Reinier VAN LANSCHOT

Policy topics Reinier VAN LANSCHOT is active on

What Reinier VAN LANSCHOT has said (38)

• 2026-06-17 “(10:48:00 – 10:49:15): What's the definition of madness? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. According to that logic, the European Council is insane. Every time a wannabe dictator is finally voted out, another 1 pops up, and so we're held hostage by 27 national elections and national vetoes. The council is kind of like the Greek myth Sisyphus who pushes a boulder up a hill, but every time he's near the top, it rolls back down, repeating for eternity. Seizing the frozen Russian Russian assets, almost there, veto. Making the European elections more democratic, almost there, veto. Abolishing the veto, veto. This Friday, vote protests in front of the council to demand national leaders do what most Europeans want. Abolish the veto and unite. And we will do this over and over again until we push that boulder over the top. Thank you.”
  EU political integration
• 2026-06-16 “Thanks a lot, for this question. I think it is possible for Europe to create our own European tech stack and become entirely sovereign. For the 1st time in decades, there's actually more people talented people coming from The US to Europe than they are going from Europe to The US because Europe is simply a better place to live. And talent is an essential factor in creating our own European tech stack. That's 1 element. But if we also fix the Capital Markets Union and create a a a well functioning 28th regime, our successful companies can actually scale. So there are a lot of possibilities that we can do it according to our own values. Thank you.”
  EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)
• 2026-06-16 “Colleagues, in Star Wars, the most powerful machine in the galaxy is called the Death Star. AI may not be the Death Star yet, but it's definitely not a simple digital service anymore. It's infrastructure for our economy, our research, and security. So Trump's decision to block our access to Anthropic's most advanced AI models is no surprise. But if Washington can cut us off, it means we're not on the Death Star. We're in its sight. But there is a new hope. Although the empire kept building bigger and louder, it was outflown by rebels in smaller x wings who were simply smarter and better. For European tax sovereignty, our edge is never going to be bigger and louder. The European way is always going to be smarter and better. So let's not try to imitate the death star. Let's build X Wings. Commissioner, how will you create the conditions that enable Europe to build? I believe we can do it. May the force be with you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• 2026-06-16 “Thanks a lot for this question. I think it is possible for Europe to create our own European tech stack and become entirely sovereign. For the first time in decades. There are actually more people, talented people coming from the US to Europe than there going from Europe to the US, because Europe is simply a better place to live. And talent is an essential factor in creating our own European tech stack. That's one element. But if we also fix the Capital markets union and create a well functioning 28th regime, are successful. Companies can actually scale. So there are a lot of possibilities that we can do it according to our own values. Thank you.”
  EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)
• 2026-06-16 “Colleagues in Star Wars, the most powerful machine in the galaxy, is called the Death Star. Ai may not be the Death Star yet, but it's definitely not a simple digital service anymore. It's infrastructure for our economy, our research and security. So Trump's decision to block our access to Anthropic's most advanced AI models is no surprise. But if Washington can cut us off, it means we're not on the Death Star. We're in its sights. But there is a new hope. Although the Empire kept building bigger and louder, it was outflown by rebels in smaller x-wings who were simply smarter and better for European tech sovereignty. Our edge is never going to be bigger and louder. The European way is always going to be smarter and better. So let's not try to imitate the Death Star. Let's build X-wings. Commissioner, how will you create the conditions that enable Europe to build? I believe we can do it. May the force be with you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “So if a thief steals €60 and after a long trial, a judge tells the thief, okay, you now have to pay back €3. Is that fair? Is that going to make the thief less likely to steal again? And is that going to prevent other thieves from stealing? For years, Google made a fortune knowingly breaking our laws at the expense of journalists. The recent fine of barely €3 billion will simply be the costs of doing business. For a company that makes 60 billion in revenue every year in Europe alone. It's a small drop taken out of an ocean of profit. The US government puts pressure on the commission to give no fines at all. So it is good that something is being done. But what we really need is an independent digital enforcement authority and higher fines. Otherwise, the law will not be about who is right but who can afford to be wrong. Thank you.