Veronika Cifrová OSTRIHOŇOVÁ

Policy topics Veronika Cifrová OSTRIHOŇOVÁ is active on

What Veronika Cifrová OSTRIHOŇOVÁ has said (39)

• 2026-06-17 “I didn't hear from the beginning, but I guess you're suggesting that there is a 7 genders that are responsible for something. I mean, dear colleague. It's just pure nonsense. It's just pure nonsense. We're talking about the safety of children and you bring this up? How is this relevant? How is this relevant? Do you want a safer Internet for kids? Do you want it, or do you wanna talk about bullshit? Is that what you want? Because I don't want that. Please, language was not correct according to the rules.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2026-06-17 “Dear commissioner, dear colleagues, today I'm not going to speak to children or parents or policymakers. Why? Because I'm tired. I'm tired of asking the same question all over again. Are our children really safe online? So instead today, I will speak to those who benefit from this. To mister Zuckerberg, how hypocritical is it that you spent a fortune protecting your own privacy and security, yet your platform, the platform you created, exposes children to risks and privacy violations every day? And why did you let children like KGM get addicted to it and develop anxiety and and depression? And to mister Musk, why did you allow the creation and spread of 23,000 AI images of undressed and sexualized children. You have the power to make your platform safer. You have the best engineers. You have the best data. You have the best resources. The problem is not that you cannot do it. The problem is you choose not to, and our children live with the consequences every day.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2026-03-13 “Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission 1.6.2026 Written question The protection of children in the digital age is a key priority for the Commission. The existing legal framework already includes very high standards. The Digital Services Act (DSA) [1] regulates, inter alia , systemic risks posed by providers of very large online platforms like TikTok, including risks to minors [2] , and on how the selection of advertisements influence such risks [3] . Providers must establish appropriate measures of privacy and safety [4] for minors and ban profiling-based advertisements [5] using their personal data. In addition, the Protection of Minors guidelines [6] cover advertising on online platforms and the DSA requires establishing a functionality to flag commercial communications [7] . The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive [8] ensures strict consumer protection, including shielding children from misleading commercial practices. It applies to influencers, requiring them to be clear about commercial communication. The Audiovisual Media Services Directive [9] sets minimum standards for audiovisual commercial communications (ACC), which must not cause physical, mental or moral harm to minors. Direct exhortations to acquire products or services are prohibited (applicable to influencers who qualify as audiovisual media service providers) and video-sharing platforms must ensure compliance with ACC to different degrees [10] . Minors’ personal data collected for age verification or parental control may not serve commercial purposes [11] . The forthcoming Digital Fairness Act [12] will aim to strengthen consumer protection online. Its priorities will include addressing unfair influencer marketing that capitalises on the relationship between young users and content creators . The Commission is currently assessing potential measures, including a clarification of the requirement for a salient disclosure of commercial content [13] . Such further measures will be informed, inter alia , by the recommendations of the Commission’s Special Panel on Child Safety Online. [1] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act. [2] Article 34 DSA. [3] Article 34(2) DSA. [4] Article 28 DSA. [5] As defined in Article 4(4) of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng. [6] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/commission-publishes-guidelines-protection-minors. [7] Article 26(2) DSA. [8] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2005/29/oj/eng, OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, pp. 22-39. [9] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/13/oj/eng. [10] Article 9(1)(g) of Directive 2010/13/EU. [11] Article 28(b).3 of Directive 2010/13/EU. [12] https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/consultations/commission-launches-open-consultation-forthcoming-digital-fairness-act. [13] https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14622-Digital-Fairness-Act/public-consultation_en.”
  Digital advertising · Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2026-03-09 “E-000971/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Ribera on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of Google’s announcement to introduce this verification process starting from September 2026 in some jurisdictions (not including the EU based on publicly available information). The Commission understands that, as a result of this process, Android will require that all applications (apps) are registered by verified developers in order to be installed on certified Android devices. The Commission is also aware of public campaigns such as ‘Keep Android Open’ which have emerged in reaction to Google’s announcement. Article 6(4) of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) 1 obliges gatekeepers like Alphabet to allow and technically enable the effective distribution of apps on their operating system through third party app stores or the web. At the same time, the DMA also permits Google to introduce strictly necessary and proportionate measures to ensure that third-party software apps or app stores do not endanger the integrity of the hardware or operating system, provided that such measures are duly justified by Alphabet. The Commission is actively engaged in a regulatory dialogue with Alphabet concerning Article 6(4) DMA and is diligently monitoring Alphabet's compliance with the relevant legal framework to ensure that apps, including open-source apps, can be effectively distributed on Android outside Google Play. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/1925/oj/eng.”
