Marc ANGEL

Policy topics Marc ANGEL is active on

What Marc ANGEL has said (28)

• 2026-07-16 “(11:11:15 - 11:13:09): Yes. Thank you very much, minister. It's very nice to hear that you you're very ambitious to deepen the social dimension of the European Union and also the union of equality. These are very important to promote and protect democracy. When it comes to the fair mobility agenda, this parliament had an initiative legislative report where we really call for legislation to protect workers against algorithmic management transparency. We want the same protection as platform workers have for all workers. So this is a very important issue for us. And also psychosocial risks have to be, included linked to, algorithm management and AI. I was happy to hear that you are tackling the that you want to close or that you will work on the equal treatment directive, the horizontal anti discrimination directive. This is very important. Before the European elections, the Belgians were very close, and I hope that you really can close this this dossier. It's important. Now I don't have a question, but I have a message to you. Please convey to your colleagues, the ministers, that the pay transparency directive is a very important directive. We still have agenda pay gap of 12% Only 4 countries have transposed this directive so far. The deadline was June 7 We gave 3 years of transposition period. Business Europe is very much fighting this, but there is many rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs still here, and we got the confirmation from the commission, from president Vanderlaien, from commissioner Labib that we know that this directive will not be integrated in an omnibus. So there is some member states, apparently, they are waiting that this directive will be changed or that deregulation will come. No. This won't happen. We in the parliament are very, very attentive to this. And also the commission at the highest level said, no. So tell tell your colleagues that it's high time to transpose this directive. Thank you very much.”
  Gender pay transparency
• 2026-07-16 “(10:17:19 - 10:18:26): We know that discrimination and vulnerable groups—my Irish colleague mentioned the children, the many minors who are homeless—but also people from the LGBTI community, we know that they also have problems when it comes to housing exclusion and homelessness, especially trans persons, but other ethnic groups. And we have anti-discrimination legislation in Europe, but we are still lacking the horizontal anti-discrimination directive. Do you also think that we need to finally have an agreement in the Council to get this horizontal anti-discrimination directive, the former equal treatment directive, to really enforce the Council recommendation we're discussing right now? I think there's a lot of elements which can help make the document we're discussing now more effective. Apart, of course, from the question of financial resources, which colleagues have mentioned. But we need also more legislation to combat discrimination in this field of housing. Thank you.”
  LGBTIQ+ · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• 2026-06-16 “Merci, president. Dear all, what do digital tools in our public services, algorithms shaping public debates, and chatbots we use every day to guide our decisions have in common? All too often, they're controlled by non European actors, and that leaves Europeans as consumers of technology rather than masters of their own digital futures. SSND, we support strengthening Europe's digital sovereignty and resilience, but technology, technological prowess alone does not deliver sovereignty. True digital sovereignty means that people remain in control and that technology serves democracy and the public interest. And that is why we must defend and fully implement our digital rule book rather than push a deregulation agenda that weakens privacy and protection. We need to invest in European innovation and skills and bring key digital infrastructure under European control. Digital sovereignty must go hand in hand with democratic accountability, sustainability, and quality jobs. It will be delivered by a skilled, fairly paid European workforce and not by precarious labor or imported and outsourced expertise. Thank you very much.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• 2026-06-16 “Dear all, what do digital tools in our public services algorithms shaping public debates and chatbots we use every day to guide our decisions have in common. All too often they are controlled by non-European actors, and that leaves Europeans as consumers of technology rather than masters of their own digital futures. As we support strengthening Europe's digital sovereignty and resilience. But technology technological prowess alone does not deliver sovereignty through digital sovereignty means that people remain in control, and that technology serves democracy and the public interest. And that is why we must defend and fully implement our digital rulebook, rather than push a deregulation agenda that weakens privacy and protection. We need to invest in European innovation and skills and bring key digital infrastructure under European control. Digital sovereignty must go hand in hand with democratic accountability, sustainability and quality jobs. It will be delivered by a skilled, fairly paid European workforce and not by precarious labour or imported and outsourced expertise. Thank you very much.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Across Europe, subcontracting chains have become a blind spot in labour law, in construction, agriculture, transport and logistics. Some chains reach reach even 6 or 7 levels, leaving workers unprotected. When wages go unpaid, accidents happen or responsibilities vanish. Millions of mobile workers and migrant workers are affected and often forced to pay legal fees through unregulated intermediaries. The result is shameful social dumping, unfair competition and systematic violation of basic labour and social rights. This is not an enforcement problem. This is a rules problem. As long as responsibility can be diluted, exploitation will continue. The commission faces a political choice. Either we tolerate a two speed Europe of work, or we adopt an ambitious directive on subcontracting chains. As socialists and Democrats, we call for a directive that includes a full chain liability, where the client and subcontractor are liable for labour and social rights violations. A limit on subcontracting layers and a strict framework on intermediaries. They must be registered in the European Union and subject to clear standards and obligations, to avoid any risk of gangmaster practices. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on employment subcontracting