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “Are we going to AI heaven where we all live like Greek gods served by AI robots or AI hell, where we are ruled by techno feudal overlords? Probably neither, but we are witnessing the start of a civilizational shift. The rise of artificial intelligence will shape our economies, our societies, and our future. The question is, will Europe build this future or merely endure it? We can either shape this technology with European values and clear ethical standards, or accept US technologies designed without them. That is why the Digital Markets Act must deliver and open the door for competition in the AI and cloud sector. We have the potential, but European innovators need a fair chance to build European cloud services and European AI because if we do not shape this world, others will do it for us. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Common specifications not only protect consumers and help make sure the will of the co-legislators is respected in practice, they also offer a presumption of conformity, which supports companies in meeting legal obligations. That being said, I would like to ask the Commission two questions. Firstly, on common specifications. We've seen a broad agreement in this House and in Council on the common specifications process in the ecodesign and toy safety. The provisions here differ, however, which brings divergences between different regulations. Could the Commission clarify why this approach was chosen, and whether alignment or better harmonisation across these different regulations is possible? The second question I have is the link between the Declaration of Conformity and the Digital Product passport. The proposal allows products and subsystems to be accompanied either by an internet address or by a machine readable code, and that gives access to the declaration of conformity. However, allowing only an internet link could break the direct and automatic connection with the digital product passport, which, as the commission itself notes, is essential for efficient efficiency and enforcement. Would it not be clearer to always require a machine readable code, such as a QR code, to ensure immediate and easy access to the declaration of conformity? Thank you, and I'm looking forward to working with everybody on this file.”
  Product passport
• “Colleagues. Sometimes I tell my friends I'm going for a run, but instead I end up on the couch eating a bag of chips watching The Hangover for the 15th time. When it comes to the single market, this is exactly the EU. Big words, bold promises, no execution. We know what we should do. Give start ups a fast digital way for legal incorporation. Create one capital markets union with a simple set of rules on tax, stock options and employment. A strong 28th regime. Because while we are scared of American tariffs, our own internal trade barriers are costing us three times as much. Despite good resolutions, some colleagues here are tempted by comfort and only focus on deregulation. That doesn't fix our innovation problem. It's like sitting on the couch thinking that our problems will be fixed by eating low fat chips. So come on EU do it news, get off the couch and start running. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Dear colleagues. Dear Mr. Costa. The EU has a black hole. It's called the European Council. If this union were a galaxy, that is where bright ideas go. Pulled in by its gravitational force, never to be seen again. Enable Ukraine to win. Remove Orban's veto. Create a European army. Treaty change. For years, the European Parliament has sent ideas your way only to vanish. The list of things stuck in Council is long. Hiding behind unanimity. Afraid of breaking taboos. And the strange thing is that these taboos only exist in council, not in the minds of the European people. The threat of war is on our doorstep. Ten years from now, government leaders will regret that they held on to the national past instead of embracing the European future. Mr. Costa, please prove me wrong. To a North star that guides our way to a brighter future. Thank you.”