  Promotion of open-source softwares · Interoperability requirements for digital platforms · EU rules on digital competition
• 2026-02-18 “E-000681/2026 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission firmly rejects the allegations contained in the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s report of 3 February 2026 as unsubstantiated and unfounded. The Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 does not prescribe which content is illegal. The Commission cannot order providers or intermediaries of online services to remove specific content from their services. Decisions on such content are taken by the providers themselves. The DSA obliges the Commission to publish decisions with due regard to protecting confidential information of affected companies. That is why, before publication, the Commission gives companies a chance to redact sensitive business information. This due process and regard for confidential information should be followed by all sides. The publication of unredacted documents including personal data potentially exposes the respective companies to legal liability for personal data breaches under the General Data Protection Regulation 2 . The publication of personal data of EU staff and civil society experts is deeply concerning, and the Commission takes this very seriously. Pursuant to Article 24 of the Staff Regulation 3 , staff can request assistance from the Commission in this kind of situation and affected staff members have already been provided with information on how to obtain support in case of threats, insults, defamation or other attacks to their person or property. Moreover, the Commission already provides needs-based counselling and assistance to staff enforcing the DSA. The enforcement of the EU’s democratically adopted digital regulations is a sovereign matter. The Commission remains committed to enforcing the DSA at full speed. The Commission stands behind its staff. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj. 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A02016R067920160504&qid=1532348683434. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A01962R0031-20210101.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-11-27 “E-004713/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission On 26 January 2026, the Commission designated WhatsApp as a very large online platform (VLOP) pursuant to Article 33(4) Digital Servives Act (DSA) 1 . Therefore, the provider of WhatsApp has now 4 months to comply with the additional obligations for VLOPs, including those related to risk assessment and mitigation, for its online platform features in the EU. Even before its designation as a VLOP, the provider of WhatsApp had already to comply, for the features under the scope of the DSA, with the applicable rules to ensure a safe, predictable and trusted online environment. Given that the main establishment of that service in the EU is in Ireland, the competence to supervise WhatsApp and enforce the DSA in relation to that service is now shared between the Commission and the Irish Digital Services Coordinator, Coimisiún na Meán. The Commission is currently working on a Digital Fairness Act (DFA) 2 , which, as indicated in the 2030 Consumer Agenda, will be presented in the last quarter of 2026. The DFA will focus on topics such as dark patterns, addictive designs, influencer marketing, unfair personalised advertising or contractual problems online. The protection of minors as consumers online is a key priority of the DFA. The DFA will not tackle matters such as privacy risks or harassment. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng. 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/consultations/commission-launches-open-consultation-forthcomingdigital-fairness-act.”
  Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content · Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2025-10-28 “E-004232/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) including their pads/electrodes, are medical devices in the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 1 (MDR). To be lawfully placed on the market in the EU, AEDs must comply with the safety and performance requirements of the MDR. This encompasses also the construction of devices and their interactions. Devices that are intended to be operated together with other devices or products, shall be designed and manufactured in such a way that the interoperability and compatibility are reliable and safe 2 . Connections to handle, such as electrical or mechanical coupling, must also be designed and constructed to minimise all possible risks, such as misconnections 3 . To support compliance, the Commission requested the European standardisation organisations 4 to develop a harmonised standard on safety performance of cardiac defibrillators 5 . This should take into account the different aspects related to design, functional compatibility, system performance, and reliability of AEDs. Manufacturers must carry out appropriate post-market surveillance and vigilance activities on the devices they place on the market 6 . The competent authorities of the Member States for market surveillance are responsible to check and ensure that devices comply with the applicable requirements 7 , as well as for collecting relevant data. 1 Regulation (EU) 2017/745 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2017 on medical devices, amending Directive 2001/83/EC, Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and repealing Council Directives 90/385/EEC and 93/42/EEC (OJ L 117 5.5.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/745/oj). 2 Section 14.5 of Annex I to the MDR. 3 Section 14.1 of Annex I to the MDR. 4 The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC). 5 EN 60601-2-4:2011/prA2:2024 Medical electrical equipment - Part 2-4: Particular requirements for the basic safety and essential performance of cardiac defibrillators: https://standards.cencenelec.eu/ords/f?p=CENELEC:110:::::FSP_PROJECT,FSP_ORG_ID:78953,1257161&cs= 11F05176BFE878336A43E526DB0A801EE. 6 Articles 83 to 92 of the MDR. 7 Articles 93 to 100 of the MDR.”
  Medical devices
• 2025-09-23 “E-003674/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission recognises the potential consequences that users may experience as a result of developing emotional dependence on artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The AI Act 1 foresees several mechanisms to address this phenomenon. It prohibits AI systems that employ subliminal or deceptive techniques to distort human behaviour or exploit vulnerabilities, particularly when these lead to significant harm 2 . It also sets transparency obligations for AI systems that interact with people 3 . As AI chatbots are being built on general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, providers of those models may also bear responsibilities to mitigate risks 4 . As for the alert system, providers of high-risk AI systems (e.g. a chatbot with emotion recognition functionality) must report any serious incident to the competent market surveillance authority 5 . They must also implement risk management measures 6 . If an AI chatbot is deployed as part of the provision of a very large online platform (VLOP) or a very large online search engine (VLOSE) service within the meaning of the Digital Services Act (DSA), 7 providers of those VLOPs and VLOSEs must assess and mitigate the systemic risks 8 , including risks to physical and mental well-being 9 . The Guidelines on protection of minors under Article 28 DSA recommend additional measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security of minors 10 . In 2025, the Commission issued a proposal for a Council decision on the EU’s conclusion of the Convention on Artificial Intelligence 11 . Ratification is currently pending the final decision 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj/eng The AI Act applies progressively, with a full roll-out by 2 August 2027. Currently, just part of the AI Act provisions, in particular prohibitions, obligations for generalpurpose AI models and AI literacy requirement are in force. The obligations regarding high-risk systems listed in Annex III (self-standing AI systems) and the transparency requirements (Article 50) will apply as of 2 August 2026. National and European level enforcement will begin on 2 August 2026. 