• “Thank you. President. Commissioner. Dear colleagues. Imagine crossing a border within the European Union and discovering a wider choice of basic everyday products detergents, cosmetics, beverages at lower prices for no apparent reason in a union that rightfully takes pride in its single market. This should not happen. Yet for millions of consumers, it is a long standing reality, a reality caused by the continued existence of territorial supply constraints, practices whereby suppliers refuse to sell, restrict quantities or apply different prices simply based on the buyer's geographical location. This ultimately leads to fewer choices, higher prices, and a higher cost of living for some Europeans. We cannot accept such fragmentation. Our consumers should not be penalised because of where they live. We as Socialists and Democrats, therefore welcome the Commission's commitments in the 2030 consumer agenda and in the single market strategy to tackle unjustified territorial supply constraints mentioned by many other colleagues before. But commitments must follow by concrete tools, including legislative measures, to finally remove these barriers. Let's protect our consumers and let's not harm them. Thank you very much.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “I remember very well one lesson when I was one of the negotiators for the S&D group on the patrons directive, that when we talk about equality, everybody applauds. But when equality comes with a cost, then suddenly too many become silent. And that is intolerable. And also, to those who are calling to repeal or dilute this directive, we socialists and Democrats recall that equal pay between women and men for equal work or work of equal value, is one of the European Union's fundamental founding principles enshrined in our treaties since 1957. So it's not about ideology. And we warn don't mess with women's rights and don't mess with workers rights. And together with the trade unions, we progresses. We will not let this directive be thrown away. Enough is enough. We will not tolerate backlash on equality. The facts are clear. Member states that have implemented strong legislation. After the commission's recommendation in 2012, they brought results. Belgium, Luxembourg and administrative burden. Come on. There is software. There is artificial intelligence which calculates this very easily. It's more administrative burden to organize a board meeting than to deal with transparency. So don't touch this directive, don't implement it and work together for fairer salaries in female dominated sectors. Thank you very much.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Dear president, Commissioner and colleagues, our youth is growing up fully immersed in the digital world, a world full of promise and opportunities that shapes and molds them, yet does not have their safety, health and well-being in mind. And we see the tragic consequences cyberbullying, self-harm, mental health problems and suicide. And this must stop. Why would we put our children at the mercy of algorithms that operate in the dark and are accountable to no one but their masters in Silicon Valley and China that monetize our children's attention. Parents cannot fight against Big Tech alone. Platforms and online services must bear the primary responsibility to ensure that their services are safe and therefore, as indeed, we call for legislation that guarantees age appropriate design and safety by design. We need a Digital Fairness Act that addresses targeted advertising, influencer marketing, addictive design and dark patterns. We need age limits and age verification mechanisms. Finally, let us also give young Europeans a voice in designing and regulating the spaces that define their presence and their future. Thank you very much.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online · Age restrictions on children's access to social media
• “Thank you very much, chair. Dear colleagues, let me thank the two co-rapporteurs for the draft report, which already provides very good targeted improvements to the Commission's proposal. However, we still have a few concerns with the current text. And and let me maybe start by saying that we are somewhat skeptical regarding the choice of introducing a regulation with article 114 on harmonisation as the legal basis, but then proposing the voluntary use of the interface. Indeed, if such an approach were to become the norm, it could ultimately create a more fragmentation. Secondly, while we obviously support making the lives of companies and especially SMEs, easier through simplification, the declaration procedure, this must not come at the cost of fewer protections for workers and reduce enforcement enforcement capacities for member states, and I'm happy to hear that. So far, all the speakers agree agree on this. We are worried that the Commission's proposal of a closed list with a limited amount of data points, with no possibility to ask further information, will not achieve the right balance between these two objectives, and we therefore support an approach where Member States can be more flexible in choosing their own data points by subtracting, but also adding information points relevant to their labour markets and economies, in line with the enforcement directive, of course. And in this way, we hope that as many Member States as possible will use the interface to make the declaration a success. With the digitalisation of the system and the possibility of saving data, it would still significantly simplify the procedure. And finally, we consider that the data protection provisions could be reinforced to ensure that workers data are a robustly protected in the context of an employment relationship? And we will introduce amendments in this direction. And I'm looking forward to working with all of you on this file. Thank you very much.”
  EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers
• “I often speak to young people in my home country, and I mention all the wonderful initiatives the Commission and Europe does for the young people. And I also never forget to mention Alma, this initiative called Aim Learn Master Chief, which is which was designed by the Commission for Disadvantaged Young People between the age of 18 and 29 who are not in employment or traineeship. And this one gets a lot of attention. And often young people come to me and say, we need where can I find information? And I think it's still very difficult to find information about it. And I think this is something we should promote more. And it's now next year will be five years old. Could be maybe time for a little report or a state of play and promote this, because this is something which is also addressed towards the unusual suspects, often which we call the ones who are a bit disadvantaged. And it's a wonderful experience. It gives people a chance in another member state to to achieve some work experience. They are often stigmatised in their own member states. They go out, they see opportunities, and they come back strengthened. And I think this is an initiative which is often too much silence and we should talk much more about it. Thank you very much.”
  EU volunteering programs
• “I remember very well one lesson when I was one of the negotiators for the S&D group on the patrons directive, that when we talk about equality, everybody applauds. But when equality comes with a cost, then suddenly too many become silent. And that is intolerable. And also, to those who are calling to repeal or dilute this directive, we socialists and Democrats recall that equal pay between women and men for equal work or work of equal value, is one of the European Union's fundamental founding principles enshrined in our treaties since 1957. So it's not about ideology. And we warn don't mess with women's rights and don't mess with workers rights. And together with the trade unions, we progresses. We will not let this directive be thrown away. Enough is enough. We will not tolerate backlash on equality. The facts are clear. Member states that have implemented strong legislation. After the commission's recommendation in 2012, they brought results. Belgium, Luxembourg and administrative burden. Come on. There is software. There is artificial intelligence which calculates this very easily. It's more administrative burden to organize a board meeting than to deal with transparency. So don't touch this directive, don't implement it and work together for fairer salaries in female dominated sectors. Thank you very much.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Madam chair, dear colleagues, let me start with warmly thanking the rapporteur, our colleague Mr. Bauer, for his initiative and also the quality of his work. I think this report offers a solid foundation that can enable us to reach a swift and also a meaningful agreement on this very crucial file. Artificial intelligence and its impact on the world of work are not a challenge and not challenges for the future. They are challenges of the present, and addressing them is a political imperative. So the way algorithmic management is shaping, recruitment, working conditions and even dismissals is already affecting millions of workers across Europe. That's why we must act and we must act decisively. And that is why I very much welcome the report of my colleague from the EPP, calling for a legislative initiative, and also the opinion of the Committee to regulate algorithmic management from the beginning to the end of the employment relationship. This is a step in the right direction. However, from the perspective of the Socialists and Democrats, I would like to highlight two key priorities that must guide the future legislative proposal. First, we must ensure full alignment with the Platform Work Directive adopted under the previous mandate in order to maintain coherence and legal certainty across EU labour legislation. And secondly, the upcoming legislative initiative must be firmly rooted in the existing legal framework, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation and the AI act.