Laura BALLARÍN CEREZA

Policy topics Laura BALLARÍN CEREZA is active on

What Laura BALLARÍN CEREZA has said (43)

• 2026-06-17 “Thank you. Colleagues, by now, we all know that our kids are sad, isolated, having eating disorders, and too many self harming and also dying because of social media. We must address the root of the problem, the business model. Why TikTok in Europe functions like an opioid with endless dopamine loops while in China has limits and breaks, why Mark Zuckerberg knew about the damage his platforms were causing to kids and did nothing to prevent it, and why you keep making mask billionaire by not stopping using x and grog. If parents are asking for help, if experts are raising the alarm and an entire generation is at risk, then Europe must act. Missus president Mondelein, forget about Australia, forget about UK, let's act in Europe with 3 measures, an ambitious enforcement of digital services act without fear and delay, a European digital minimum age with a robust European verification system, and a digital furnace act to put an end to the addictive designs and opaque organism. All the measures are compatible. And, colleagues, let's also lead by example. Let's also limit our use of these devices in front of our key.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content · Age restrictions on children's access to social media
• 2026-01-27 “P-000315/2026 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission In its e-Commerce Communication 1 , the Commission outlined a comprehensive approach to addressing challenges posed by e-commerce imports, relying on several legislative frameworks and policy initiatives. The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) 2 requires providers of online marketplaces to design interfaces enabling traders to provide and display required product safety and traceability information for each product offered, including EU responsible person details where applicable. National market surveillance authorities (MSAs) ensure trader compliance and accuracy of this information. With Commission coordination, the Consumer Safety Network carried out in 2025 the first product safety sweep 3 of online offers of childcare articles. MSAs also verified whether listings contained the required EU responsible person information and found this missing in 32% of the verified listings. The findings were used to support enforcement and were communicated to online marketplaces providers to improve their compliance. The upcoming revision of the New Legislative Framework 4 and the Market Surveillance Regulation 5 under the European Product Act aim to close regulatory loopholes notably for online sales, ensure manufacturer traceability and the existence of an EU-established economic operator responsible for compliance of products, while strengthening market surveillance capacity and cooperation. Under the Digital Services Act 6 online marketplaces must comply with due diligence obligations on trader traceability, compliance by design and the right to information. Online marketplaces are however not liable when acting as intermediaries. 1 A comprehensive EU toolbox for safe and sustainable e-commerce, COM(2025) 37 final. 2 Regulation 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on general product safety (OJ L 135, 23.5.2023, pp. 1–51). 3 https://ec.europa.eu/safety-gate/#/screen/pages/SafetyProductsOnlineSweeps. 4 Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008 setting out the requirements for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products (OJ L 218, 13.8.2008, pp. 30–47). 5 Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on market surveillance and compliance of products (OJ L 169, 25.6.2019, pp. 1–44). 6 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1).”
  Liability for online marketplaces
• 2025-05-28 “E-002137/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission Under the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 , providers of very large online platforms (‘VLOPs’) like Meta are required to diligently identify, assess and analyse the systemic risks 2 stemming from design, functioning and use made of their services and related systems (including algorithmic systems) and to put in place reasonable, effective and proportionate mitigation measures 3 , tailored to the identified risks. 4 In addition, providers like Meta are required under the DSA to inter alia include information on content moderation rules in their terms and conditions and to enforce such rules in a diligent, objective and proportionate manner. 5 In addition, the provider has to put in place a notice and action mechanism to allow recipients of their service to notify content considered to be illegal and process such notices in a timely, diligent and non-arbitrary manner. 6 The DSA also grants users the right to access an effective internal complaint-handling system to challenge content moderation decisions. 7 To comply with these obligations, the quality of content moderation processes is essential. While automated content moderation and processing of notices is permissible, the relevant providers (including Meta as the provider of Facebook and Instagram) must be transparent about the extent of their use of automation and the accuracy of their automated tools for the purpose of content moderation. 8 As part of the investigation the Commission opened against Meta on 30 April 2024 9 , the Commission is examining whether recipients in the EU can adequately notify Meta of illegal content on their platforms and have access to an effective internal complaint-handling system. The Commission cannot comment on the status of ongoing investigations. 1 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act) OJ L277/1. 2 Such systemic risks include the dissemination of illegal content on their services, and any actual or foreseeable negative effect in relation to the protection of public health, minors and to the person’s physical and mental wellbeing. 3 The mitigation of these risks may include adapting the relevant provider’s content moderation processes and reinforcing their internal process for the detection of systemic risks. 4 Articles 34 and 35 DSA. 5 Article 14 DSA. 6 Article 16 DSA. 7 Article 20 DSA. 8 Furthermore, the DSA requires that internal complaint-handling systems be operated under the supervision of qualified staff, to ensure that decision-making processes are fair. 9 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses#ecl-inpage-metaplatforms.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2025-02-25 “E-000840/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is committed to ensuring enforcement and implementation of digital legislation including the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 and Digital Markets Act (DMA) 2 . The Commission monitors DSA compliance of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) 3 and has provided guidance on its application in the context of elections 4 . The Commission also monitors the DMA aiming to achieving its full potential: contestable markets, more space for innovation and broader consumer choice. On 23 April 2025, the Commission found that Apple breached its DMA anti-steering obligation, and that Meta breached the DMA obligation to give consumers the choice of a service that uses less of their personal data. Therefore, the Commission fined Apple and Meta with EUR 500 million and EUR 200 million respectively. The Commission is committed to delivering on the simplification agenda to support EU competitiveness 5 , including simplification measures related to the digital policy acquis which will be put forward by the end of the year. This will notably include simplifying the cybersecurity legislation and streamlining existing data rules. In this context, the Commission will assess how the digital acquis reflects the needs and constraints of businesses, not least small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps. The focus of the Commission will be on cutting red tape, while continuing to enforce its platform rules and EU policy objectives. Additionally, the Commission has reviewed all pending proposals and identified the proposal for an Artificial Intelligence Liability Directive 6 as unlikely to progress. It is therefore on the list of draft laws the Commission plans to withdraw 7 awaiting guidance from the colegislators. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R2065 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32022R1925 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses 4 The Commission has published guidelines for providers of VLOPs and VLOSEs on the mitigation of systemic risks for electoral processes https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/guidelines-providers-vlops-andvloses-mitigation-systemic-risks-electoral-processes 5 As announced in the Communication on implementation and simplification, ‘A simpler and faster Europe’ https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/8556fc33-48a3-4a96-94e88ecacef1ea18_en?filename=250201_Simplification_Communication_en.pdf 6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52022PC0496 7 7617998c-86e6-4a74-b33c-249e8a7938cd_en”