2 Article 5(1)(a) and (b) AI Act. 3 Article 50 AI Act. 4 Applicable to models with systemic risks; Chapter V AI Act. Any GPAI model with systemic risk placed on the Union market from 2 August 2025 onwards is subject to obligations to assess and mitigate systemic risks, and to report relevant information on serious incidents to competent authorities. The Safety and Security Chapter of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/contents-code-gpai) provides further guidance on this obligation; harmful manipulation, which may include undue influence in highly sensitive contexts such as suicide detection, is explicitly identified as a systemic risk. 5 Article 73 and Article 3(49) AI Act. 6 Article 9 AI Act. 7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng. 8 Article 34 DSA. Providers are also required to put in place reasonable, proportionate and effective mitigation measures, including testing and adapting their algorithmic systems (Article 35 DSA). 9 Providers of online platforms accessible to minors should put in place appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure a high level of privacy, safety and security of minors, on their service (Article 28(1) DSA). 10 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:C_202505519. 11 Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, COM/2025/265 final, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025PC0265. The Council is empowered to adopt decision on conclusion, on behalf of the EU, of the Convention pursuant to Article 218(6)(a)(v) TFEU. The Framework Convention sets out high-level principles and objectives. Parties to the”
  Artificial Intelligence · EU policy on mental health
• 2025-09-04 “E-003429/2025 Answer given by Ms Lahbib on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the gender-specific health issues related to menopause, which can affect women’s well-being and participation in society. The Commission is mainstreaming gender in its health policy and supports relevant actions, e.g. with funding from the EU4Health Programme 1 . The Roadmap for Women’s Rights 2 and particularly principle 2 of the Declaration of principles for a gender-equal society 3 promote women’s right to the highest standards of physical and mental health, including through access to evidence-based information on women’s health and sexuality and to sexual and reproductive health and rights, through supporting and complementing health actions by Member States, in full respect of the Treaties. The forthcoming Gender Equality Strategy 2026-2030 4 will include concrete measures mainstreaming gender across different areas. While the Commission is not planning a dedicated EU strategy on menopause, several projects addressing the social and medical impact of menopause are funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe 5 . These aim – among others – to improve diagnosis and monitoring of symptoms through Artificial Intelligence and telemedicine, and to understand better the health impacts of menopause, including those related to breast cancer and cardiovascular risks. Horizon Europe, with its broadly defined calls, provides further opportunities to support research and innovation on issues related to women’s health 6 . Furthermore, the Commission supports national efforts to address non-communicable diseases and to improve mental health with a focus on women and other vulnerable groups, through the Healthier Together initiative 7 and the Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health 8 . 1 https://health.ec.europa.eu/funding/eu4health-programme-2021-2027-vision-healthier-european-union_en. 2 https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/eu-roadmap-womens-rights-renewed-push-genderequality-2025-03-07_en. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/document/7d965089-e332-473a-88a9-e246f214e3bf_en. 4 https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14611-Gender-Equality-Strategy-20262030_en. 5 https://cordis.europa.eu/. 6 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/home. 7 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/d843d53e-c1c1-4664-b31e-febf618d011a_en?filename=euncd-initiative_publication_en_0.pdf. 8 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/cef45b6d-a871-44d5-9d623cecc47eda89_en?filename=com_2023_298_1_act_en.pdf.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion · EU competences on health
• 2025-07-23 “E-003068/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission Under Article 40 of the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 , providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and of very large online search engines (VLOSEs) are required to give access to data to researchers meeting a set of conditions for the sole purposes of conducting research on systemic risks in the EU and, under additional conditions, assessing risk mitigation measures. Access to data by researchers is key to ensure accountability and public scrutiny of providers of VLOPs and VLOSEs and for bridging information asymmetries and establishing a resilient system of risk mitigation. The recently published delegated act on data access 2 supplements the DSA and displays the technical conditions and harmonises the procedures for the management of the data access process. Moreover, it sets out which information Digital Services Coordinators (DSCs), VLOPs and VLOSEs must make public to facilitate vetted researchers' applications to access relevant datasets. The Commission is diligently enforcing Article 40 DSA and has initiated proceedings pursuant to Article 66(1) DSA against six providers of VLOPs for their compliance with Article 40(12) DSA 3 . The Commission sent preliminary findings to the provider of X pursuant to Article 73(2) DSA on 12 July 2024 4 where the Commission took the preliminary view that that provider was in breach of Article 40(12) DSA. This enforcement has already had positive results and on 18 June 2025 the Commission has accepted AliExpress’ commitments pursuant to Article 71(1) DSA to enable independent access of public data via automated means, to maintain a dedicated Application Programming Interface, to provide customised datasets and to maintain a webpage providing relevant information on data access to researchers 5 . 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng. 2 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/delegated-act-data-access-under-digital-services-act-dsa. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng. 4 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-sends-preliminary-findings-x-breach-digital-servicesact. 5 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-makes-aliexpress-commitments-under-digital-services-actbinding.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-05-28 “E-002140/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is concerned about ensuring children are protected online and is, as part of this, working on a common EU approach to age verification. To this end, a robust EUharmonised age verification app that is privacy-preserving and easy to use is being developed in cooperation with the Member States via the European Board for Digital Services 1 . This work is part of a set of measures for the protection of minors, including the Digital Services Act art. 28 guidelines and enforcement actions, the Action Plan against Cyberbullying, and the inquiry on the impact of social media on mental health. The app will initially allow users to prove that they are over 18 years when accessing online content restricted to adults (e.g. pornography, gambling, online alcohol purchase). It is technically possible and envisaged to extend the app to other age limits. Mid-July 2025, a white-label app will be made available to Member States, who may then customise and adapt it to their national contexts (e.g. compatibility with national digital infrastructures and legal frameworks, branding and translation) and decide to publish it in the app stores. This release launches a pilot phase during which the white-label app will be tested and further customised in collaboration with Member States, online platforms and end-users. 5 frontrunner Member States – Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, and Spain – will be the first to take up the technical solution in view of publishing a customised national app on the app stores. The Commission prepares to scale the app to Member States with national implementation strategies. The European Parliament is kept informed on this and broader actions in this policy area through presentations at the appropriate Committees meetings and structured dialogues. 1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-board.”