  EU political integration
• “Good morning, Mr. Kroes. Digital dictatorship. All these tales that you are recounting about X and saying that this is all censorship being imposed on people. Well, this is really quite far fetched. The reality is that this is completely unconnected from reality. We have now an opportunity to establish rules, but you're simply referring to the politics of the Dutch rappers who say that people's suffering is not their fault. So the reality is that the European institutions need to close down the options for X and need to remove their own accounts on X. Would you like to tell me what conditions you would impose on this?”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• “Thank you very much. Um, so the Digital Markets Act, um, is our tool to open closed markets, boost competitions, and give digital startups a real chance to innovate. And I've, um, considered starting a company after being done with university. And then also in the thought process of different business models, saw how the monopoly of these massive platforms makes it very difficult to innovate. So I'm happy that now we're one year in and it seems to be starting to have an effect. But at the same time, what worries me is that I'm not so sure whether the commission will really be able to enforce it the way it should be enforced, in my opinion. We hear these loud complaints from the big tech, from Meta and Apple attacking many of the European legislation, and they're not as strong on the DMA as they are on others, but they are still critical on the Commission's approach. And we see the US government and the Republicans in the US contract Congress accusing the EU of deliberately targeting American companies, which is completely untrue and not what the DMA is really about. Because if you want to do business in Europe, you have to comply to our rules. It's as simple as that. And what I've noticed from reading your report on the Imco mission to Washington, but also from the many conversations I've had with stakeholders from the US, is that they have a strong support for the DMA, many of the so-called little tech from the United States.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “On the other side, safety related information and instructions are crucial for the protection of consumers and remain paper by default. Our amendments try to bring some clarity to companies on what is expected to remain on paper and what is not. Then, regarding compliance, we strongly support the introduction of a digital contact which will facilitate the life of authorities and companies. We tabled some amendments that clarify that the digital contact should allow to contact economic operators directly, without having to register or download any specific applications. Then regarding the other big file on common specifications, I also welcome the proposal of the commission. I would like to point out that the normal standardization process should remain the norm, and common specifications as the exception. However, there colleagues, we cannot we cannot ignore that sometimes in specific cases, in practice at the moment, there is a crucial need for a standard both for the protection of consumers and for the legal predictability companies expect from standardization, and that common specifications can play an important role in that, because in many cases right now, the standardization process doesn't work well enough and nothing happens. We know the commission does not have the capacity or the intention to replace the standardization process, but the possibility to act in exceptional circumstances, in my opinion, must remain. I thank you Everyone, and I'm looking forward with working together on you for the rest of this file and hopefully have a good conversation that leads to adoption in January.”
  Digitalization of public governance & administration
• “So, um, as the European Parliament and as the green shadow, I will table, um, amendments for us to be more ambitious on the timeline and more ambitious on the level of collaboration. If the defense projects of common interest are a success, and this is a question I have for everybody, and we manage to, for example, build an air defense shield, an anti-drone wall that protects us, or undersea infrastructure protection. We managed to build that, and our defense readiness is up to up to the level that we want it to be. Then there's the big question of how is it going to be operated and how is it going to be maintained. And I would like to invite everybody to think about that and come up with good ideas, because I think we have the opportunity to decide on that. And, um, for me, the ideal scenario would be operating on the European level. I also saw that in Egypt, it's a minimum of four member states that need to contribute in these common defense projects. And I would like us to make sure that more member states contribute to it. And it's not just for and not just big states, but that we see all countries in the EU You participating. Thank you.”
  EU competences on defence
• “So what do Trump, Putin, Casey and the tech autocrats have in common? They are all afraid of a united Europe and that is why they want to destroy it. The US National Security Strategy says out loud what we have known for years. They want a Europe of 27 nations. A classic example of divide and conquer. So we are on our own. And the president, von der Leyen, said this is Europe's moment of independence. I agree with her. So European prime ministers. This is one of the most important European Council meetings in years. Face reality and do what is needed. Use the frozen Russian assets and give them to Ukraine. Find new partners. Ratify Mercosur and defend our democracy by cracking down on foreign interference. At the end of the day, we Europe are in this together. We need a United States of Europe now, because that is the key to solving all the challenges of the 21st century. Thank you.”
