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EU commits to promote skills and training in new ‘Competitiveness Compass’ roadmap

The European Commission (EC) published its Competitiveness Compass, outlining a centralized framework for policy actions to strengthen EU competitiveness.

• Importantly, the EC set out the Union of Skills for the first quarter of 2025, a quality jobs roadmap for Q4 2025, and a skills portability initiative in 2026.

What’s next:

• The “Union of Skills” will include a STEM Education Strategic Plan, a Basic Skills Action Plan focusing on school education, and a European Strategy for Vocational Education and Training.
• The “Skills Portability Initiative” aims to ensure that skills acquired are recognized in case of mobility.
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European Commission publishes 2025 Work Programme

On 11 February, the European Commission set out the key strategies, action plans and legislative initiatives for the further work during this term.

Why it matters: The most interesting ones are likely to be: Competitiveness Compass, Digital Package, Quantum Strategy of EU and Union of Skills.

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EU mobilizes €200 billion of investment in AI through ‘InvestAI’ initiative

At the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has launched InvestAI, an initiative to mobilize €200 billion for investment in AI, including a new European fund of €20 billion for AI gigafactories.

Why it matters: This adds financial support to Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe for GenAI initiatives to strengthen the EU's GenAI talent pool, the development of Common European Data Spaces, and the ‘GenAI4EU' initiative.

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AI Act’s rules for AI literacy and prohibited AI use cases are now applicable

As of 2 February 2025, the first five articles of the EU AI Act are in effect, marking a critical milestone in how artificial intelligence (AI) systems are regulated.

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Why it matters:

• The prohibition on unacceptable-risk AI systems is now in place, targeting technologies that threaten safety, health, or fundamental rights.
• Mandatory AI Literacy is required for organizations to ensure employees involved with AI are sufficiently skilled and trained to understand its risks, ethics, and to comply with obligations.
• These rules will have a global impact, not just applying within the EU, as they affect organizations worldwide offering AI services in the EU Single Market.
• In parallel, the European Commission also published the Guidelines on prohibited AI practices and on AI system definition to facilitate the first AI Act’s rules application.

Implementation guidance for UK AI Cyber Security Code of Practice

The UK Government released the AI Cyber Security Code of Practice setting out baseline cybersecurity principles to help secure AI systems and the organizations that develop and deploy them.

• The guidance is split into thirteen broader principles, with provisions listed under each of them. These principles include raising awareness of AI systems, securing supply chains, as well as communications and processes for End-Users and Affected entities.

What’s next:

• These provisions will also be used by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to develop a global standard Technical Specification 104 223.
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New recommendations from the International Coalition of Cyber Security Workforces

The UK Government announced that the International Coalition of Cyber Security Workforces had been formally established and that the UK would be a constituent member, alongside Canada, the Government of Dubai, Japan, Ghana and Singapore.

• The formation of the ICCSW follows from the Wilton Park Summit, hosted by the UK in September 2024, which ISACA attended.

Why it matters:

• The Group’s initial report includes commitments to work together toward a shared glossary of common cybersecurity terms, improved integration and interoperability of cybersecurity frameworks and workforce standards (including setting a common baseline for the minimum quality standard for cyber security professionals, and to attracting new signatories from the international community.)
• Professional certifications have been recognized by the Coalition as a key instrument to enhance cybersecurity skills as well as the important role played by ISACA.
• Learn more.