  Electronic identity · Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2025-04-09 “E-001460/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware that certain aspects of Meta’s new Meta artificial intelligence (AI) feature fall within the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 and is closely monitoring its deployment. Under the DSA, providers of designated Very Large Online Platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are required to diligently identify, analyse, assess, and mitigate systemic risks presented by their services in the EU. These risk assessments are mandated at least annually and must also occur prior to deploying any functionalities that could significantly impact a platform’s risk profile 2 . The Commission’s DSA enforcement team is in continuous dialogue with Meta concerning the launch of their Meta AI feature. Meta is currently proactively cooperating with the Commission’s inquiries and is expected to submit to the Commission the related risk assessment report shortly. Upon its receipt, the Commission will carefully analyse all relevant documentation to verify compliance with the DSA and follow-up accordingly as appropriate. 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 L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1. 2 Article 34(1) of the DSA.”
  Artificial Intelligence · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2025-04-07 “E-001411/2025 Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission 1. As outlined in the mission letter to the Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, the Commission will carry out an EU-wide inquiry on the broader impacts of social media and related excessive screentime on wellbeing and mental health, especially of children and young people. This initiative may include the collection of relevant data and consultations with key stakeholders. The scope, methodology and timeline of the inquiry are being developed. This inquiry will build on enforcement actions currently under way in the context of the Digital Services Act 1 , where the Commission is investigating mental health risks on social media platforms including TikTok 2 and Meta 3 . 2. The Commission is also preparing an action plan to tackle cyberbullying. It would aim to develop a shared definition of cyberbullying; map national best practices to scale them up at EU level; foster cooperation with industry and civil society; and encourage a culture of seeking support and reporting cyberbullying. The Commission services responsible for the inquiry and the action plan are working closely to ensure that the inquiry builds on and reinforces the existing work on mental health and social media, and that it aligns with the upcoming Digital Fairness Act. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng. 2 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_926. 3 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_2664.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content · EU policy on mental health
• 2025-03-12 “E-001058/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission has taken, and continues to take, swift and decisive action in relation to the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 enforcement. The Commission has opened formal proceedings against several providers of very large online platforms, sent requests for information to verify providers’ compliance with the DSA and issued data retention orders 2 . Several proceedings are ongoing, and findings remain confidential until publicly communicated. In addition, regulatory dialogues with very large online platforms and very large online search engines are carried out on an ongoing basis. On 13 February 2025, the Commission and the European Board for Digital Services endorsed the integration of the voluntary Code of Practice on disinformation into the framework of the DSA within the meaning of Article 45 3 . Adherence to the Code may therefore constitute a mitigation measure within the meaning of Article 35 DSA. If the Commission establishes a breach of the DSA by the provider of a very large online platform or very large online search engine, a fine of up to 6% of their total worldwide annual turnover may be imposed and the concerned provider shall take the necessary measures to address the breach. A non-compliance decision also triggers an enhanced supervision period to ensure compliance with the measures the provider intends to take to remedy the breach. The Commission can also impose periodic penalty payments to compel a platform to comply. All enforcement actions of the Commission will be specifically tailored and proportionate to the infringements and risks at hand. 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 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/code-conduct-disinformation”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2025-03-04 “E-000914/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Mînzatu on behalf of the European Commission Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union stipulates that the Union shall fully respect the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity. In exercising its competences in those matters, Slovakia is bound to respect applicable international and European law, which provides a number of safeguards to ensure that education in national minority languages does not lead to discrimination and ensures equivalent standards, quality and conditions of education. Segregation in education on the basis of ethnic origin is prohibited under EU law by the Racial Equality Directive 1 and minority schools cannot be used as a means to circumvent EU law and discriminate against Roma children. Infringement proceedings against Slovakia for segregation of Roma children in education are pending at the Court of Justice 2 . The Commission will continue to closely monitor the situation. The EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation 3 and EU funds, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility and cohesion policy funds, can serve as additional tools to support the desegregation in education in Member States. The ‘Mapping Study on School segregation of Roma Communities: Pathways and trends towards educational inclusion’ 4 compiles promising practices and relevant literature for policy makers to support effective policy making on desegregation in education. 1 Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22–26. 2 Case C-799/23. 3 COM(2020) 620 final. 4 https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/inclusive-education-for-roma-children/texts-2.”