  Artificial Intelligence · EU rules on digital competition
• 2024-12-05 “P-002788/2024 Answer given by Mr Kadis on behalf of the European Commission The Commission proposal for the 2025 fishing opportunities under the Western Mediterranean management plan 1 (MAP) was based on the best available scientific advice provided by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries 2 (STECF). The advice provided takes all available data into account. The STECF assessment showed that several of the stocks concerned by the MAP are outside of safe biological limits and it advised drastic catch reductions for the stocks to recover. The STECF provided detailed socio-economic analyses showing that ambitious management measures will rapidly pay off with healthier stocks and increased sector profitability. These analyses also showed that improvement of the state of the stocks will benefit the local communities. In preparing its proposal for the 2025 fishing opportunities, the Commission has followed the legal provisions set out under the MAP, adopted in 2019 by the European Parliament and the Council. The Commission has worked with all stakeholders to implement gradually the MAP since its adoption. In 2024, the Commission held extensive discussions with Member States and the Mediterranean Advisory Council. For 2025, the Commission proposed a fishing effort reduction for trawlers in line with the scientific advice and designed a compensation mechanism to support vessels committing to more sustainable practices. The Council decided to keep the reduction proposed by the Commission, while expanding the compensation mechanism that, if applied, will provide considerable extra fishing days. The Commission will continue to work with all stakeholders for the application of such mechanism, for which European funding is available. 1 Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 establishing a multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea and amending Regulation (EU) No 508/2014. OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 1–17. 2 STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-10 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/tors_ewg_24-10) and STECF Expert Working Group EWG 24-12 (https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/d/stecf/ewg_2412_tor_westmed_fisheries-management).”
  Environmental regulation of fisheries · Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
• 2024-10-15 “P-002083/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Vestager on behalf of the European Commission The Commission takes the impact that social media can have on young people’s well-being and mental health very seriously. It has already taken action by opening formal proceedings under the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 against TikTok 2 , Facebook and Instagram 3 , based on suspicions that algorithms may stimulate behavioural addictions in young people and create so called ‘rabbit-hole effects’. The Commission also continuously monitors compliance of all very large online platforms and search engines 4 (VLOPSEs) with the DSA and may initiate new proceedings if necessary. Under Article 28 DSA, all online platforms in the EU must ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security on their services for minors. Under Article 34 DSA, the VLOPSEs must also regularly assess systemic risks, including negative effects to users’ mental and physical well-being, and take effective mitigation measures in respect of any such risks. To assist online platforms in ensuring a high level of privacy, safety, and security of minors on their service, and thus support minors’ mental and physical wellbeing, the Commission is currently developing guidelines scheduled for adoption in 2025. Protection must go hand-in-hand with empowerment: under the Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) strategy 5 the Commission offers a wealth of content and services to children and young people, and those that care for them, through the EU co-funded network of Safer Internet Centres and the BIK platform 6 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R2065 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses#ecl-inpage-tiktok 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_2664 4 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/list-designated-vlops-and-vloses 5 COM/2022/212 final. 6 https://better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en”
  Recommender systems · Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2024-09-05 “P-001630/2024 Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Borrell i Fontelles on behalf of the European Commission The recent so-called law on the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice or morality law of the Taliban confirms and extends severe restrictions on the life of Afghans, and in particular women and girls. On 26 August 2024, the High Representative/Vice-President issued a statement 1 on behalf of the EU to strongly condemn this appalling development. The EU uses all its tools to support Afghan women and girls. Through its assistance, delivered under a ‘by women for women’ approach - ensuring women play a meaningful role in all aspects of aid interventions 2 . The EU is also engaged with Afghanistan civil society and - through principled engagement based on the five benchmarks set by the Council 3 - with Taliban representatives. The EU seizes every opportunity to advocate for the fundamental rights of Afghan women and girls, including in the United Nations-led process, calling the Taliban to respect Afghanistan’s international obligations. The EU has also adopted restrictive measures under the EU global human rights sanctions regime 4 against Taliban senior representatives. The EU cannot initiate proceedings before the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the EU is not a party to the Rome Statute 5 . As per the ICC website, on 31 October 2022, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC authorised the prosecution to resume investigation into the Afghanistan situation. Since the Taliban takeover, the EU has shown strong commitment to provide protection and safe passage to Afghans at risk, including to a large number of women and human rights defenders. The Afghan situation is an explicit priority for the EU-supported resettlement and humanitarian admission scheme for 2024-2025. The Commission continues to support Member States’ efforts and to engage with international partners in different fora, so to strengthen the collaboration on resettlement and other available pathways for Afghans at risk. 1 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/08/26/afghanistan-statement-of-the-highrepresentative-on-behalf-of-the-eu-on-latest-restrictions-imposed-by-the-taliban-on-thepeople/?utm_source=brevo&utm_campaign=AUTOMATED%20-%20Alert%20%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_id=320 2 For further information on EU assistance see Directorate-General for International Partnership (INTPA) website : https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/countries/afghanistan_en ; and Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) website: https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/asia-and-pacific/afghanistan_en 3 https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-11713-2021-REV-2/en/pdf 4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2023:069I:FULL ; https://eurlex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2023:183I:FULL 5 Nevertheless, the EU aims to advance universal support for the Rome Statute, as per Council Decision 2011/168/CFSP: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32011D0168”
  Support for International Criminal Court · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “Over 200 million Europeans By package travel per year. But if the trips cancelled, your suitcase is lost or there's a pandemic, you're left to your own devices with the big company against you. 60% of customers complaints are not satisfactorily dealt with. I congratulate the rapporteur. I think this is a step forward to provide more and better recompense to travellers in such circumstances. But we need to go further. Some airlines have turned cabin baggage into a whole new money spinner, and it shouldn't be a lottery to see whether you're going to arrive on time or not. A lottery which the traveller always loses. We're hitting people's patience and hitting people in the pocket. It should be about freedom and tranquillity. When we go away on a trip, it's not just about holidays. It's about people visiting their kids who are studying in another country. It's about people attending funerals. We're talking about consumers rights, so we need a strong directive. Every ticket has a family, a dream behind it and people's hopes. We can't break our promises very much.”