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “My amendments will go in this direction. Let me also underline a few other elements reflected in our S&D amendments regarding the scope. This directive is not only about transparency. It must also cover human oversight, accountability. Worker consultation, and occupational health and safety concerns. These are fundamental pillars on the definition of algorithmic management. We acknowledge that this is an evolving concept. That is why we propose to keep the definition pragmatic, focusing on automated monitoring systems and automated decision making systems. For the purpose of this directive on worker protection. We reinforce the report with strong provisions against retaliation. Protection from dismissal. A reversal of the burden of proof where appropriate and clear. Sanctions and penalties on collective bargaining. We propose a dedicated article to uphold the right of trade unions to negotiate, conclude and enforce collective agreements also in the digital and algorithmic algorithm driven workplaces. And finally, we propose a non-aggression clause to guarantee that this legislation will not weaken any existing labor rights at national and EU level. Thank you very much, and I'm looking forward to working with the rapporteur and our colleagues, shadow rapporteurs. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “Conservatives often take pride in claiming to embody the political center. Yet in recent times, their ideas have increasingly resonated with parties from the far right, whether by crude political design or reckless indifference. This irresponsible game endangers Europe's and its competitiveness. We often hear from conservatives and others that we need to use common sense to increase our competitiveness. Well, let me ask you, is it not common sense to take measures to protect our environment, to believe in science, considering that our economic output is dependent on a healthy planet and population? Should we not open more avenues for legal migration to address our labor shortages, rather than aggressively clamp down on migration and migration and threaten to close internal borders, thereby undermining our single market. And do we not need more European solutions? Considering that 27 national rules create more bureaucracy and administrative burden for our companies? The very opposite of what you want to achieve by pushing for an unrestrained and dangerous deregulation agenda. This all seems common sense to my political group. So let's make the European Union competitive, competitive for the future and not for a world long gone. Thank you very much.”
  EU political integration
• “The European Union has very strong anti-discrimination laws in the field of employment, and we are proud of this achievement. But equality and dignity cannot start and stop at the door of our workplace. And that is why we must extend anti-discrimination and equality protections to everyday life. And that is what we are discussing about today. And this is not about ideology. It is about fulfilling our commitments under European treaties. These enshrined values must become tangible for our citizens. And we must ask ourselves one fundamental question why do we invest so much in security and defence in Europe? Well, it is to protect our values and our European way of life, these enshrined values, and to defend our common peace project built on democracy, respect for human rights and equality, to truly guarantee these values and to strengthen our shared European identity, we must make this principle real in the daily lives of our citizens. So it is time to unblock this directive, this and close this legislative gap. After almost 16 years, because we want to strengthen our union with equality by guaranteeing equal treatment. And we know we want our Member States to profit from the social and economic benefits of this directive. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• “Thank you, Madam President. Dear colleagues, for too long, way too long. European Works Council have existed without real power to influence decisions in transnational companies, information has come too late, consultation has been too limited, and workers have been often excluded from decisions that directly affect their lives. And today we have the opportunity to change that. And this reform gives the European Works Council clearer rights, stronger enforcement and binding participation in decision making. It ensures early and meaningful consultation, not after factories and production sites are closed or jobs have disappeared, but before decisions are taken. It also introduces tangible sanctions for companies that fail to comply. And let me be clear, this is not about opposing regulation and competitiveness. On the contrary, true competitiveness requires trust, participation and shared sense of purpose. When workers are genuinely involved in shaping the future of their company, they become partners in innovation and in resilience and not obstacles to change. So this tax is more than a revision. It is a milestone in European social dialogue. Let us make this directive. Not a silent formality, but a living instrument for 5 million of European workers. Thank you very much.”
  EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions
• “I would also like to thank the authors for for their courage and and the good proposals you had, and I hope that the Commission will really come up with a solution that will satisfy the authors, but also the whole civil society. But my question is directed to the Commission. We know that these attacks come from a special movement, the Anti-gender movement. And I think we if we really believe in the union of equality. And president von der Leyen really talks a lot about union of equality, so does Commissioner Labib. In a union of equality, you produce a lot of equality strategies the LGBTI equality strategy, the gender equality strategy will be presented next week. Do you think these strategies would be need to be would need to have a chapter on how to counter these anti rights movement because the anti rights movement talks about freedom of speech, etc., as if it would be an attack on freedom of speech. But this movement is about disinformation, misinformation, and I think also the Commission and we have a responsibility to debunk and to counter this, this movement and the question of my colleague Aguilar was very important also to make sure that there is no funding going to such NGOs, knowing that President Trump and a lot of American money will come to think tanks and, and newly created organizations to to really talk about something that doesn't exist, a gender ideology, there is no gender ideology. There is just human rights, fundamental rights and dignity. Thank you.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “Mr. president, Commissioner, Vice-President, colleagues, yes, we want a stronger single market and we want European businesses that innovate and that compete globally. But how do businesses want to be competitive without a healthy, skilled and motivated workforce? So to those who only see the market, I ask how can we expect workers to give it their all if their wages do not pay the bills and if their jobs makes them sick? As socialists and Democrats, we support efforts to promote competitiveness and to strengthen the single market. But we will not accept an unbalanced approach. Let us take the 28th regime. The Commission's proposal regretfully attacks social safeguards and undermines the spirit of the latter report and totally ignores the report of the European Parliament. And such cherry picking by the Commission will not lead to greater competitiveness, but to greater inequalities and the loss of trust. Colleagues. Companies are at their strongest when they invest in human capital. This is why we, as socialists and Democrats, are calling for an ambitious, quality job act that delivers fair wages and safe workplaces and new enforceable workers rights. Quality jobs and competitiveness are two sides of the same coin. This is our European way. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on permanent and fixed-term employment
• “I would also like to thank the authors for for their courage and and the good proposals you had, and I hope that the Commission will really come up with a solution that will satisfy the authors, but also the whole civil society. But my question is directed to the Commission. We know that these attacks come from a special movement, the Anti-gender movement. And I think we if we really believe in the union of equality. And president von der Leyen really talks a lot about union of equality, so does Commissioner Labib. In a union of equality, you produce a lot of equality strategies the LGBTI equality strategy, the gender equality strategy will be presented next week. Do you think these strategies would be need to be would need to have a chapter on how to counter these anti rights movement because the anti rights movement talks about freedom of speech, etc., as if it would be an attack on freedom of speech. But this movement is about disinformation, misinformation, and I think also the Commission and we have a responsibility to debunk and to counter this, this movement and the question of my colleague Aguilar was very important also to make sure that there is no funding going to such NGOs, knowing that President Trump and a lot of American money will come to think tanks and, and newly created organizations to to really talk about something that doesn't exist, a gender ideology, there is no gender ideology. There is just human rights, fundamental rights and dignity. Thank you.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “I would also like to thank the authors for for their courage and and the good proposals you had, and I hope that the Commission will really come up with a solution that will satisfy the authors, but also the whole civil society. But my question is directed to the Commission. We know that these attacks come from a special movement, the Anti-gender movement. And I think we if we really believe in the union of equality. And president von der Leyen really talks a lot about union of equality, so does Commissioner Labib. In a union of equality, you produce a lot of equality strategies the LGBTI equality strategy, the gender equality strategy will be presented next week. Do you think these strategies would be need to be would need to have a chapter on how to counter these anti rights movement because the anti rights movement talks about freedom of speech, etc., as if it would be an attack on freedom of speech. But this movement is about disinformation, misinformation, and I think also the Commission and we have a responsibility to debunk and to counter this, this movement and the question of my colleague Aguilar was very important also to make sure that there is no funding going to such NGOs, knowing that President Trump and a lot of American money will come to think tanks and, and newly created organizations to to really talk about something that doesn't exist, a gender ideology, there is no gender ideology. There is just human rights, fundamental rights and dignity. Thank you.”