  Role of education (social change vs. tradition) · Engagement of Romani communities in Europe · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• 2025-02-12 “E-000640/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen On behalf of the European Commission The protection of minors online is a priority area for the Commission. Due to their extended reach YouTube has been designated as a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA) 1 , and has to comply with the strictest DSA obligations including risk assessments and effective risk mitigation measures to ensure a high level of security and safety of minors. The Commission is actively monitoring YouTube’s DSA compliance, also taking into account research on the matter and is developing guidelines on the protection of minors online to support DSA enforcement 2 . The Commission has already sent a request for information 3 (RFI) to YouTube to provide more information on the measures they have taken to comply with their obligations related to the protection of minors, including on risk assessments and mitigation measures, in particular with regard to the risks to mental and physical health, and on the use of their services by minors. Through another RFI 4 , the Commission requested more information on how YouTube assesses and mitigates risks stemming from their recommender systems, including risks for the mental health of users and the dissemination of harmful content arising from the engagement-based design of these algorithms. In cases where the Commission has suspicions of DSA non-compliance, it may initiate formal proceedings. The Commission Communication on mental health 5 supports youth mental health including in the digital sphere 6 . The Commission will conduct an EU-wide inquiry on the impact of social media on mental health and wellbeing, focusing on young people. The European Strategy for Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) 7 supports and complements the DSA ensuring that evert child is respected, protected and empowered online. 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) (Text with EEA relevance). 2 In line with Article 28 of the DSA. 3 In November 2023, https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-sends-requests-informationtiktok-and-youtube-under-digital-services-act 4 Sent in October 2024, https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-sends-requests-informationyoutube-snapchat-and-tiktok-recommender-systems-under-digital 5 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-waylife/european-health-union/comprehensive-approach-mental-health_en 6 https://health.ec.europa.eu/document/download/6317c605-5f5d-4d4f-9c8ad5c93e869814_en?filename=ncd_tracking-framework-mh_en.pdf 7 https://better-internet-for-kids.europa.eu/en”
  Recommender systems · Safety features & content control for child protection online
• 2025-01-24 “E-000326/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Code of Practice on Disinformation 1 is a unique framework agreed upon by online platforms, search engines, the advertising industry, fact-checkers, researchers and civil society organisations. Following the signatories’ willingness to have the Code officially integrated into the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA) 2 , the European Board for Digital Services and the Commission assessed the Code on 13 February 2025, concluding that it meets the conditions for codes of conduct under Article 45 of the DSA. In their opinions, the Commission and the Board recognise that, taken together, the Code’s robust commitments and detailed measures constitute a strong set of mitigation measures and would serve as a relevant benchmark for determining compliance with the DSA for those providers of very large online platforms (VLOPs) and search engines (VLOSEs) that adhere to and comply with its commitments. The Commission, in its opinion, also stresses that the Code is most effective when fully implemented. Although VLOPs and VLOSEs remain committed to the vast majority of the Code, the Commission is concerned that some of them withdrew from its fact-checking chapter. Independent, impartial fact-checking can significantly contribute to identifying and addressing risks linked with the dissemination of disinformation, and the risk of negative effects on civic discourse and electoral integrity, while respecting freedom of expression. The Commission will assess the commitment levels and implementation by VLOPs and VLOSEs signatories on a case-by-case basis, and, if necessary, will hold regulatory dialogues and decide about appropriate follow-up actions. 1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/code-practice-disinformationital future 2 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 L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1–102.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2025-01-24 “E-000328/2025 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the cited article published in the New York Times. The practices mentioned in this article could in principle fall under the scope of the Digital Services Act (DSA, Regulation (EU) 2022/2065) in the EU if they relate to systemic issues, such as systemic over-removal of health-related information, stemming from the provision of very large online platforms and very large online search engines. In this regard, the Commission is currently not aware of any data or evidence of such systemic issues in the EU, but continuously monitors the practices of very large online platforms and search engines, including Facebook and Instagram. In 2024, the Commission launched a whistleblower tool 1 for the DSA. This tool offers individuals with inside information a secure and privacy-protected avenue to share anonymous, or attributed, submissions concerning harmful practices by very large online platforms and search engines to the Commission. The Commission welcomes any contributions to this tool, since these contributions can provide useful insights on potential DSA violations. 1 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-whistleblower-tool”
  Disinformation & online freedoms · Digital platforms liability for harmful and illegal content
• 2025-01-24 “E-000327/2025 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) and very large online search engines (VLOSEs) are required to assess the risks to which their service gives rise in relation to civic discourse, electoral processes and public security, and to put in place measures to mitigate such risks, while protecting the fundamental rights of their users and of persons affected by their services, in particular the right to freedom of expression under the EU Charter of Fundamental rights 2 . The DSA does not prescribe fact-checking as a measure mitigating such risks. Rather, providers of VLOPs and VLOSEs are required to put in place reasonable, proportionate and effective mitigation measures, tailored to the specific systemic risks identified, which may include fact-checking. Adherence to the Code of Conduct on Disinformation (the Code) 3 , may constitute an appropriate risk mitigation measure in relation to the risk of disinformation. The Code is a set of voluntary commitments to which providers of online platforms may adhere to address the risks that arise from the dissemination of disinformation online. Adherence to a code of conduct does not in itself presume compliance with the DSA. The effectiveness of specific mitigation measures needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The Commission also provides substantial support to initiatives involving civil society organisations such as the European Digital Media Observatory 4 . The Commission is continuously monitoring the compliance of VLOPs and VLOSEs with the DSA and can open proceedings, should this be necessary. 1 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the Parliament and the Council (OJ 2022/2065). 2 Enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter on freedom of expression. 3 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/code-conduct-disinformation 4 https://edmo.eu/”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2024-12-18 “E-003023/2024 Answer given by Executive Vice-President Virkkunen on behalf of the European Commission The Commission remains vigilant to any legislative developments that may negatively impact the legal standards of independence of national regulatory authorities set out in EU law, in its role as guardian of the Treaties. The European Media Freedom Act 1 (EMFA) foresees that national regulatory authorities must be subject to the requirements set out in Article 30 of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive 2 (AVMSD). This Article requires Member States to ensure the independence of such national authorities, firstly by ensuring that they are legally distinct and functionally independent of their respective governments, or any other public or private entity, and secondly ensuring that they exercise their powers impartially and transparently. Pursuant to the Digital Services Act 3 (DSA), Member States shall ensure that their Digital Services Coordinators perform their tasks under the DSA in an impartial, transparent and timely manner. The 2024 country chapter for Slovakia states that ‘a legal framework and autonomous budget permit the Council for Media Services to operate autonomously’ 4 . Any changes to the current framework should aim to strengthen the independence of the national regulatory authorities, in line with the requirements set out in AVMSD and referred to in EMFA. In particular, the potential changes to the structure of the Council, aimed at transforming it from a collegiate body to a single-person body, should not affect the possibility for the Council to exercise its powers impartially and transparently and not to seek or take instructions from any other body in relation to the exercise of its tasks, while ensuring that the appointment and dismissal procedures guarantee the requisite degree of independence of the Council. 1 Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act), OJ L, 2024/1083, 17.4.2024, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1083 2 Directive (EU) 2018/1808 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 November 2018 amending Directive 2010/13/EU concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive), OJ L 303, 28.11.2018, p. 69–92, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/1808/oj/eng 3 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 L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1–102, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng 4 2024 Rule of law report, https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2024-rule-law-report-communication-andcountry-chapters_en”
