European Commission

EUR 700 Million for Generative AI: Can the EU Trace Public Funding from AI Pilot to Administrative Effect?

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GenAI4EU is moving from AI policy into publicly funded deployment. With close to EUR 700 million planned and three public-administration pilots already under way, the accountability question is whether Europe can trace public money from grant and procurement to the administrative capability, decision support and measurable public value it produces.

When the Consultation Itself Becomes Evidence: The CO2 Transport Inquiry and Better Regulation

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The European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into how the European Commission conducted a public consultation on its planned legislation for CO2 transportation. The case matters because it shifts scrutiny upstream: from the final legislative proposal to the way the Commission constructs the evidence base that is supposed to justify it.

DG TRADE and the Tobacco Lobby: When Transparency Becomes a Compliance Test

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The European Ombudswoman’s inquiry into DG TRADE’s contacts with tobacco-industry representatives creates a test that goes beyond meeting disclosure. The central question is whether the Commission can reconstruct why contacts were necessary, what followed them, and whether corrective measures adopted after an earlier maladministration finding worked in practice.

When a Consultation Is Called a Reality Check: Does the Label Remove the Transparency Duty?

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Executive summary The European Commission uses a consultation format known as a reality check to obtain information from stakeholders it has selected about practical obstacles in implementing EU rules. The Commission considers these meetings exempt from standard transparency requirements for meetings with interest representatives because they are intended to gather factual information, data or expertise. … Read more

Accepted but Not Fully Adequate: What Does Compliance Mean in the X Action Plan?

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Executive summary On 16 July 2026, the European Commission announced that it had accepted X’s action plan concerning transparency obligations and researchers’ access to data under the Digital Services Act. The plan follows a Commission decision finding X in breach of the DSA and imposing a fine in December 2025. X committed to improve its … Read more

Strategic Project, Restricted Document: How the Jadar File Became Partly Public

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Executive summary A requester sought public access to a letter by which the Serbian authorities supported the designation of the Jadar lithium-mining project as a strategic project under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act. The European Commission initially refused access, arguing that disclosure could undermine international relations with Serbia. After the requester submitted a confirmatory … Read more