  LGBTIQ+
• “Commissioner, dear colleagues, one quick anonymous click for the aggressor. Long lasting consequences for the victim. Online spaces have become a fertile ground for harassment and cyber bullying, affecting especially children. Parents feel powerless. Children continue to suffer. Families are left alone to deal with tragedy, the European Union must respond and must do more. Children across our union deserve the same level of protection, regardless of where they live. That requires a coordinated and consistent European approach. And as socialists and Democrats, we have welcomed the Commission's action plan, seeking to build a common understanding of cyber bullying, improving reporting and strengthening prevention. But let us be clear we already have strong instruments. The Digital Services Act, the AI act give us means to act against harmful content and unsafe systems, but implementation remains patchy. Why does Europe still hesitate to hold platforms accountable even when the well-being of our children is at stake? We call on the Commission and the member states to fully enforce existing rules and ensure that platforms take real responsibility. And we also want a streamlining of criminal law in the union and in the member states. This is about protection, dignity and safety and our children deserve nothing less. Thank you.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• “I remember very well one lesson when I was one of the negotiators for the S&D group on the patrons directive, that when we talk about equality, everybody applauds. But when equality comes with a cost, then suddenly too many become silent. And that is intolerable. And also, to those who are calling to repeal or dilute this directive, we socialists and Democrats recall that equal pay between women and men for equal work or work of equal value, is one of the European Union's fundamental founding principles enshrined in our treaties since 1957. So it's not about ideology. And we warn don't mess with women's rights and don't mess with workers rights. And together with the trade unions, we progresses. We will not let this directive be thrown away. Enough is enough. We will not tolerate backlash on equality. The facts are clear. Member states that have implemented strong legislation. After the commission's recommendation in 2012, they brought results. Belgium, Luxembourg and administrative burden. Come on. There is software. There is artificial intelligence which calculates this very easily. It's more administrative burden to organize a board meeting than to deal with transparency. So don't touch this directive, don't implement it and work together for fairer salaries in female dominated sectors. Thank you very much.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Madam president, 2028. Both the Commission President and the European Council declared 2028 as the deadline to complete the single market. Yes, the single market is an undeniable economic success story, but today we need to reignite the fire of the single market to bolster our competitiveness and to allow Europe to politically stand firm in today's adversarial world. Like it or not, as long as a certain strategic areas are excluded from the single market, Europe will not reach its full potential. We need an investment and savings union to unleash capital in the real economy and innovation. The long awaited energy union can finally bring down energy prices for families and companies. Integration of telecommunication can lower prices and improve infrastructure and connectivity. And we need simplification through harmonisation rather than deregulation. We need European rules rather than the labyrinths of national legislation. Member states are fond of underscoring the importance of the single market and competitiveness. The question is, are member States ready to politically do what is necessary and commit on deepening the single market in these areas? All eyes are on 2028. Let's deliver together.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Yes, thank you very much. I would also like to congratulate Commissioner Mikhailov and his teams for having prepared this and also for also having included citizens. And indeed, it looks like a very conceptual very yeah, very conceptual. But the citizens proved how that it is that it isn't. And, and my question, my first question is I heard the commission mentioning several times, we are trying to institutionalize this this concept this is very good. I know on the side of the council there is the, this formation of ministers of the future. They are trying also to institutionalize it in one way. And the Parliament has a role to play too. So I was wondering, this is all about foresight. That's the aim of it. And there is national parliaments who have a committee of the future, which is very much concentrated on on, on foresight. So I was wondering if the commission or if that also we as a parliament have to do a reflection, maybe see in member states who have a committee of the future. How they work and if this could be an idea also to have a committee of the future here in this Parliament, and then I would like to come quickly back to what my colleague Evelyne already mentioned, loneliness, which is not only concerning elderly people, but also all generations. And and so, and we know that there is this great project, lonely EU it's part of the Horizon Europe project. So my question to the concrete question now is, what will the Commission do with the recommendation that this project will deliver? I think believe by the end of of next year. Thank you.”