  EU policy on aviation safety
• “Thank you so much to the Commission representative for this presentation, for this important initiative from the Commission. And I think it was clear it was fruitful. I really liked the metaphor with which you started the Whirlybird and the liliput. I think it helped to frame the debate, and I agree. I agree that, um, the EU single market needs to be strengthened, freed from the internal barriers. And there are numbers that also accompany this. And we know that the latter report, the, um, IMF that say that the internal barriers in the single market are equivalent to 44% of a tariff to our goods. So of course, it's clear we share the ambition of this deal in order to foster a European industries. I would like to center because we are in Imco, not, of course, in to the public procurement, because of course, the Clean Industrial Deal mentions public procurement as a strategic instrument to achieve our decarbonisation objectives and more generally, to stimulate a more sustainable economic economy as high quality jobs. It's also very well strengthened. But by Vice President Séjourné in the in the last days, in the hectic and in stable, in stable global context and also this word trades that we are facing.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you, chair. And of course, thank you to all the speakers and shadows and also colleagues that have raised their their input. I think that, as I said, we all share the concern regarding this big challenge, a global pandemic. Of course, we still need to to work on finalising the compromises and have a good text, but I will refer to some of the issues I, I, I agree with what Katarina Barley said. Of course, this is a huge issue, a multifaceted challenge that we need to tackle from different points of view. There is a health dimension. There is an education dimension. As adults, we need also to think ourselves on our behaviour. How many hours do we spend what we transmit and how how this is seen by our children or by our minors? So obviously it's it's something that we need to, to face in different dimensions. And I totally agree. Uh, regarding the age assurance, I will just echo what my colleague Christel said. I think that, uh, it has arrived the moment of putting some, uh, tools that really verify, uh, and can be, um, effective in terms of limiting the access to harmful content, because I just want to remind that so far, there are already prohibitions for access to some social media. But if there is no age assurance, age verification, that is effective. But of course, and we will repeat here like we did in the other evening, that it's privacy friendly, that we don't want that platforms neither the states collect the data.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you. Commissioner, who has bought a last minute flight without knowing what the extracts were, because there was only one seat left or stood in a queue in order to buy a bad bunny ticket and to triple the list price online or ordered something without the express not knowing if it was going to arrive. Scams and other issues afflict online purchases, which make up about 70% three out of every five transactions in the EU. And in a situation where we were in a trade war with the US and China. The EU needs to act in order to ensure product safety and standards for consumers. They're very high in our territory and they need to apply also to electronic sales. And this is what our chamber has said in its report, which was adopted with a large majority. But I'd go further. I would call on a digital equity law that is strong and protects consumers from, uh, dark patterns from scams in their online purchases. Also, we need to strengthen the Made in Europe e-commerce to support our SMEs and protect them from unfair competition from abroad. We support the Commission's proposal to include a €2 handling fee for small parcels. Buying online shouldn't mean buying without guarantees, without information, without security or without a right to return. Consumer rights, as enjoyed offline should be the same rights that they enjoin online.”
  Liability for online marketplaces
• “We also want to draw attention. Or we want. We're calling for minimum age restrictions in the EU for online access. Um, campaigns directed towards young people who are in vulnerable situations. We're grateful for the commission, the committee's, um, or the commission's efforts up until now. Um, and, uh, we want the development of age restriction mechanisms. Um, we are happy that there's going to be an expert group set up by the commission, um, to guarantee inclusion for relevant stakeholders and from civil society. Um, and we, um, have some questions about this when this expert group will be set up. I think all of us here in this chamber agree, um, that this, um, situation about young people and the risks that they're exposed to is worrying. It's no secret that there are still people in this room who put all of the burden on families. Um, and we don't want that to be the case after what we've seen in Australia this week, where young people's accounts are below the age of 16 are being closed on online platforms. I don't think that Europe can lag behind in that regard. And this is a global issue affecting millions of children. And we've been calling we've there have been calls for this for a long time from civil society and families feel isolated or left alone with this. This opinion needs to strengthen the previous opinion and call once again on the Commission for them to apply digital regulation and include legislative proposals which have the aim of protecting young people on online platforms so that their childhood isn't stolen. And this is quite a big debate, and I hope that we will continue to have fruitful discussions on it. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Vice President Noonan. This summer, Donald Trump and Ursula von der Leyen celebrated what they called the greatest new trade deal in history. Today, this promise feels like a mockery more than a reality. Some days after President Trump puts the European legislative digital laws on the table, threatening with imposing new tariffs against the countries that dare to regulate the digital sector. And not only that, while the white House now toys with the idea of sanctioning European officials for implementing EU laws, Brussels remains too silent. But colleagues, silence against intimidation is not diplomacy, it's weakness. This episode is not only an attack on EU digital legislation. It is a direct challenge to our autonomy, our sovereignty and our right to protect citizens and democracies. Let us be clear if President Trump only understands the language of power, then Europe needs to speak it too. Of course, without abandoning our principles. So we tell President Maga and his friends, Ellen Mark. Also his allies in Europe. Friends from this side of the chamber. Internet has no borders, but does not mean it should have no rules. And secondly, big texts are not about EU digital law, not even under the false excuse of censorship or freedom of speech. Freedom of speech, tells Jimmy Kimmel. Tell professors of Harvard. So no lessons to Europe on freedom of speech. I call on the European Commission President von der Leyen to make it crystal clear by actions, not only words. There will be no exemptions, no backroom deals and no compromises on EU digital laws. So far, too little, too small. So finish, please. The ongoing investigations and the DSA against ex meta TikTok and put on the table new rules to protect our minors against the social media addictions. Our citizens, but also Democratic Americans are watching us. So take actions now. Thank you.”