  EU support for traditional (non-digital) media · Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2024-10-01 “E-001904/2024 Answer given by Ms Johansson on behalf of the European Commission The interinstitutional negotiations on the Commission’s proposal for a regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, which includes provisions setting up the EU Centre to prevent and combat child sexual abuse 1 (‘EU Centre’), are still ongoing. The Parliament confirmed its negotiation mandate on 22 November 2023, while the Council still needs to reach an agreement on its general approach. The recast of Directive 2011/93 2 , also in interinstitutional negotiations, includes provisions on prevention and assistance to victims which also refer to the EU Centre. The Commission is setting up a network on Child Sexual Abuse Prevention 3 to bring together researchers and frontline practitioners to support Member States in putting in place effective prevention measures. Its work serves as a starting point for the possible functions that the EU Centre would carry out in the area of prevention. Further work on the establishment of the EU Centre is not possible while interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal are ongoing. The Commission will continue to support the colegislators during the negotiations. 1 Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, COM/2022/209 final of 11.05.2022, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2022%3A209%3AFIN. 2 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast), COM/2024/60 final of 06.02.2024, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2024%3A60%3AFIN. 3 More information is available here https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/networks/child-sexual-abuseprevention-network-csapn_en”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online · Privacy & detection of online child abuse
• 2024-10-01 “E-001903/2024 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission The Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection has been tasked by the President of the Commission with the responsibility to lead the work on the new European democracy shield. It will address severe risks to democracy in the EU and build on the comprehensive approach of the European Democracy Action Plan and the Defence of Democracy Package. All work will be done in full respect of fundamental rights and democratic values, notably freedom of expression and association. As part of this work, the Commission will counter foreign information manipulation and interference, as well as disinformation, by enhancing operational capacity, situational awareness, analysis, cooperation and information sharing, building on acquired expertise and existing mechanisms and cooperation structures. The EU’s democracy shield should build on and reinforce efforts already in place to frame the actions of online platforms, not the least the enforcement of the Digital Services Act 1 and the cooperation under the Code of practice against disinformation, as well as the entry into application of the Political Advertising Regulation 2 . 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). 2 Regulation (EU) 2024/900 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2024 on the transparency and targeting of political advertising.”
  Disinformation & online freedoms
• 2024-07-17 “E-001374/2024 Answer given by Vice-President Jourová on behalf of the European Commission The European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) 1 which entered into force on 7 May 2024 sets out safeguards for journalists and media service providers. The EMFA will start to apply progressively as of November 2024. Most of the provisions of the EMFA will apply as of August 2025, including those related to public service media. The Commission is in touch with authorities of Member States, including Slovakia, in order to discuss preparations for the implementation of the EMFA at national level. As guardian of the Treaties, the Commission will monitor the application of the EMFA. The Commission makes full use of the tools available to it under the Treaties to ensure compliance with EU law, including launching infringement proceedings against relevant Member States. Meanwhile, prior to the start of application of the new rules, Member States are bound by a duty of sincere cooperation, in line with Article 4(3) of the Treaty on European Union 2 . Finally, regarding the situation of media freedom and pluralism in Slovakia, the Commission notes, in its 2024 Rule of Law Report 3 , that ‘there has been no progress to enhance the autonomy of public service media as the new Act regulating public service media dissolved the current broadcaster and established a new entity leading to concerns on the future independence of the broadcaster’. On this basis, the Commission recommended Slovakia to ‘strengthen the rules and mechanisms to restore and further safeguard the independent governance and editorial independence of public service media taking into account European standards on public service media’. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%3AL_202401083 2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:2bf140bf-a3f8-4ab2-b506fd71826e6da6.0023.02/DOC_1&format=PDF 3 https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2024-rule-law-report-communication-and-country-chapters_en”
  Rule of law and democracy in the EU (political compass) · EU support for traditional (non-digital) media
• “Let's try. Okay. All right, let's finish it up. So to sum it up, this is not just one company's problem though. We have to go further and we have to concentrate on actually making it impossible. Hence, I think that Nullifiers should not have a place in the European Union, and we should start working on that together now. Thank you.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• “Thank you. Chair. And Irene sends her apologies, but she couldn't be here today. However, I would like to present on her behalf. So first, Irene, I would like to highlight that report on pay and pension. Gap is very much needed as we have data still highlighting the immense gender gaps in some member states. Data shows that women still earn up more than 18% less than men, which compounds into retirement where the gender pension gap remains above 25%, leaving millions of older women more exposed to poverty. And it is a very worrying situation that we must address when drafting the report, we wanted to provide a comprehensive overview of the persistent inequalities that women face throughout their working lives, inequalities that too often culminate in financial insecurity in old age. While building on the decades of European work for equality, from the founding principle of equal pay for equal work in the Treaty of Rome to our more recent pay transparency directive. Following the pattern of already achieved, the report proposes a comprehensive and ambitious approach, one that ties together equality, competitiveness and fairness. We call on the Commission to develop a new gender equality strategy with measurable and time bound goals, to eradicate both the pay and pension gaps. I believe we need to have gender sensitive indicators integrated into the EU social scoreboard and economic governance governance. The gender pay and pension gaps should be treated not as side issues but as key indicators of Europe's social health.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “Today is a day of good news. We are taking protection of children from sexual violence a step forward. The punishment for predators will be stricter and more accurate. We are extending the statute of limitations for sexual abuse against children. We know that 40% of victims are only able to deal with this trauma years later. If there's any area where there should be a life time right to justice. It is a sexual abuse in childhood. More helplines. Better access to health care. The risks of artificial intelligence. All this is covered by the new rules. I think it's our job as politicians to speak and act on behalf of the most vulnerable, those that are unable to speak for themselves. I think that we have been successful on this file in Parliament, and I hope Commission and Council are aware of this. We need to work on this together. Thank you.”