  Foreign interference in Europe
• “Thank you. Dear Commissioner, in Europe, we plant the seeds of a business. We water the a tree. We protect it from the wind and the rain. And then we let somebody else eat the fruit. Europe ends up with the seeds while the USA gets apple. For once, let's try and act like founders with a mindset of ambition, innovation and getting things done fast with a focus on building something truly European. I have travelled to capitals across the EU to talk to founders and they gave me three points. Firstly, create EU Inc, one legal entity for companies to make it easier to scale across borders. Secondly, make company law that offers flexibility and delivers predictability for international investors. And thirdly, rules are fine as long as they are one set of rules, not 27. So this has to be a regulation across societies. Genius is divided equally, but opportunities are not if we create opportunities.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “And therefore I have the following questions. Um, firstly, um, enforcement is still uneven across member states. So what concrete steps can be taken to strengthen enforcement then? Um, the review of the regulation in 2020 chose not to extend the scope to the audio visual services, but since then we see a growing public frustration and call to access content across borders. So will the Commission revisit its position and finally propose to include audiovisual content in the regulation? I think we should. And last but not least, what are the main obstacles, legal or political, that prevent us from achieving a truly borderless digital market? I think we've seen that concrete actions and targets are not on the table yet, even though there has been an adoption of the question for oral answer by our chair in 2020. March 2021. Already the Commission, the Commission committed to improve the access to audiovisual services by engaging with stakeholders in a structured dialogue. But can concrete actions and targets? Targets have not been tabled yet, and it's been four years, so I guess I guess my question is, what are we waiting for? Because this is something that people will really feel in their daily lives, and I think we should enforce it better and complete the digital single market.”
  Geo-blocking
• “Thank you. Um there is a song from the 70s that I really like by Hot Chocolate. It's a disco song. It's called Everyone's a Winner, and I think it is applicable to this omnibus, because usually an omnibus does not bring about the most pleasant thoughts for everybody in the House, and not necessarily the most pleasant collaboration between democratic forces. But omnibus four is where we proved that a constructive collaboration can really create great results. First, it's a win for companies in Europe. More digitalization means less costs and easier communication with authorities. Also, the possibility of relying on common specifications when standards are lacking is essential for manufacturers. So after a win for companies, it's also a win for consumers. A majority of consumers will be very happy to receive less paper when buying buying a product, and the EPP made sure that the vulnerable consumers will still benefit from a high level of protection. Thirdly, it's a win for the planet, moving from paper instructions to digital will save millions of trees in the coming years. And maybe most importantly, it's a win for Europe's strategic autonomy. We're on the brink of a new world order, and with high geopolitical tensions, we had the courage to lead by example in making sure Europe is prepared to step up the international standardization system that is now paralyzed. I hope we can keep this in mind in the coming Imco files. We need a strong Europe that is not subject to blackmail. I want to thank everybody for the constructive collaboration and hope that you will vote in favour, so that we can really enjoy the song. Everyone's a winner. Thank you.”
  Digitalization of public governance & administration
• “And that means that we will be able to have defence equipment that is really interoperable. I heard you say that there are still some, uh, or a lot of different opinions also within groups on that. But what we are hoping for as the Greens is to make sure that we do it in a European way. So it really becomes interoperable. And for that we need full standardisation as well. And then we can achieve large economies of scale and spend money in a in a better and smarter way. Um, another one of the amendments that I would like to highlight here is our idea of regional clusters. And Um, how can we make sure that we produce in a cost efficient, time efficient way, and that the positive side effects that sometimes the defense industry can also bring are spread among the entire continent? So therefore, we think creating regional clusters that where several countries together specialize in a certain type of equipment is the best way to do it. For example, a regional cluster aimed at tanks aimed at ammunition aimed at drones. And then later all of this can help to get the products in the quickest and most cost efficient way, and the products that the clusters don't specialize in, they can, of course, get from the other member states. So I hope everyone here will support that idea. And I very much look forward to continue working on the very ambitious Oedipe. Thank you.”
