UK law
Regulatory Innovation Office publishes first annual report for 2024-2025
The Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) has published its annual report for its first year from 2024-2025. The RIO was set up in October 2024 with the aim of making sure that regulation enables innovation in science and technology. The report outlines regulatory reforms and initiatives across sectors with legal, AI governance and regulatory design implications. The RIO has supported the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) between Ofcom, the ICO, the FCA and the CMA to provide a service to help businesses navigating digital regulation. In September the RIO provided the DRCF with £800,000 to prototype a unified digital library aimed at giving innovators easier access to digital policy and regulations, making the system easier to navigate and helping to free up businesses to focus on growth and innovation. The RIO has created an AI Capability Fund which has provided £3.6 million of funding to deliver innovative AI projects and to help regulators adopt AI for faster approvals and reduce the burden of compliance.
CMA issues ‘4Ps’ updates to mergers guidance and mergers notice template
The Competition and Markets Authority has published its updated guidance on jurisdiction and procedure (CMA2) and updated Merger Notice template. It has also made associated changes to its guidance on the CMA’s mergers intelligence function (CMA56). It has updated the documents to reflect changes to the CMA’s mergers process, embedding its ‘4Ps’ framework (pace, predictability, process and proportionality).
EU law
European Commission invites contributions to shape future EU Quantum Act
A call for evidence is now open to shape the future EU Quantum Act. The Act is scheduled for adoption in 2026 and has three main objectives for the technology: first, to boost research and innovation; second, to scale up industrial capacity, including pilot lines and a design facility; and third, to reinforce supply chain resilience and governance. It will build on the Quantum Europe Strategy and complement the Chips Act, among other things. The call for evidence ends on 26 November 2025.
New measures to provide researchers with access to data from largest online platforms
New rules under the Digital Services Act now allow researchers to gain access to very large online platforms’ data to study the societal impact stemming from the platforms’ systems. Such access is now possible following the entry into force of the EU’s delegated act on data access. The measures will allow qualified researchers to request access to previously unavailable data from very large online platforms and search engines. Platforms’ own data is a key element in understanding the possible systemic risks stemming from, for example, recommender systems. It will also help address risks such as the spread of illegal content and financial scams. The measures also include safeguards to protect the companies’ interests. To get access to platforms’ data, researchers will have to undergo a strict assessment carried out by Digital Services Coordinators, the national authorities responsible for the implementation of the DSA. If researchers fulfil all the criteria prescribed by the law and if the research projects are relevant for studying systemic risks, including the spread of illegal content or negative effects on mental health, under the DSA, the platforms are legally required to comply with their data requests. Digital Services Coordinators are already working together to ensure that data access applications will be assessed uniformly across member states.