  EU policy on criminal justice
• “They bully and they are bullied. 1 in 6 teenagers experiences online bullying. This is the reality of the internet that we know today. I often hear that the internet is a free space. Well, it is not. It is a space where algorithms reward hate. The more you attack someone, the more likes you get. Group chats where men encourage one another to drug and assault women and exchange tips on how to get away with that. A pro-government extremist who spreads hateful speech and colleagues even here among us who normalize this behavior. And yet we leave everyone to navigate this space on their own. And that is not fair. It is our responsibility here to set the rules, especially for children. Cyberbullying must be a criminal offense across the European Union. And I don't know about those sitting in the far end of this chamber, but I refuse to live in a Europe where the loudest voice is the one that intimidates the most. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you dear colleagues. On this day when we refer to World Mental Health Day, it's the time to pass from word to action. So we should have an approach where we are not just a passive patient but rather an active partner in treatment because we know that the communication helps a lot. And it's not only the medicine that helps but also secure housing and proper attention care helps a lot. So we also need to focus the money where it helps because we are in a crisis of mental health particularly with young people and I know that have to say it again. Yes, without mental health there will be no competitiveness because mental health is the basis and that is the fundament. I'm sure many of us do realize that and the good news is that we know what to do so let's do it.”
  EU policy on mental health
• “I really believe we should work this on the European level. What I believe could help is education. Educated women secure better paying jobs and negotiate higher salaries. That is why the gender equality strategy needs to encourage girls participation in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, digital and green skills. These are key to building a gender balanced and competitive European economy. We are talking about competitiveness a lot. We cannot deal without women being part of the equation. At the same time as we've heard from some colleagues, we need to look at the structures that hold women back. Effective childcare policies are essential to ensure that both women and men can balance family and career. We must therefore promote fair burden sharing and adequately paid paternity leave. Finally, as women in leadership, whether in politics, business or any other field, we have a responsibility to lift others as we rise. We should work with young women, inspire them to aim high and support active measures such as early training, mentoring and fair recruitment and promotion procedures. Because these are the tools that can help break the cycle of inequality, which I think is the goal and should be the goal of everyone here. Thank you.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “Thank you Chair. I'll maybe switch to a slightly different topic but very related. So according to US court findings that were revealed about two weeks ago it said they show that Meta although they say they have zero tolerance for any child sexual content they were by twenty twenty three in fact recommending minors to potentially suspicious adults and vice versa and had a seventeen strike policy for accounts that reportedly engaged in trafficking humans for sex. So I was wondering if the Commission was aware of this, if they if you are in any contact with Meta because it relates to the topic of child sexual abuse online and whether you are taking any steps or any measures towards them after these findings were revealed. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you very much. Dear Vice President, dear colleagues, we often hear grand talk about freedom of speech, usually from the loudest voices claiming they are silenced online. Big fiery speeches with honestly very little substance. The internet isn't a romantic Times Square. It is a business built by engineers and driven by profit. Whatever keeps us online wins. If skinny talk keeps teenagers clicking, so be it. If anger keeps people scrolling, so be it. That isn't freedom. That is design. So commissions fines against Google matters. It is stopping dominance that blocks choice, harms media and slows innovation. If you want access to 450 million European consumers, you follow European rules. It's as simple as that. Because if we truly care about freedom and fairness online, we must enforce our laws strongly and firmly. When rules reward fairness, not dominance, ideas and innovation flourish. And that is a clear win that we all want here because honestly, we really shouldn't be left at the mercy of someone's morning tweet. Thank you very much.”
  EU rules on digital competition
• “We ask member States to strengthen work life balance, make child care and long term care affordable and accessible, and to recognise and value care work. Much of it is still unpaid or underpaid. There is a clear link between care responsibilities and pension rights, so we must make it more explicit with measures such as care credits. No one, especially women who dedicate years to caring for children or relatives, should face poverty in old age. Similarly, we have to address the persistent low wage, low wages in female dominated sectors such as health, education and social care. These professions hold our societies together, so we need to attribute them the value that they deserve. And last but not least, in the report, we highlight the economic potential of women's entrepreneurship and call for better access to finance, mentoring and digital reskilling and upskilling, especially for women in rural and outermost regions. Women with disabilities and older women who are too often excluded from reskilling opportunities. This report gives us a strong foundation to work on, and Irena is looking forward to the constructive work, which she is sure will allow us to make this a roadmap not just for pay equality, but for a fairer, more resilient and competitive Europe. Thank you.”