  US-EU tech coordination
• “Well, thank you, Madam Chair. And let me begin by thanking our two speakers, Mrs. Colon, Mrs. Martinez, for their excellent presentations on the regulatory framework that the European Union has and the ways in which that we could, uh, tackle the issue of short term rentals. Now, for our group, the Socialists and Democrats, this is an absolute priority. We need Europe to set out more rules to regulate this issue because, uh, currently accessing affordable housing is a problem right across Europe, not only the countries in the south of Europe. This is one of the main concerns of many of our citizens. This is something that emerges from many Eurostat surveys, and there's a clear link between the increased number of these short term rentals and increased costs for housing and particularly housing rental. So that's why that we're very pleased that the president of the commission has, uh, in her work programme, placed a in the commission's work programme, uh, Men talked about a regulation on regulating short term rentals. And so we look forward to that with great interest. But, uh, my first question is what can we expect from that regulation? How could the European Union deal with the issue taking account of several elements? Firstly, as you mentioned, there are various cities that are adopting measures. I'm from Barcelona, and, uh, I can only say that our city is in the vanguard of all of this. We have a very ambitious policy when it comes to banning short term rentals, and that will ensure that we have more than 10,000 housing units in the market by 2028. But as you said, the European legal framework still does provide certain restrictions.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals
• “So that's why we welcome this third party neutral. Uh. Wallet. So I think it has arrived the moment to pass from words to actions. We have been talking about that, uh, for the last years. Uh, the the digital transformation has arrived to our lives, and we embrace it, of course, uh, with, uh, no fear. And of course, it has a lot of opportunities, but I think that it has arrived the moment to tackle the negative externalities that this access to digital platforms have. And that's why from the European Parliament, it's good that we sent clear signs to the European Commission, and that we don't lose more time because obviously we have given enough opportunities to platforms to do it by themselves. And we have also several testimonies from whistleblowers, from former workers of these platforms that they already told the world that the harmful content, the the damage that these platforms are provoking to our minors is delivered. They knew it and they are not going to stop it. Uh, if we don't act as Europe. And this is my last point, because I think that the strength that we have towards this big tech is to be united, to put all the 450 million users together and to use the power of the internal market of the European Union and not to go divided by 27 states. So I'm sure that we will find a good compromise. Thank you.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• “Thank you very much. And welcome to Mister Sandino. And thank you very much for these explanations. We see that the new pact from the Mediterranean is in in good hands. I have three questions. First, this is something that we asked the commissioner last year during her hearing. We as a socialist group, we think it's essential that we police the European Parliament at the center of all of the preparatory work for this new pact for the Mediterranean, together with the involvement of all of civil society on both shores of the Mediterranean. And with respect to that, I'd like to ask you about the memoranda of understanding that are being worked on bilaterally. The informal, non-binding memoranda do run a risk of going round the standard procedures of the Parliament without the necessary guarantees. So I wonder if you could give us more details of those memoranda of understanding. Considering that the agreement with Jordan could be ready to go quite soon, according to our sources. The second question has to do with immigration and circular mobility. We here think that the Parliament should also be receiving all the necessary information to understand and monitor what's going on there, and ensure that human rights and the rights of civil society are at the centre of any agreements on migration, and that the it must be possible to suspend or withdraw funds if certain criteria that are clearly defined are not met. So I'd like to know your views on that. And my third and final question is something that's already been talked about. And I'm from Barcelona, so I have to mention it in the. The 30th anniversary of the Barcelona process. And you also talked about the role of the Mediterranean. But I wonder what you would think about this moment in time, using November as an opportunity to relaunch this regional agreement so we can end bilateralism and strengthen the pact for the Mediterranean in this way, and see if the Parliament could have a role in that November meeting. Thank you.”
  EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood
• “Thank you very much, President. Europe can and must lead the global tech race, but with the following priorities. First, reduce fragmentation, internal barriers and advance towards a veritable single market. The 28. Approach to support SMEs and European unicorns. Second, we must bet on humanist and autonomous AI. For example, Giga Farms, supercomputers like the one in Barcelona and more semiconductors and clouds in Europe. Third, funding. We must develop a standard stock options that span European and have cross-border financing for big business and family offices. Now, today we have the conclave that's starting. Let us not mix up simplification with deregulation. We must have more digital rights? Yes. And we must do this for Europe. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Thank you very much. Executive Vice President. Thank you for coming. And given your experience in the Parliament, I know that you have a lot of respect for for our house. I do have two questions. One, relating to late payments. We know that that file is currently a blocked within the council and in the socialist group. We welcome your response to our letter confirming your support to this proposal. But that said, we'd like to know what do you think the European Commission can do in order to break down this stalemate? Because we're talking about the future of SMEs. And with this in mind, I ask the right and the center in this house. Please do not throw a spanner in the works here. Don't stand in the way of this. If you want to protect SMEs, then you should be supporting our late payments regulation. Secondly, relating to the omnibus proposal on transparency and sustainability. I didn't speak about that. You didn't speak about that, but you spoke about the upcoming omnibus for medium Mid-caps. And I've been speaking to economists in my, uh, in my constituency about this.”
  EU rules on late commercial payments
• “And they say that this omnibus will go against the direction of the clean industrial deal. They say that without clear information, then there are loopholes that exclude mid-caps to access to sustainable funding under the clean industrial deal. So I would like you to take that into account and explain how we can avoid simplification actually negatively impacting SMEs and Mid-caps. The state of the single market. I'd also like to understand what direction we're heading in and how can we, as Parliament, contribute to strengthening this internal market. That, as you said, against the backdrop of this trade war that we're seeing, is more necessary than ever. You have the single market on your mission letter thanks to this committee. And I think now it's the time to break down these internal barriers, as you mentioned, and we should be able to step up our competitiveness as set out in the Draghi report. So what kind of obstacles, what kind of barriers can we break down to make sure that this mandate marks a step forward in terms of strengthening the single market? Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you, chair. I'd like to thank the vice president, Mr. Commissioner, for his commitment and for his leadership on industrial policy. And I hope that we won't miss this historic opportunity to really support the European manufacturing industry. We need to reduce our dependency on third countries. And given the current geopolitical backdrop, it's more important than ever that we do this. So I can only echo colleagues who've said that we need clear criteria for the origin of made in Europe. We have to support European industry. And so a very specific question. On strategic sectors, why did you include the pharmaceutical sector in this? It's key for European industry. It's a very important industry, and it's very important in my region, for Catalonia, my region where it has 81,000 euro jobs. So why have you not included it?”
