on liability periods, ecodesign interaction, software obsolescence and evidence from implementation studies.

In this chapter

1. Panel II: abandonware concept and needed EU reformsAnna Cavazzini
2. Commission: consumer law for smart goods and digital contentSylvie Robert
3. MEPs and experts: liability duration, ecodesign and software obsolescencePablo Arias Echeverría

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Q&A with legal experts: videogames, connected goods and unilateral changes

Anna Cavazzini and 2 others

MEPs question the Commission’s stance on videogames, connected cars, contract changes and weak sanctions, while legal scholars explain why transparency is insufficient and call for tighter limits on unilateral modifications, clearer update and termination rules and stronger enforcement under DCD, SGD, CRD and UCPD.

In this chapter

1. Q&A launch: videogames, connected cars and opaque contractsAnna Cavazzini
2. Legal scholars: limits of transparency and unilateral modificationAnna Cavazzini

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Workshop opening and framing of digital ownership issues

Anna Cavazzini Verts/ALE

The Chair opens the IMCO workshop, sets the agenda and introduces how digital and connected products challenge traditional ownership, followed by expert analysis of durability, premature obsolescence, producer liability, update duties and the need for stronger, enforceable consumer rights and sanctions in EU law.

In this chapter

1. Workshop opening and scope of digital ownershipAnna Cavazzini
2. Digital product durability, producer liability and sanctions

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IMCO coordinators: future agenda and AI Vatican outreach

Anna Cavazzini and 1 other

Coordinators confirm IMCO’s participation in joint hearings on platforms and the information environment and agree to invite a Vatican representative, preferably the Pope, to present the AI‑focused encyclical and its implications for EU digital policy.

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Hearing on protection of minors online: frameworks, enforcement and age limits

Anna Cavazzini and 9 others

Commission, Meta and civil society set out the DSA- and AVMSD-based framework, Meta’s teen‑safety tools, and evidence of platforms’ non‑compliance, followed by MEPs’ Q&A on DSA enforcement, coordination with GDPR and consumer law, the planned Digital Fairness Act, and the merits and risks of age‑verification, minimum digital ages, smartphone and social‑media bans, and age‑appropriate design obligations under forthcoming EU rules.

In this chapter

1. Hearing on protection of minors online: statements from Commission and stakeholdersAnna Cavazzini
2. MEPs, Commission and Meta: DSA enforcement and minors’ protectionPablo Arias Echeverría
3. Commission framework and stakeholder reactions on DSA/Digital Fairness ActAnna Cavazzini

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Opening of IMCO meeting and committee business

Anna Cavazzini and 3 others

The Chair opens the IMCO meeting, adopts agenda and minutes, reports on trilogue outcomes (digitalisation, chemicals, defence), and updates members on ongoing DSA/DMA implementation, posted‑workers e‑declaration talks, and outermost‑regions issues relevant to MFF, procurement and customs.

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Amazon scrutiny hearing: framework and Commission plans

Anna Cavazzini and 4 others

Chair opens the Amazon scrutiny point, with the Commission outlining GPSR enforcement, planned European Product Act and CPC reform, followed by Amazon’s intervention and defence of its systems under the DSA and product safety framework.

In this chapter

1. Opening: hearing framework and Commission plansAnna Cavazzini
2. MEPs and Amazon: DSA duties, product safety liabilityNikola Minchev

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Single Market strategy: Commission mandate and MEP scrutiny

Anna Cavazzini and 7 others

The Chair opens the IMCO Single Market point, the Commission outlines the Single Market Strategy, barriers-prevention and enforcement tools, and MEPs in two rounds press for stronger enforcement, clarity on a future Single Market Barriers Prevention Act, links with industrial and Green Deal policies, and concrete action on procurement, EU preference and specific cross‑border obstacles.

In this chapter

1. Opening of IMCO item and Commission mandateAnna Cavazzini
2. MEP first round: barriers, enforcement and Green DealMaria Grapini
3. MEP second round: procurement, EU preference and concrete barriersLeila Chaibi

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Later IMCO session: opening, Internal Market Emergency Instrument and Spanish Presidency priorities

In a subsequent sitting, the Chair opens the meeting, adopts the agenda and minutes, then hears a trilogue state‑of‑play on the Internal Market Emergency Instrument covering scope, crisis definition and governance, before the Spanish Presidency presents its programme on the internal market and consumer protection, including digital legislation (DMA, DSA, Data Act, AI Act), green transition, consumer safety, services and resilience, ahead of an exchange with MEPs.

