Age verification and online safety dominate EU ministers’ Horsens meeting
Ministers from the EU are meeting in Horsens to strengthen child protection online and reinforce Europe’s digital sovereignty.
EU digital ministers are meeting in Horsens on 9–10 October to improve the protection of minors online. Age verification, child protection, and digital sovereignty are at the top of the agenda under the Danish EU Presidency.
The Informal Council Meeting on Telecommunications is hosted by the Ministry of Digital Affairs of Denmark and chaired by Caroline Stage. European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen is also attending to support discussions on shared priorities.
Ministers are considering measures to prevent children from accessing age-inappropriate platforms and reduce exposure to harmful features like addictive designs and adult content. Stronger safeguards across digital services are being discussed.
The talks also focus on Europe’s technological independence. Ministers aim to enhance the EU’s digital competitiveness and sovereignty while setting a clear direction ahead of the Commission’s upcoming Digital Fairness Act proposal.
A joint declaration, ‘The Jutland Declaration’, is expected as an outcome. It will highlight the need for stronger EU-level measures and effective age verification to create a safer online environment for children.
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