  EU competences on defence
• “They actually want this additional competition and want us to enforce it strictly. And so I think that this big tech lobbying and the geopolitical pressure that is accompanied by it should not stop us from enforcing our own laws. And then the prospect of the modest fines, um, after proven serious breaches from the DMA by Apple and Meta that was leaked to the press and was written about in the Financial Times, I think that is concerning, because will those modest fines be enough to ensure compliance? I don't think so, if you look at the depth of their pockets. So, um, even though the DMA has been in force for only a year, um, we cannot be too lenient. And that's why I think the gatekeepers had a long time to get ready, and they should fully comply with it. And I hope the Commission will have a cool head, a warm heart, and a back made of steel, a spine made of steel to make sure that they enforce it as intended, and that the Commission doesn't hesitate to use the full force of the DMA, including the serious fines that can be accompanied by it. So that would allow the real fairness in our digital markets. And, um, yeah, that's my main point for now. Thank you.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “No, no. No resignations. I will speak in Dutch. Mr. Gotink. You are talking about the lack of implementation of the Draghi report. Uh, it makes me think of people's good resolutions on the 1st of January, and they've forgotten this by February. I'm one of those people, too. But the EU must be better than that. So my analysis is that many of the corrections are foundering on national interests. National governments cling to their vested interests at home. And Draghi is saying that fundamental European reform is necessary. So what's your view of the necessary fundamental European reform.”
  EU political integration
• “Thank you, Mr. Schwab. So this debate is about our digital independence, a conversation we cannot have without also talking about chat control. So could I have your phone and see all the pictures and videos that you've shared with your friends, your family, your loved ones. Probably not. Right? Then why would we allow strangers snooping on our phones? Because chat control proposes mass surveillance for all European citizens. Germany holds the key to stopping it at the council meeting on October 14th, and your party is in government and can block it. Can you call Mr. Mertz and convince him to block chat control for everyone?”
  Privacy & detection of online child abuse
• “Thanks a lot, Madam Chair. I would like to echo the points that Mr. Macron just made about including the EU and not only the EU, but also Ukraine and the UK, and if possible, even Norway into this programme and also on increasing the budget, but not at the expense of the social cohesion policies. But more importantly than that, let me start by saying how glad I am that we are finally speeding up, because acceleration is what I've been calling for for a long time, and I'm happy to see that this ambitious or more ambitious process is now created. And I want to specifically thank, um, Mrs. Kaziuk Pejovic I hope I pronounced your name right. Um, for speeding it up. And also to you, Mr. Moran, for making sure that we go faster. Um, regarding the content of the amendments that I tabled, they all go into one direction, and that is that EDP should incentivise member states to unite. Um, I've also been the shadow on the white Paper on defence. And what I see is that too many of our colleagues and politicians still think from this national perspective and think that the answer to the situation we find ourselves in is doing more with of the same with 27 fragmented ideas. But we should unite as much as possible, and this should be a tool for that. Leave the national way of thinking behind and not only think, but really act European when it comes to our defence industry.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Thank you. Chair. So first of all, I would like to thank the members of the Ukrainian parliament who visited us today for being here. Um, Ukrainians are freezing. And while their country's electricity grid is being destroyed by Russia. European leaders are not doing enough as a shadow on this file. I am positive about the $90 billion in Eurobonds. But during the Covid pandemic, we raised 800 billion, almost ten times as much. And this time our security is on the line. So just like Zelensky said in Davos, we Europe can and should do a lot more. So I propose that we move on with the loan as quickly as possible. But commissioners would also like to implore you to immediately prepare next steps and still retain the option of using the frozen Russian assets in the future. Secondly, mainly use this loan to fund military needs along the Danish model with a strong European preference and joint procurement. And lastly, we need to prepare for Ukrainian reconstruction, which will run into the hundreds of billions, but which will also unlock.”
  Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
• “Thanks a lot, chair, and thank you to the Commission for the clear and helpful presentation. So dear colleagues, this package, the regulation and the directive, it may seem a bit technical at first, but it has the potential to bring real and tangible benefits to manufacturers, to consumers and to national authorities. So as rapporteur, I welcome this proposal, and I believe it can lead to a broad consensus among the pro-European forces in this House. I would like to highlight two key reasons why this package is a step in the right direction. So firstly, for businesses, the extended use of the digital product passport is a real opportunity. It simplifies compliance, reduces the administrative burden, and ensures that businesses and authorities can communicate digitally and efficiently. This is the kind of practical digitalisation that we need in the single market. Secondly, for consumers, the extension of common specification across these pieces of legislation strengthens legal certainty where harmonised standards are missing or insufficient. The technical standards are and should remain a dialogue between the public and private sectors, but under well defined conditions, public authorities must be able to step in to bring legal clarity for businesses where needed. This is already the approach that's taken by a very large majority in this House for the Ecodesign directive and the toy safety regulation.”