  "Buy European" provisions
• “Hola. Thank you very much. I'll be speaking Spanish as well. There is interpretation. I hope there is. Can you confirm this interpretation? Thank you very much to the Commission for presenting this study. As Pablo was saying, is in line with what the Parliament has been saying. And it's also in line with our fight against late payments. This is a huge problem for SMEs across Europe and for their growth. And we are really. It's a really a David versus Goliath fight here. If this this regulation has not made progress, it's not because we've seen a change in Parliament. It's because of because there are member states blocking it in council and they have taken the approach. This isn't a real problem. There are some things that are very clear. One, this is not about problems with countries in the south of Europe that's been mentioned quite a few times. And this is not this is not necessarily the case. It's also a problem in Germany with German, German SMEs. Now obviously late payments also affect growth of SMEs. This is a huge burden for them and it's causing them to go bust in many cases. And. In addition to questioning you, all I can do is say that we need to lift this deadlock in council. We need to have trilogue so that we can come to a reasonable position. Obviously, in this Parliament, we did that, we reached an agreement and we reached a compromise. And I think the European Council needs to do the same. Now, are MEPs that are perhaps expressed doubts in some groups, but I don't understand that, to be honest, because we constantly talk about defending SMEs and simplification and omnibuses and things to improve competitiveness in Europe when there is such a key aspect of competitiveness, which is late payments, which causes so many problems for businesses and for self-employed people when we're not able to make progress. So I'll end there, but I hope that this is a call to action for everybody. Thank you.”
  EU rules on late commercial payments
• “I'm going to speak in Spanish too. Thank you very much to the speakers, sir, for your words. I'm going to go very specifically to the questions. First of all, Mr. Bousquet, the book, uh, said that according to him, the solutions should be for all consumers and not specifically aimed at minors. I'd like to know your opinion. Of the opinions of pediatricians and neurologists that keep telling us again and again and again, that neuronal development of a child is not the same as that of an adult and the damage that's caused by online content, porn websites and so on have a dangerous and damaging and permanent effect on the brains of these young people. They require specific solutions. I agree with what that is said. I'd like to hear your opinion. Now, the representative of the commission, you talked about the mechanisms that are on the table, current guidelines, DSA and so on. They're heading in the right direction. But from the S&D Group, we urge you to speed up in your research. We know these are up for discussion, but To. We can't wait a year and a half to give an answer to parents who've lost to sons and daughters because of TikTok, Instagram suicide, online bullying. All this. We need to provide solutions to them right away and think about new legal instruments, which would not, of course, create additional burdens. But there are elements that are still not covered by the DSA. We're talking about addictive design. We're talking about verification, uh, tools that are really effective and robust and protect privacy. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Mrs. mogherini. Yes, thank you very much. When it comes to the publication of the new strategy by the Commission, we are celebrating a step forward towards a single market that is stronger, fairer and more connected. We share the gnosis and the ideas that have been put forward by Commissioner Séjourné. In order to have standards less regulation do away with internal barriers, and a mutual recognition of qualifications that all to improve our competitiveness. But we have to go even further with political will. A single market of the 21st century has to guarantee not only greater competitiveness, but territorial cohesion, protection of rights and the sustainability of Europe. And the political architect of the single market, Jacques Delors, is quite right because he said that if you don't instil a soul into the single market, then we're lost. So we have to do away with these administrative obstacles. And we would like to ask that students, workers, SMEs and consumers be able to move freely with legal certainty and without administrative burdens all around the European Union, because the single market Europe is is not made only in towns and cities, but also in the rural areas and villages. So the other right, ie the right to remain and stay in your own country. So we want to work towards a market that protects, we have to strengthen our single market and give it once and for all with us, all the spirits that Jacques Delors wished. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you very much, chair. Firstly, I would like to thank the Secretariat and the team and the other rapporteurs. Shadows. Thank you, um, for all of this, three meetings, three technical meetings and conversations between different groups took place and they were very fruitful. The objective is to finish this text before the end of the year. I think that this Imco opinion will be an added value for our colleagues and cult colleagues. Some of the added aspects through these amendments are the following references to all of the digital legislation, um, from the previous mandate um, such as the DSA, um and upcoming legislative proposals. Um, as well as the need for a more ambitious and um, rapid implementation. And there are also additional mechanisms such as um, targeted advertising influencer marketing and deceptive marketing and practices and video games and dark patterns to create awareness about the danger that young people face when they play games online. Does the video work?”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “May According to a recent report on digital childhood, many children say that they have been bullied or experienced digital violence. When we're looking at a 11 year old children and you're giving them a smartphone, do they really understand the dangers behind the screen? I don't think so. We need to, um, make sure that children know the consequences of the digital world. It's not a neutral or safe world. Children face serious effects. Um, bullying, grooming, sextortion, access to pornography from the age of ten. And this is something that's going around the world, but we can and must act because technology should be used to serve people, not to serve billionaires in Silicon Valley or Singapore. Um, we need to strike a balance between education and safety And the responsibility is shared between families and educators, but also the big tech platforms, because their business models are damaging and addictive. And we know that they do that on purpose because it's not an isolated case. It's a business model which puts profit above wellbeing, uh, clicks and algorithms above the law. And so we in this Parliament send out a clear message to the commission. We are voting on this report with a broad majority. Impunity has to end. Um, and it is clear that we need new laws and new tools, which should set a minimum age of 13 to be allowed on social networks. And 16, um, uh, we need parental authority, um, an end to recommending algorithms or those based on, addicting young people. We need to act and we need to act. Um, it's not just, uh, the parents, but also, uh, our children. They don't want to have their childhood stolen from them.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “When we talk about public procurement, we are talking about millions of contracts and jobs, all paid by European taxpayers. It involves around 250 000 public authorities and represents 14% of European GDP. This powerful tool must be used first to improve labour rights of European workers. Second, fight the climate emergency and third, to protect the European industry and enterprises against the unfair competition from third countries. But the current public procurement directive is no longer able to meet these challenges. The only criteria of the lowest price is not working to support our local enterprises. Public tenders need to have appropriate tools to address these objectives, including mechanisms for simplification Mitigation and digitalization to speed up contracts and execution. And of course, to support local SMEs. However, in the report, we vote tomorrow, the priorities of social and environmental chapters are weak and almost absent. This is why our group cannot support the text as it is right now. We expect to improve it through some amendments that we call the groups to support. Finally, I want to send a clear message to the European Commission and Vice-President Séjourné. If you want the support of Socialists and Democrats for the next year reform of the Public Procurement Directive, we expect and demand ambition and a clear defence of European taxpayers money to use this powerful tool to make Europe a better place to live, to work and to look into the future. We cannot miss this opportunity because if it is not now, when? Thank you very much. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Chair: Thank you, Miss Virginie Joron.”