  Gender roles, equality and inclusion
• “Imagine that we know about sexual predators who address 12 year olds on social networks. They send pictures, they make proposals. We have evidence, but we do very little against that. It's terrifying, isn't it? Yes. But Mehta has admitted such behaviour during the court proceedings in 2024. They were aware not protecting children against predators because they didn't want to lose profit. Platforms that we use daily have the best experts and the best technologies and despite that, very frequently, instead of protecting the most vulnerable they pick, they choose disinterest. I refuse to tolerate such behaviour. We need efficient tools to limit manipulative algorithms and unfair trade practices. We need an act on digital fairness and we need it quickly. We owe it in particular to our children. They are individualities. They are unique, just forming, and they need us adults to be able to grow up in safety, not as goods for merchants with attention. Thank you.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Yes, thank you very much. President. Commissioner. There are three young people who are no longer with us. In good faith. They thought they had found a solution to their problem and they turned to artificial intelligence. You may be aware of this. Giuliana was 13 years old and this was a child who was ignored and left alone, and she is no longer with us. So we are talking about the health of our children and we have to do something. We have to react to the changes that are taking place and the conditions in which our children are growing up. And this is why we want a minimum age of 13 for the access of children to the internet. Our children are individual personalities who are developing, and they need our protection, and they shouldn't be seen as a blank check for economist Julian Adam and have made it clear to us in a very tragic way that we are responsible for them. So let's do something.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you chair, and thank you to the representatives of the Commission for being here. And also, as all my colleagues said, for opening the investigation. Um, and I will just echo my hopes that it will be more speedy than what we've seen before, because it also shows our strength as the European Union. We saw that Elon Musk was making fun of the first notions that when we were criticizing, um, gross behavior. And I think we can only battle that by being, um, being strict and strong. And as my colleague Alexandra said, um, Indonesia, Malaysia managed to to be further along than we did, which isn't amazing, but okay. The investigation is ongoing. I hope for a robust, um, and, uh, and actually enforceable outcome. And I have a question that relates to the regulatory gaps. How does the Commission intend to address the risks posed by AI assistants and chatbots that operate on platforms that are designated as not not as very large online platforms? Because AI systems such as ChatGPT or tools focus on graphic content like perplexity clearly fall under the scope of the AI act. What enforcement or corrective measures are envisaged if such systems produce harmful sexualised content similar to that generated by grok? How will you actually ensure consistent protection across all platforms, um, regardless of their formal classification? And let me also join my colleagues in the question about the nudie fires. How do you view this? Is this covered in the in the existing legislation? Or do we need to go further? I think we do. Um, and actually ban these systems that make this possible if we want to be speedy and strict in the future as well, and to have actual tools to act against the tech bros. Thank you very much.”
  Transparency and oversight of AI-generated content
• “Thank you. Chairs. Yes. So now, as in my in my hat of a shadow rapporteur for committee on this report, I would like to thank the rapporteurs for a very good draft report. Um, I was happy I was hearing so many, um, similar themes, and I thought we were going to agree, uh, maybe not with everyone. I really appreciate that. This draft is being built on statistics and on data and on facts. Um, it is not pulled out of anywhere. It is actually science based. We see that there are still problems with gender pay gaps with gender inequality and with pension gaps. It is a challenge in my own country of Slovakia, for instance, based on the most recent available data, the Slovakia's pay gap is high at 15.7%, so 15.7% less than their male colleagues. And this gap has a long term consequence. Obviously, women not only earn less during their working lives, but also face a higher risk of poverty in old age. In 2020, women in the EU aged over 65 received pensions that were on average 28.3 lower than those received by men. So it's almost a third less than their male counterparts. And as we've heard, equality is one of the founding principles of the European Union.”
  Gender pay transparency
• “Dear colleagues, when I entered politics, a deepfake video of me was shared online. It was my face plastered on a dancing body clad in a bikini. Because how else would you try to hurt a starting female politician? It spread quite fast and despite our efforts, it's still online. Well, I'm an adult. I'm equipped to deal with this, although I don't think I should be. However, imagine being a teenager at a time where public perception of you matters so much, and a half naked video of a 12 year old shared without her consent is shared online, and it is impossible to erase. Well, that is. Or was grok at your service, my colleagues? So to Mr. Musk and other tech pros, let's make it clear new defying other people without their consent, mainly children, is never okay. You can choose to do business in a myriad of innovative ways, and yet you choose children in bikinis.”
  Safety features & content control for child protection online
• “Thank you very much, colleagues. Commissioner, if as a society, we start closing our eyes to this reality or we even perhaps put it into our Constitution, it doesn't mean that the reality will go away. The world will continue turning, but the lives of our young people, of many of them, will be much harder. The Slovak constitution contains a sentence that limits young people's access to sexual education. Do you know what nowadays involves sexual intimate life of young people, for instance, emotional relations with AI systems or spreading of intimate photographs, videos without consent, deepfakes, revenge porn. So things that a parent can't even imagine. And yet they are here. We need to talk about this. We need to create healthy communities, healthy relationships, safe environments. We must not close our eyes. We must face this and therefore we need a clear strategy. I would like to thank the commission that we have this today, and we also need to support our teachers, school psychologists, parents. We must not leave them alone in this immorality. And we here in the European Parliament, we politicians, we have another major task upon us. And that is not to succumb to aggressive marketing of the large platforms, the large players who say that all of this is just a matter of choice, and that the internet is a space of freedom. No, internet has never been truly free. The mental health of our young people is not for sale and will not be determined by algorithms focusing only on the profits of their owners.”
  Sexuality and reproduction
• “Thank you chair. Thank you, Commissioner, for being with us and for all the good work in an expansive portfolio you're doing. Um, I would like to ask about a trend that is very prevalent, and that is a health threat. And that is anti-vax movement, anti-vaccination, which is spreading. Even the resistance towards mandatory vaccinations is spreading all across Europe, which obviously poses a threat to the health of every European. And in light, maybe of the great campaign in the preparedness strategy that you had that was very influential on, on social media among people, it was referenced here as well. I was wondering if the commission is thinking about maybe a communication campaign that would enhance vaccination and would actually enforce people's trust in mandatory vaccination for for the vaccines that are proven as safe, because there's a process that they have to go through which people sometimes forget that there is. So is there any any campaign planned? Is there are there any plans maybe to support member states on their member state level, or is it going to be a coordinated one? I think that would be very, very helpful in this climate that we're in. And then I have a very short question also adding on some of the colleagues, um, we are talking about humanitarian aid, and we know that USAID will come to a halt or is coming to a halt in many countries, including Ukraine, Ukraine, including others. So if the European Commission is willing and ready to step up to in some way, actually be in place of the USAID, USAID help that was delivered before, if it's either financially or in a material way, if there is any way that we could rely on the European Commission to sort of take in at least some part of what the USAID was doing. Thank you.”
  Vaccination