In this chapter

1. Opening of later IMCO meeting: agenda, minutes and schedule
2. Internal Market Emergency Instrument: trilogue state of play
3. Spanish Council Presidency programme on internal market and consumer protection

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Institutional aspects of AI: political lines, governance options and next steps

Anna Cavazzini and 7 others

Rapporteur and shadow rapporteurs outline amendment trends and group positions on AI’s institutional aspects, stressing human‑centric use, consumer and worker protection, SME needs, digital sovereignty and avoiding AI in core democratic decision‑making, while Commission (DG CONNECT) comments on staged AI Act implementation and coordination needs before the rapporteur presents the timetable for compromises, consultations and the forthcoming IMCO vote.

In this chapter

1. Institutional aspects of AI: rapporteur’s overview of amendmentsAnna Cavazzini
2. Shadows’ positions: balancing AI opportunities, safeguards and human oversightHenrik Dahl
3. Other groups and MEPs: no new bureaucracy, digital sovereignty, observatory ideaElisabeth Dieringer
4. Commission (DG CONNECT) comments and next steps on AI governance opinionIrina Orssich

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Voting: opinions on EU‑Swiss agreements and European business wallets

Andreas Schwab and 1 other

IMCO closes the DMA exchange, conducts a test vote and then adopts by large majorities its opinions on an interim report covering a package of EU‑Swiss agreements and on establishing European business wallets, approving all compromise amendments and final texts by show of hands and roll‑call votes.

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DMA: Q&A on data access, privacy, misinformation, US lobbying and EU AI competitiveness

Laura Ballarín Cereza and 7 others

Further questions focus on Google search data‑sharing and privacy, coordination with data protection authorities, OpenAI lobbying, security and espionage concerns, DMA‑DSA‑AI links on misinformation, the Commission’s technical capacity, US lobbying against EU rules, and how to build EU AI champions; Ribera insists on anonymised data access, rejects privacy as a pretext against interoperability, underlines rule‑based enforcement and cooperation with US regulators, and calls for a holistic strategy including capital markets to scale Europe’s AI ecosystem.

In this chapter

1. Q&A: Google search data sharing, privacy and interoperability obligationsLaura Ballarín Cereza
2. Q&A: Concerns over DMA enforcement timeline and staff capacityAndreas Schwab
3. Q&A: Google data‑sharing risks, OpenAI lobbying and privacy safeguardsVirginie Joron

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DMA: Q&A on energy use, fines, scope, governance and state aid

Pablo Arias Echeverría and 5 others

MEPs question Ribera on reconciling AI and cloud with climate and energy goals, the effectiveness of DMA fines and measurable consumer benefits, enforcement speed and potential expansion of gatekeeper scope, institutional setup and fine levels, links to a broader cloud/AI package, and raise a state aid case on Hungarian state advertising favouring pro‑government media; Ribera defends the current enforcement model, explains sanction logic, connects tech and energy sovereignty, and notes limits on commenting on ongoing state aid files.

In this chapter

1. Q&A: energy demand of AI and data centres, crisis impact on energy pricesPablo Arias Echeverría
2. Q&A: DMA fines, behaviour change of gatekeepers and measurable consumer benefitsMaria Grapini
3. Q&A: Enforcement speed, scope of DMA and new gatekeepersSandro Gozi

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DMA: Commission objectives, first results and enforcement focus

Anna Cavazzini Verts/ALE

Executive Vice‑President Ribera sets out the Digital Markets Act’s goals, early observable impacts for consumers and competitors, and the first review’s conclusion that the DMA is fit for purpose, while highlighting enforcement priorities in AI and cloud services, ongoing gatekeeper investigations and a ‘culture of compliance’ backed by strong sanctioning powers.

In this chapter

1. DMA exchange with Executive Vice‑President Ribera: objectives and first resultsAnna Cavazzini
2. DMA review findings, cloud and AI focus, enforcement approachAnna Cavazzini

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Meeting opening and defence trilogue updates

Anna Cavazzini and 2 others

The Chair opens the IMCO meeting, adopts the agenda and minutes, reports coordinators’ decisions including on a customs delegated act, and then hears updates on trilogue progress regarding accelerated defence permitting and unresolved issues on intra‑EU defence transfers within the broader defence omnibus package.

In this chapter

1. Opening, agenda and coordinators’ delegated act decisionAnna Cavazzini
2. Trilogues on defence readiness permitting and intra‑EU transfersHenrik Dahl

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MEP questions on rules, sovereignty and open‑source threats

Pablo Arias Echeverría and 10 others

MEPs raise concerns about military and dual‑use of Anthropic‑type models, sufficiency of EU risk tiers and cyber rules, social and workplace impacts, legacy IT and agentic systems, open‑source cloning (including from China), and EU technological sovereignty, compute and vulnerability‑handling capacity in the absence of comparable EU‑owned defensive tools.