  EU engagement with citizens
• “President. Were we even surprised when we learned that the eye of Elon Musk's allowed generating women's and minors nude and sexualized material, and Elon Musk response was also emblematic for Big Tech? He said he wasn't aware of this and that people making these images are to blame. Musk failed once again to show a modicum of human decency. That's big tech for you all money, no responsibility. And that is not the European way. We need strong rules in the digital world and must make companies responsible. And first the Commission must step up the enforcement of its current rules. Enforcement has been too slow, too timid and too cautious. Corporations need to finally feel the full force of our legislative arsenal and be sanctioned when they violate our rules. And secondly, weakening our digital rules could further embolden platforms and undermine people's protection and fundamental rights. We, therefore urge the Commission to reconsider its approach on deregulating our digital rule set. And finally, as socialists and Democrats, we hope that we can all support additional protections of consumers and minors online in the upcoming Digital Fairness Act. The case shows once again that our work is not.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• “Thank you very much. Also for all the persons who came in. And it's regrettable that nobody from Amazon is here. It's always important to recall that. I was just very happy to hear the commission, to say how important it is that we need European legislation. Um, on on transparency of algorithms, algorithmic management, algorithmic decision making and AI at the workplace. And I know that the vice president, the commissioner responsible also for employment, things like that. But I hope that in the college there will be a majority that our initiative report, which we work on, will be taken over and that there will be a concrete proposal of legislation. This is what we need. It is clear you heard all the political groups here are aware of the risks of this algorithmic management. And when you hear here the trade union representatives, what we need is transparency, understanding of how these algorithms work. So we must have legislation on that. This is what our citizens asked for the Eurobarometer, the commission recalled. It also says it. Secondly, the health and safety issue. Also, we have to review our rules. Are they are they still fitting to the new patterns of our new economy? And also therefore, we call also on the directive on psychosocial risks at work, because we've seen on this draft, on the on the on the slide where the body was. And we saw that they had a lot of people had issues, uh, also mental issues and etc.. So these whole psychosocial risks are also very important. And also here I think we need legislation. We owe it to our citizens. We owe it. We owe it to the Europeans. And I think I hope that not that in the Commission there will be a majority to come forward and that in the Council they will also realize that it is better we have one European legislation rather than 27 different ones. Uh, and therefore the work we're doing here in this, in this committee is of utmost importance. And and we will be looking forward to work on the proposals from the Commission.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “(11:22:04 – 11:23:21): The president, commission vice president, colleagues, yes. We want a stronger single market, and we want European businesses that innovate and that compete globally. But how do businesses want to be competitive without a healthy, skilled, and motivated workforce? So to those who only see the market, I ask, how can we expect workers to give it their all if their wages do not pay the bills and if their jobs makes them sick? As socialists and democrats, we support efforts to promote competitiveness and to strengthen the single market, but we will not accept an unbalanced approach. Let's take the 20 eighth's regime. The commission's proposal regretfully attacks social safeguards and undermines the spirit of the latter report and totally ignores the report of the European Parliament. And such cherry picking by the commission will not lead to greater competitiveness but to greater inequalities and a loss of trust. Colleagues, companies are at their strongest when they invest in human capital. This is why we, socials and democrats, are calling for an ambitious quality job act that delivers fair wages, safe workplaces, and new enforceable workers' right. Quality job and competitiveness are 2 sides of the same coin. This is our European way. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. The next speaker is Katharina Mertinche.”
  EU policy on permanent and fixed-term employment
• “Yes. Thank you. President, commission vice president and dear colleagues. Every day, millions of people go to work without realizing that an invisible manager is already there. An algorithm that decides their tasks and measures their performance. At first, these systems promised efficiency and fairness, but too often they are black boxes. Workers can no longer understand or retrace how decisions are made, why opportunities disappear, or why pressure keeps increasing. And this is also a reality of algorithmic management. Artificial artificial intelligence can and must improve work, but without clear rules, it can also undermine dignity, privacy and trust. And this is why Europe must act and protect. We are socialists and Democrats say this very clearly. The future of work should not be decided by invisible non-transparent algorithms. It should be built in a human centered framework for artificial intelligence and accompanied by social dialogue. Colleagues, let me also recall a political truce. This initiative report is not only supported by the progressive spectrum of this House. Also, the support comes from inside the EPP itself. And it was President Ursula von der Leyen herself who explicitly called in the mission letter to Commission Vice-President that we need an action and legal action for AI at the workplace. And this commitment is being reflected in the quality job roadmap presented by Vice-President Sandu to those using business interests as an argument to reject this report. I say you are mistaken. First, because failing to legislate means higher psychosocial risks, rising burnout and absenteeism, and less social peace. Bad for businesses. Second, failing to legislate at European level means risking 27 different national legislation fragmenting the single market. Bad for businesses. And thirdly, the absence of harmonised rules creates legal uncertainty and high costs for compliance in SMEs. Bad for businesses. Dear colleagues, it's in our hands. By adopting this report, we protect our citizens and our businesses by rejecting this report. You are in favour of a society where workers are controlled and can be fired by an algorithm, by a machine, instead of a human. Thank you, Mr. President. Report, and thanks a lot.”
  Artificial Intelligence