  Product passport
• “Friday night, the first bombs fell on Iran. The Ayatollah was killed and we held our breath. What happens next? What will we do? Then president von der Leyen announced the EU will discuss this on Monday. Two weeks later, we still haven't really found our course of action. Spain wants to go left. Germany wants to go right. And while we bicker about if this was a breach of international law. Spoiler it is. The result is a standstill because we don't have one foreign policy. We are bystanders. United action looks like this. A naval mission. Mission to free the Strait of Hormuz from mines and protect oil and trade shipping's bringing European citizens back safely from the Middle East. Together, collectively push the US to be clear on the goal of this war and act in line with international law. Divided. We will always remain reactive bystanders, but acting as a United States of Europe can lead us through any global crisis.”
  EU competences on foreign affairs
• “Dear Prime Minister, Denmark has great stories to tell. It gave Ukraine all its artillery so they could fight back. It launched the Danish model for defence investments to help Ukraine win. And now Denmark is targeting Orban's veto so Ukraine can take steps towards its European future. Denmark holds the rotating presidency for the next six months, and your Minister of European Affairs has said she wants to take away Orban's veto and voting rights. A unique opportunity to blast through Europe's paralysis with a little Danish dynamite. It's time to do what? Millions of Hungarians, tens of millions of Ukrainians and hundreds of millions of Europeans have asked for. Stop this wannabe dictator, the least corrupt country on the planet, going after the most corrupt leader in Europe. Isn't that a story we would all like to hear? Thank you.”
  EU-Ukraine relations
• “Colleagues while Europe watches the frozen island of Greece. Let's not forget the island of Cyprus. Frozen in conflict. Dear president. The next six months are about making Europe independent. But this presidency is also a chance for more to put Cyprus back on the map and support reconciliation between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. A chance to lead by example on governing with integrity. Cypriots and other Europeans have had enough of the corruption scandals recently. If you want an example of what your presidency could look like, look no further than vote Cyprus, the political party in Cyprus that has members from both communities and implement the public registry of political donations that Cyprus recently proposed. So citizens not money, run our democracy. President make Cypriots and Europeans proud by making Cyprus corruption free and Europe independent. Let's do it together. Good luck.”
  EU enlargement
• “Keep dreaming. Margaret said, if you think Europe can ever defend itself without the US. Keep dreaming. Sure. We were asleep for too long, but this vision leads nowhere. Centuries ago, the Netherlands was seven little provinces surrounded by threats, too weak to stand against them, dependent on protection from unreliable allies. And these seven provinces united and created the Dutch army. What if they hadn't? Because Dutch army sounded scary. Or because people without a vision told leaders keep dreaming. If they had listened, the Netherlands would not be here today, colleagues. I don't give a how. We call it a European army, a European Defence Union, the European soldiers sorority for all I care, as long as we get it done. We need autonomous defence with European Command capabilities and forces. This is not a dream. It's a plan. Thank you.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Dear colleagues, Christmas came early for Trump and the tech bros. The commission aims to simplify digital rules in Europe but gave them a digital Christmas package. Europe acts like a digital colony and gift wrapped its own economic downfall. We should be saying European tech first, but this package says America first. First, it creates loopholes. Big tech will rip open faster than kids can rip open, open presents. It cuts our privacy so they can train their AI on our personal data, while European startups are not helped enough. With friends like these, who needs enemies? Colleagues, let's be more confident in Europe's own abilities. We can protect fundamental rights and be a digital power. We can have an innovative economy and tech with European values. I went to Slush in Helsinki last week, the world's leading startup conference, and I saw we have an abundance of talent, ideas and potential to scale. But we lack the ambition, the political ambition to enable it. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “Thank you very much. Thank you, chair, rapporteur and all the other speakers. Um, so we need to prepare for the most extreme military contingencies by 2030. And I think that means that now really is the time to see if we, as the EU, are capable of working together as Europeans on the industrial side to build the defense capabilities that are able to deter our enemies. And sometimes I'm hesitant whether we are living up to that, because what I see around me is a nationalistic Pavlov reaction of countries that think, hey, we have underinvested underinvested in defense. So what we should do is now invest in defense mainly nationally, and then everything will be all right. To me, that is a big mistake also. European citizens see that as a mistake and they want the EU to integrate further on defence. And this is one of the main ways of doing it, our common defence projects, of common interests. And in that context, I really welcome the Eni report on the flagship projects and the draft report of Maran, who clearly highlights this. And I think it's up to us as the European Parliament to make an even bigger signal with a higher level of ambition than what we've seen around us. And, um, the member states and the Commission have made some proposals that go in the right direction, but they are definitely not far enough.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Thank you. Good morning. Thank you, Commissioner, for being with us today. You mentioned earlier in your opening statement that complying with the DMA is the best way forward, and I agree. And you also published in your first review that it's a useful tool to open markets. I also see that DG comp and DG connect are full of talented people working every day on enforcing the DMA. At the same time, we cannot deny that the Commission has been under pressure from the US government. You mentioned that you will not give in to that pressure, but that pressure is certainly there, and that the size of the staff at the commission is small in comparison to the legal departments of the gatekeepers. Also, the cost of non-compliance and pushing back is lower than the cost of compliance and cooperation. So all the fines imposed to Google by the European Commission for competition law violation combined were equal to the profit of 2 to 3 weeks. It's not that impressive for them. So I have two questions. Firstly, an independent European digital enforcement agency with more staff could enforce our digital laws faster, better and is better protected against external pressure. What do you think of creating such an agency? Secondly, how can the commission make sure that non-compliance becomes more costly than compliance? And if I still have the time, I would also like to ask something about the cloud and AI Development Act, because tomorrow we will finally see the tech sovereignty package. It will come out and it will include a proposal on the cloud and AI Development Act. I think it's a great start and a chance for us to building a European tech ecosystem on two key technologies in the coming years. You already mentioned briefly in your introductory speech, but I would like to know more on how exactly do you expect that the enforcement of the DMA plays a role in contributing to the objectives of the cloud and AI Development Act? Thank you very much.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “A German commander, a Belgian pilot, and a Dutch engineer walk into a plane. No, this is not the start of a bad joke. It's what I saw last week at my visit to the Air Mobility Command in Eindhoven. This multinational corporation for transport and in air refueling is great. It already works. But with EU leadership, it could work even better. That is why I included in this report on European defense projects of common interest. By buying big, complex systems like satellites together, we generate economies of scale and ensure taxpayers money is used efficiently to make sure they are also used effectively. We need to operate and maintain them in the entire life cycle at union level and to create a systems of tomorrow, we need stronger EU synergies between research, innovation and Industrial Development. Commissioner. Let's make it a reality because the German, the Belgian and the Dutch I met are not a joke. They are a glimpse into Europe's future.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Thank you. We keep hearing about, um, um, addressing the most important problems facing citizens. The problem is that they can't find housing. They can't find a house to buy, house to rent. What's on the market is too expensive. And now, for the first time, the European Council is going to discuss the housing shortage for the first time. They're saying that housing is a fundamental human right and nobody can find a house. How long must it last before you address an important problem? How big does the problem have to get to 300 billion and direct investments is necessary in order to address the housing shortage to a certain extent. And that will help. So do it. Just like Covid, come up with an emergency package that will then become something structural in our budget. What we need is action, not words. This has taken a very long time before the European Council should address this. Let's hope it doesn't take so long before we see action. We need action. People need housing. So, uh, you can't live with empty words. We need action.”
