MEPs Urged to Defend Europe’s Technological Future

Following the European Commission’s withdrawal of its proposal for an SEP regulation as part of its ‘simplification’ drive, Fair Standards Alliance calls on Members of the European Parliament to vote in favour of continuing legal action against the European Commission to bring the regulation back.

“This is a vote for European industry, for a predictable environment that encourages investment, and for a fair and future-proof licensing framework,” said Alexander Prenter, Fair Standards Alliance. He continued: “By voting to uphold the Parliament’s legal action, MEPs would protect not only the merits of the file but the integrity of the legislative process itself. We therefore urge the European Parliament to support continued legal action.”

Back in February 2024, the European Parliament adopted the SEP Regulation by 464 votes to 83. That vote reflected a clear political mandate: strengthening Europe’s technological sovereignty and supporting an industrial base that depends on predictable, rules-based licensing of standard-essential patents.

The Commission’s subsequent withdrawal of the proposal, without a sufficiently reasoned explanation, has stalled progress toward a more stable and competitive licensing environment.

For more than a decade, European manufacturers, innovators and SMEs have asked for a framework that brings transparency and balance to SEP negotiations. Without such a framework, companies remain exposed to opaque bargaining, inconsistent outcomes, and legal uncertainty that undermines investment and slows the diffusion of digital technologies throughout the economy.

Related Reading

• Parliament Cannot Walk Away from Defending Europe’s Democratic Authority and Industrial Sovereignty — Euractiv
• EU industry under the Omnibus: urging co-legislators to save it — Euractiv
• Calling all policymakers: bring fairness back to Europe — Fair Standards Alliance
• MEPs vote to sue the Commission for scrapping patents law — Euractiv news report
• The EU SEP Regulation: exploring its implications — Euractiv special report