The European Tech Alliance (EUTA), representing leading European tech companies across diverse sectors, welcomes the opportunity for industry to contribute to the development of the General Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice. While supportive of the iterative, multi-stakeholder approach, EUTA calls for greater clarity, balance, and consideration of stakeholder input to ensure the Code fosters innovation without overregulating the sector.
As highlighted in Mario Draghi’s Report on European Competitiveness, the EU has the potential to lead in AI development. To achieve this, EUTA underscores the importance of avoiding overregulation and maintaining a harmonised Single Market.
Key Concerns and Recommendations
- Stakeholder Input: The rapid pace of discussion on this first draft GPAI code of practice has limited the ability of European tech companies to provide thorough feedback. EUTA urges the GPAI working group chairs and the AI Office to clarify how stakeholder contributions are assessed and to extend consultation periods in future drafts.
- Balanced Approach: The current draft is lengthy, overly prescriptive, and risks exceeding the AI Act’s provisions. EUTA warns against transforming the Code into de facto legislation, which could undermine its legitimacy and Better Regulation principles.
- Clarity on Definitions: Key concepts such as “deployers,” “providers,” and “fine-tuning” remain vague, potentially overburdening companies and complicating compliance. Concepts must be clarified to not lead to unnecessary legal ambiguities.
- Impact Assessment: The lack of an impact assessment for GPAI provisions raises concerns about the code’s effects on innovation and global competitiveness. EUTA advocates for a cautious, de minimis approach to mitigate risks and support European tech leadership.
See our contribution here.
EUTA remains committed to collaborating with policymakers to ensure the GPAI Code of Practice supports innovation, protects competitiveness, and empowers European tech companies to thrive globally.
About the European Tech Alliance
EUTA represents leading European tech companies that provide innovative products and services to more than 1 billion users. Our 31 EUTA member companies from 16 European countries are popular and have earned the trust of consumers. As companies born and bred in Europe, for whom the EU is a crucial market, we have a deep commitment to European citizens and values.
With the right conditions, our companies can strengthen Europe’s resilience and technological autonomy, protect and empower users online, and promote Europe’s values of transparency, rule of law and innovation to the rest of the world.
The EUTA calls for boosting Europe’s tech competitiveness by having an ambitious EU tech strategy to overcome growth obstacles, making a political commitment to clear, targeted and risk-based rules, and enforcing rules consistently to match the globalised market we are in.
For media inquiries, please contact:Victoria de Posson, EUTA Secretary General
E-mail: victoria@eutechalliance.eu
E-mail: info@eutechalliance.eu
Phone: +32 476 25 08 16
www.eutechalliance.eu