In this chapter

1. MEPs Pablo & Christel: need for stronger rules and EU capabilitiesPablo Arias Echeverría
2. MEPs on social risks, legacy IT and open sourceGheorghe Piperea
3. MEPs Van Sparrentak, Chaibi et al.: transparency, sovereignty, open‑source threatsChristian Doleschal
4. MEPs Kotnik & Schwab: business guidance and market access concernsDirk Gotink

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Opening and institutional briefings on frontier AI risks

Christian Doleschal and 3 others

The chair opens the IMCO exchange of views on advanced AI cybersecurity risks, followed by DG CONNECT, the AI Office and ENISA outlining how frontier models affect cyber‑threat dynamics, the EU regulatory toolbox (AI Act, NIS2, CRA, Cybersecurity Act), and evolving vulnerability‑management and defensive capabilities.

In this chapter

1. Chair: opening and meeting objectivesChristian Doleschal
2. DG CONNECT: frontier AI cyber risks and EU toolboxDespina Spanou
3. AI Office: application and enforcement of the AI ActChristian Doleschal
4. ENISA: frontier AI impact on vulnerability managementHans De Vries

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E‑commerce platforms hearing: Vinted and Bol

Vinted and Bol detail their business models, trust and safety systems, and compliance practices, MEPs probe issues such as unfair competition, waste, hidden professionals, counterfeits, minors’ protection and job creation, and both platforms respond with concrete measures and regulatory requests as the Commission closes on digital tools, circularity and enforcement against illegal imports.

In this chapter

1. Vinted: Second‑hand C2C model and safety systems
2. Bol.com: Local B2C/B2B2C platform and compliance approach
3. E‑commerce: MEPs on waste, unfair competition and consumer awareness

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Market surveillance and customs reform for online imports

Anna Cavazzini and 1 other

The EESC presents its evaluation of the Market Surveillance Regulation, pointing to enforcement gaps aggravated by small‑parcel imports from Chinese platforms, MEPs question coherence with customs and DSA frameworks, and the EESC and Commission outline forthcoming measures including customs reform, de‑minimis changes, the European Product Act and a revised UMSR with stronger digital tools and cooperation.

In this chapter

1. Market surveillance regulation: EESC evaluation findingsAnna Cavazzini
2. Market surveillance regulation: MEP questions on capacity, coherence and customs reformAntje Gerstein
3. Market surveillance regulation: EESC replies and Commission on planned UMSR revisionAntje Gerstein
4. E‑commerce scrutiny: Commission on customs, DSA and European Product ActAntje Gerstein

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AI use in EU institutions: IMCO opinion

Anna Cavazzini and 5 others

The rapporteur presents the draft opinion on AI in EU institutions, calling for human oversight, protection of fundamental rights and avoidance of a two‑tier Europe, followed by shadows’ positions on opportunities, oversight, liability and resources, and the Commission’s defence of a balanced innovation–safety approach centred on the AI Act and the new AI Office.

In this chapter

1. AI and EU institutions: Draft IMCO opinion presentationAnna Cavazzini
2. AI and institutions: Shadows’ positions on opportunities, oversight and liabilityDirk Gotink
3. AI and institutions: Commission’s balanced approach and AI Office roleIrina Oršolić

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Single Market and Customs Programme 2028–2034 debate

Adnan Dibrani and 4 others

Rapporteur and shadows set priorities for the SMCP budget and governance, emphasising customs capacity, border equipment, anti‑fraud tools, SME support and safeguards on budget flexibility, while the Commission defends a simplified, agile design without added comitology, and the rapporteur closes by underlining enforcement as key to a functioning single market.

In this chapter

1. Single Market and Customs Programme 2028–2034: Rapporteur’s prioritiesAdnan Dibrani
2. Single Market and Customs Programme: EPP and ECR‑aligned views on border capacityDirk Gotink
3. Single Market and Customs Programme: Renew, Greens and S&D budget governanceJeannette Baljeu

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Opening, agenda and brief regulatory updates

Anna Cavazzini and 2 others

Chair Cavazzini opens the IMCO meeting, adopts the agenda and minutes, and delivers short institutional updates on the AI Omnibus trilogue, the IMCO mission to China (e‑commerce and non‑compliance), implementation progress on the AI Act and the Forced Labour Regulation, highlighting timelines, enforcement models and follow‑up needs.

In this chapter

1. Opening of IMCO meeting and agenda changesAnna Cavazzini
2. AI Omnibus trilogue: brief rapporteur updateAnna Cavazzini
3. Mission to China: Chair’s debrief on e‑commerce and non‑complianceAnna Cavazzini

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