  "Buy European" provisions
• “And then you've got this very powerful lobby made up of platforms and short term rental businesses. And they could also prevent this kind of legislation from coming into force. How can we move forward with European legislation? I mean, we're aware that member states have the remit for housing, but these short term rentals are actually an EU competence. We've seen that. So how can we protect cities while providing a European framework that responds to this request from citizens, this need from citizens, and then this idea of tension. Areas of tension in the housing market. That's something that we have in Spain. And that could be an element that could be used with regard to this legislation. I mean, we have to be aware that not all cities are the same, but also not all neighbourhoods are the same within cities. Not all neighbourhoods have the same level of tension in terms of housing, as it were. So if we deal with these high tension areas and give opportunities to citizens and local authorities to decide which areas should be focused on, well, I think we could do something that could be very beneficial. For example, an elderly lady who's renting out a room or a flat to make a little bit of extra income and also means that tourists can travel in an affordable manner, could continue. But the fact is that now this has become a major problem. Obviously, there are entire buildings in Rome, for example, that are being rented out for short term rentals. And also in Barcelona, there are buildings that are all in the hands of a single landlord.”
  EU regulation of short-term rentals
• “Well, I'd like to thank the rapporteur, Crystal, my colleague, for this excellent draft text. It's a priority for the S&D Group. And of course, it's an excellent basis on which to build. We first of all need to focus on implementing the DSA. That sends out a key message. The DSA is an excellent law, but it needs to be implemented and the implementation has been too slow. With the investigations that are open, these need to be concluded and send out a clear signal to platforms. Secondly, age verification. We've opened up a very interesting debate, but I hope that over this process will be able to reach specific conclusions, because the significant fragmentation in between member states and Europe doesn't take action. Member states will take action now. Europe needs to take the initiative. Initiative. We need to have proper, effective age verification, and technically that needs to be possible. Platforms have significant responsibility in that. We shouldn't put the burden onto parents alone. And then there's the Digital Fairness Act that needs to include all of those elements that are included in the report, such as rabbit holes, influencers, etc.. We need to focus on the current laws and implement them, and then also focus on the future law as well.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• “Thank you vice president, mister Sejourne. Thirty years after its creation, the single market is still the main driver for prosperity and cohesion in the EU but it's a promise that is not yet fulfilled. It's extremely fragmented. There are too many obstacles that prevent our businesses, particularly SMEs, to build beyond their own national borders. In the era of digitalization, fragmentation costs businesses dear. There are twenty-seven different regulatory, tax, administrative regimes and so what happens is clear: we are losing talent and creativity. The single market is something that we of course all support but we have to go beyond that. The single market has to be based on three principles. One, interoperable framework which will allow any European startup to set up from Warsaw to Lisbon. Also to ensure that SMEs have access to financing at European level and thirdly ensure that we have a more digitalized public administration that is based on the principle of what's only, which means providing data only once. Europe has to be autonomous in the face of other economic actors who do not share or support our values or our vision of the world. The legal insecurity and political insecurity, we need to have cooperation and solidarity. The big technological giants and economic actors do not protect consumers or SMEs. If we want to protect our social and democratic model then we have to do that on the basis of a dynamic digital and cohesive economy. So completing the single market is not an option, it is necessary if Europe wants to be a leader in global prosperity.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you so much, Commissioner, for coming here. And of course, we've been talking a lot on e-commerce, which is a huge opportunity for many consumers to buy cheap, to buy comfortable from their homes. But it poses a lot of challenges, of course, for the safety of products, for consumers and especially for our SMEs. The competitiveness also farmers. So we welcome very much, of course, the customs reform, and we are willing to know more on this handling fee that should, uh, work towards giving more resources to the customs which they need, uh, to have enough resources to protect, to detect non-compliant and unsafe products. So we read something that could be €2 per item sold online platforms and imported within the internal market. So I would like to know, first of all, how do you see realistically and concrete implementation of such proposal, who will collect it? If it's the new EU customs authority established under new Union customs code? And how can we rely on that? Especially for the products less than €150, which are the main challenge now? And secondly, you didn't mention it, but because you have it in your portfolio, which is the agreement with Andorra and San Marino. So I would like to know, how likely do you think that this agreement could be finally EU only because after ten years of negotiations, I think we, these two countries and Europe deserve a swift ratification process. Thank you.”
  EU policy on custom fee on non-EU imports
• “Thank you. President. In Europe, we have a real problem with the price of food products. We see an increase to the average shopping basket around 30%, whereas farmers are getting less and less for their products that they produce. There are there's less income for farmers. They're affected by climate change. The most vulnerable families have less income and food is becoming a privilege. And it's not due to Mercosur or the Green Deal or anything else that we've had. It's due to, uh, negative practices by large companies who are profiting off these high prices paid by European consumers for basic foodstuffs, and they pay a pittance to farmers for what they produce. We need to continue pushing forward laws that promote food security, that tackle these abusive, commercial, unfair practices in our food and supply chains and that do not discriminate between countries. We've seen in some countries, uh, you have to pay more than others for the same products. We need to have a real agenda for consumers that has legislation to help them in this area are consumers, and our farmers cannot wait any longer. Thank you very much.”
  EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
• “Great. Thank you. Thank you, chair. And thank you, Mrs. Perino, for this excellent presentation. Very clear. Also, the PowerPoint showed us very clear results, and I think it's, um, really reassuring for this Parliament that the public consultation got so many answers and so many positive, uh, reactions in order to get this new legislation done in order to protect consumers from unfair practices on the digital world. So I would like to to touch three issues. First of all, protection of minors online. Of course, you said it is a cross-cutting issue, uh, covering the the all the consultation and you identified, uh, that, uh, there is a big support, more than 70% of support for new binding rules in order to reinforce the support for parental control tools, but especially, uh, to stop the targeted advertising for minors. And also there are patterns and addictive designs, and I just want to, of course, congratulate ourselves because that's what the Parliament has been asking for months. But I would like to ask you as well, in the line of of my colleague Pablo, how do you envisage the, the, the law in order to have a coherent European framework, uh, especially avoiding the fragmentation that we are seeing. We are seeing, uh, member states. The last is France already regulating at national level. So how can we ensure a proper European, um, regulation that ensures protection of minors online and especially that affects the business model of these platforms? Because, uh, obviously we are attacking the heart of this business model and you will have our support.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “In Spain. Six in every ten adolescents in Spain have been exposed to pornographic or erotic content without seeking it, because video games and messaging channels and the internet are a place of introduction of attraction for people attracted by minors. And this is a window to the world for our children. But a Pandora's box full of over sexualized and violent material. Europe needs to take steps to eradicate this pandemic, and that's why the revision of the directive Effective against child pornography and sexual abuse. We're debating here today represents a massive step in the right direction because it defines it extends the scope of what we mean by these terms, including particularly the AI generated nudes or nude fakes, as well as cases of grooming. But we need to go further. We're also calling for a stricter rules on the digital side as well. We need effective systems to, um, check age so that we ensure that there is. We need consensus in this forum as well. We need to focus on the platforms and their responsibilities because TikTok meta all of these they they are earning billions through the sexual exploitation of minors. So I'm calling for consensus here. Huge consensus. That's what it's all about.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you president. Europeans live in a territory that does not appear in any map the digital space. But like we did with oceans, no, borders do not mean no rules. Europe understood this in time, and we were pioneers. The digital laws that we approved in the previous mandate are not mere bureaucracy. They are our Bill of rights of the 21st century. But the digital omnibus presented last week aims to simplify and reopen our digital regulation to help European tech companies with measures like narrowing the scope of the data protected under the GDPR and delaying the obligations and sanctions of. For high risk artificial intelligence. Let's not fool ourselves if we loosen the rules just before they come into force, we sent a very dangerous message to our global competitors. Because this is not about sticks and carrots, not about daddy's diplomacy. Subject to continuous blackmail from the European, from the United States, it is about European model of autonomy and digital sovereignty. Mrs. Virkkunen, who are the real beneficiaries of this digital omnibus? There is a very serious risk that the attempt to reduce the competitiveness gap with the US could end up benefiting American companies if the new regulations allow them to widen their existing advantage. So the urgency to compete and innovate cannot come at the expense of our rights, social safeguards and technological ethics. Let's not undermine ourselves and defend our own digital legacy. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Thank you very much. And I'd like to thank the commissioner for being here. A couple of questions. First of all, on the DMI DMA. Sorry. Um one of the um clear commitments is to share search data um um in a reliable way, um including AI searches. There's huge potential here to reduce the almost monopoly level control that has existed for years globally on search engines. Uh, we need to bring a competition to the market. And so we want to ensure that there are more affordable options for consumers. So the commission is currently looking at this in the DMA and is opening a public consultation on this. And yet Google seems to be, uh, carrying out a campaign based on intimidation tactics, um, which might undermine privacy for European citizens. How is the commission going to react to this? Are they working carefully with the Data Protection Agency to ensure that you implement the necessary safeguards? Then secondly, one of the key DMA aspects is the requirement for interoperability for, um, the next 15 years. Um, in. For many years there have been iPhone or Android in the EU. And if anyone wants to provide another type of telephone, they have to use these companies softwares. We need to ensure that we have interoperability so that hardware producers can compete and operate on the same market conditions as the big companies. And yet the big companies say that interoperability will undermine privacy for citizens and also hold back innovation. What is your reaction to all of this, Commissioner?”
  Interoperability requirements for digital platforms · EU rules on digital competition
• “Thank you. Chair. High representative. I was expecting more. Way more. Not only because you barely mentioned, uh, areas like Latin America or Africa, but because of your reaction to the US national security strategy in the worst moment of transatlantic relations. You only said that this document sends us the sign that we need to be self-confident. And in the second round, that is ridiculous, that it says things that are not true and that it's just a paper. Well, for me, it's not just a paper. It's an official document. It's official policy by a former ally. Because, uh, when this document says, uh, that EU, uh, should be undermined and destroyed, that buys the slogans of the EU extreme right, talking about civilization, crisis, decline, identity, that they need to help the enemies of Europe, that we don't, uh, share the values anymore. And it is being applauded by Russia. It should raise a red flag. So this is a wake up call. And I ask you again, please, can you be stronger in our reaction to this document, which is not ridiculous. And it's very worrying to this chamber, to the voters and to the whole Europe. Thank you.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you so much to all the speakers. I think we have a common point that is to see this issue as a priority. Uh, we have a momentum, I think, at the European level because, um, civil society, uh, different actors, parents, families, doctors are calling for new measures. And I think it's not incompatible asking for a swift, effective implementation of the current legislation, which, as I said in my first point, we call the commission and ask at the same time for new laws addressing gaps that they are not addressed in the in the last term. I think it's totally compatible and we will work on this line putting the same intention in both things. I think we can work very well with the different groups and also with the Commission. I appreciate that you have a new unit. It shows the importance that the president and the and the Commission is giving to this topic. So I and final point, I also agree that it should this report should be totally coherent and consistent with the report in Imco on protection of minors. In order to give a clear message from the European Parliament to the parents, to the children, and to everybody who is waiting for new laws, especially at European level, and to avoid a national fragmentation. That is the risk that we are seeing, like national fragmentation of measures that at the end won't function. And it's not a good sign to send to the big techs that are waiting for that. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you very much. Uh, Minister Olsen, I'm going to focus my questions towards you because of the topic that you dealt with. First of all, I would like to congratulate you and then ask questions, because the Danish presidency has put the protection of children as a priority of its presidency. That's along the lines of what we advocate for as well. So I would like to thank you for that choice. All of the goals that you have set. Of course, we support the guidelines that were presented yesterday under article 21 of the DSA, and we believe that it is a significant step forward, particularly tabling a project of enforcement for robust age verification. And it's good that we're not just talking about major digital platforms, but all websites or apps, everything, because we're checking everything. So one question, what would you say to the thousands of desperate families whose children are experiencing eating disorders and other things because of social media? What would you say about how this presidency is going to deal with this? When we look at the guidelines, some of them are just going to be optional for different countries. And if in their country the this age verification isn't mandatory. What would you say to them? And secondly, you said that the future um law um should also involve children. The guidelines are not enough. We need laws. So I would like to know how you think that future law could be approached. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you so much, chair. I will speak in Spanish. First of all, I would like to thank the Secretariat and my team and of course the cult team with rapporteur Sandro Ruotolo. We worked very well with him. This set a great foundation for our work, but we needed a lot of input from Imco to improve it. So this is why we added quite a lot of data when it comes to the impact of social media on the mental health of our young people, and we also developed in detail existing European legislation and future legislation. So specifically, we made a specific mention of the Digital Services Act. We asked the commission to finalize as quickly as possible investigation into online digital platforms and recognize the guidelines that were recently presented. Secondly, we strengthened provisions on AI signaling problems that young people are encountering with this technology like deepfakes, chatbots, and asked for greater transparency in their implementation. Finally, we called on the commission to give us an ambitious Digital Fairness Act. That touches on dark patterns, addictive designs, marketing of influencers, video games, and all things that are not currently covered by current legislation. Now, this opinion asks for stronger cooperation between Member States and the Commission to develop an effective, robust tool that protects privacy at European level. Other issues that this opinion includes is personalised ads by influencers, video games, parental controls and algorithmic algorithmic transparency. So our message is clear children and young people need to continue being young people and children, and this Parliament is concerned for their physical and mental health when it comes to the impact of these platforms. So we are hoping for good collaboration with the shadow rapporteurs. And the deadline for amendments is tomorrow and we are hoping for fruitful work. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you so much, chair. And thank you, Vice President, for coming and also for this explanation. And, uh, well, the year began with two major events that have deeply affected Europe's digital space and our sovereignty. First of all, the scandal for which we, of course, salute the investigations that you launched and especially after months of silence, I think it was very good that the Commission reacted so strongly, forcing the DSA and sending a very strong message to X. Secondly, a serious geopolitical escalation by President Trump openly challenging Europe's sovereignty and questioning our collective capacity. So I think these two events oppose two different models, right? One, the techno oligarchic power that rejects rules, the multilateral order and relying on coercion. And then another grounded on the rule of law defends the European model, fundamental rights, integrity. So I think it's important that this Parliament understands that the challenge will be there. Europe's sovereignty, digital sovereignty will be still there in the coming months and especially after we realized that the EU still relies on EU non EU countries for over 20% of the digital products, as you know, because you are vice president. So my question would be, besides enforcing our digital rules, how can we ensure European speech and digital sovereignty with European alternative social platforms where messenger apps that enforce our democracies in front of these challenges coming from our allies? Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Thank you, Vice President. The Competitive compass should be a road map for Europe to kindle innovation and ensure growth in our companies. Given what's happening on the global stage, the global stage is hostile. We welcome raising 28 helping our internal market. This will assist our tech startups Uh, to be successful. We welcome the pact for a green industry, which will mean we have more electrical vehicles. That said, we are concerned about three things. Firstly, uh, there won't be competitive, competitive competitiveness without fair wages and social cohesion and good housing. We must not neglect what's in the Draghi report, uh, with great, uh, issuing of joint debt. Thirdly, we do need to reduce red tape without throwing out the baby with the bath water. We've achieved a lot in recent years. President Macron said there would be a digital omnibus to revise the laws in the previous term of office. That's not the message we wish to convey to Musk and Trump. The socialists will be dead set against this.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you so much. Good morning. Dear Commissioner McGrath, thank you for coming and for the exchange. And I would like also to thank you, as rapporteur of the ongoing file of alternative dispute Resolution. The mentioned the work and the compromises, and hopefully we will reach an agreement very soon. My question will be on the Digital Fairness Act because in the hectic geopolitical moment, we are living with the Trump administration being more violent and relentless than expected. Europe needs to stay strong and firm and also to protect and enforce our digital laws. Of course, we had last term the DMA, DSA, very good laws that we want to be enforced in the most firm way, but we believe as indeed that we need more legislation, new legislation that sends a good message to families, teachers and everybody who is worried with the effect of of social media and in our children, our minors, but also, of course, in the adult world. Um, we see that the commission is having the mantra lately on simplification and reduction of bureaucracy. And this is more and more worrying because it looks like it's following, uh, some of maybe Trump administration messages or allies that want to deregulate and dismantle legal provisions that protect consumers. So in this sense, my question would be when is the Commission going to propose the text of Digital Fairness Act? A clear timeline, because what we saw at the beginning, it was expected for this year, half of next year and now end of next year. And we see with a lot of worry, families, teachers and the rest of the world is watching us. There is an urgency. They don't understand about simplification. So please, when is going to be presented. And of course we want as soon as possible and which topics will be covered. Thank you so much.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “Thank you. And thank you to those who've spoken, um, adolescents free of mobile use for the excellent contribution. In particular, we are carrying out an analysis, and I think that there is a clear consensus in this committee, in this House and in society as a whole, that we need tools in order to be able to combat this pandemic of physical and mental health. Families are really calling out in desperation for us to take action. And from these contributions, and also from what I hear from the project that we've launched, it's clear to me that families feel unsupported when it comes to putting limits to the damaging effects of the platforms video games, the online environment in general for minors. So I'm very much in favour of online literacy, of minors and parents. But let's not be naive. We also need rules. Standards that will protect our children from the things we already know from cyber harassment, mental disturbance, depression, anxiety, food related disorders, eating disorders, excuse me, which can ultimately result in terrible consequences. So we need to make strong rules, and we need to identify what our false dilemma about regulation against innovation protection online, against freedom of expression, security against privacy. I think if we agree on what the objective is, then we can fight for effective tools and not waste time in bringing solutions to families who are asking for immediate solutions.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online