  EU housing policy
• “A German commander, a Belgian pilot and a Dutch engineer walk into a plane. No, this is not the start of a bad joke. It's what I saw last week at my visit to the Air Mobility Command in Eindhoven. This multinational corporation for transport and in air refueling is great. It already works. But with EU leadership, it could work even better. That is why I included in this report on the European defence projects of common interest. By buying big, complex systems like satellites together, we generate economies of scale and ensure taxpayers money is used efficiently to make sure they are also used effectively. We need to operate and maintain them in the entire life cycle at union level and to create the systems of tomorrow, we need stronger EU synergies between research, innovation and Industrial Development. Commissioner. Let's make it a reality because the German, the Belgium and the Dutch I met are not a joke. They are a glimpse into Europe's future.”
  EU competences on defence
• “Yes. Thanks a lot. And thanks also for the presentation. Um, and I want to thank the Court of Auditors for their report on the implementation of the geo blocking regulation. So very often in the European Parliament, we discuss matters that are complex and far away from citizens and that people may only feel indirectly. But when it comes to geo blocking, this is not the case at all. Every European citizen is confronted with its limits, whether it's trying to stream your favourite series while being in another country, or wanting to watch a live football game or buy a product online while you're not in your home country. And so this is, I think, exactly one of those issues where citizens expect Europe to deliver with concrete solutions like Erasmus, like roaming, or like the universal charger. This will break down the barriers that we still have in the digital space, and I think it could be a symbol of a properly working single market. So this report shows us that we are definitely not there yet and that problems remain. So companies still find ways to circumvent these rules. And the implementation and the monitoring of the implementation of this regulation is very poor, maybe even can be called non-existent. So, um, the audiovisual services remain out of scope of this regulation, and I think that's not a good idea. So I disagree a bit with my colleague that I think we should go in the opposite direction.”
  Geo-blocking
• “Thank you very much. I welcome the decisions that were made by the Commission last week. So thank you for those. I also want to stress that this should not be the end of the DMA enforcement, but only the beginning, because the more time passes since the entry into force of the DMA, the less excuses the gatekeepers have for not complying with all the aspects of the DMA. So I hope the Commission will take that into account in the future. If we look at the current geopolitical situation, we see that the reactions of meta and and Apple to the decisions of the commission last week are that they are called multibillion dollar tariffs on US companies. Kind of ridiculous. My first question is, do you feel like that is also the discourse that they are in conversations with the Commission have as well? Or do they privately give another impressions of what they see as the the digital markets act, and do they think it's useful, or is the discourse the same when you have, uh, conversations with them? And I would love to know, per gatekeeper, what their position is in your view, uh, expressed not only through these public statements. Another question I have is about scare screens. So what what I see when I personally use my iPhone to try and do something new is that suddenly you get this scare screen that says, are you sure you want to do this? Because blah blah, blah, blah, blah, trying to scare consumers into not using the new opportunities that the DMA creates for them. Oh, I need to be quick. Sorry. Um, does the commission, the commission have, um, the intention to focus on stopping with these or making them stop with these scare screens? And lastly, there's an opportunity in the DMA to, in 2026, enlarge the scope to online social networking services. Do you have the intention for that or not?”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “It's remarkable that the far left and the far right use the same arguments about inviting Russia to sports and culture events. I will not give arguments, but names. Oleksandr Plushenko, a European weightlifting champion, died on the front line on 5th May 2024. Yuri Kirpa, a conductor, was murdered by Russian soldiers in 2022. Kateryna Yatchenko, a talented gymnast killed in a Russian attack on Mariupol. She was 11 years old. I could read another 500 names of Ukrainian athletes and artists who will never compete or create again. Or thousands of names of people who cannot play football, write or compose because they fight for their lives on the front lines. But I only have one minute. So I will instead say until every Ukrainian is free to trade a gun for a paintbrush to swap bunkers for sports fields. The participation of Russians in cultural or sporting events is an insult to the memory of the dead and the mark of shame for any institution that hosts them. Thank you.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)