Ana VASCONCELOS

Policy topics Ana VASCONCELOS is active on

What Ana VASCONCELOS has said (24)

• 2025-07-16 “E-002906/2025 Answer given by Ms Roswall on behalf of the European Commission 1. Local authorities apply the legislation in order to transpose the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) 1 , notably its Articles 8 and 8a, but also Articles 11, 14, 15 and 28. While the Directive sets binding EU-wide objectives, it is ultimately up to Member States, within the spirit of subsidiarity, to determine the instruments through which those goals are reached, including as regards the fees to be paid into the national extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme. As Portugal thus is acting within its margin of discretion, the Commission will continue its work to ensure compliance. In the light of available information, there is no evidence of breach of EU law. 2. Annex IVa to the WFD contains a (non-exhaustive) list of examples of economic instruments and other measures to provide incentives for the application of the waste hierarchy. The measures can be used, at the Member States’ discretion, as alternatives or cumulatively, to cover the costs for waste management. Member States, including local authorities, can also take other measures which are not listed in Annex IVa to achieve the objectives set out notably in Articles 8, 8a, 11, 14, 15 and 28. The measures may also vary depending on which actors they are imposed, such as businesses/producers or households, for instance. 3. In July 2024, the Commission opened infringement proceedings against Portugal for failure to reach certain waste targets 2 . Should statistics show that Portugal still does not meet its targets, the Commission can pursue the infringement case. In July 2025, the Commission published the Environmental Implementation Review which also concerns Portugal’s performance notably in the waste management sector 3 . 1 Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109–140, amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109–140. 2 INFR(2024)2145: https://ec.europa.eu/implementing-eu-law/search-infringementdecisions/?langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&refId=INFR(2024)2145&page=1&size=10 &order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate. 3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52025SC0321.”
  EU policy towards plastics · Circular economy
• “Thank you very much, chair. Thank you to our speakers for their presentations. I must say I apologize in advance. I will have to leave earlier, but I will definitely follow up on your answers. And also on the second panel, which I unfortunately will not be able to, um, to, to watch. Um, yes. So this is a great example of how betting on technology really helps us face climate change and, uh, in an economically viable way. And I'm very much grateful for you helping us make the business case for these technologies. And my questions are actually follow ups to things that you've already naturally already addressed in your presentations, but in the sense I would like you to help me even more, um, present the business case for these technologies. So one thing I would like to follow up on if you could pick one EU level intervention, just one, what could actually speed up the deployment and unlock private investment and carbon capture? Co2 does not respect borders, but our infrastructure planning still does. So from a pure efficiency perspective, what does it cost us to build fragmented national CO2 networks instead of one coordinated European system? If you have figures for that. Um, so what are we leaving on the table? And finally, you mentioned that Europe is on the vanguard, and you also mentioned the cost of not addressing, uh, carbon removal. Now, given that Europe alone cannot fix the climate for the rest of the world, again, what are the potential arguments that we could make to get other countries on board? Where do you think are the pain points? Um, and I think it's crucial that Europe demonstrates that we can address these challenges in an economically viable way, because otherwise we really don't have the business case to sell it to the rest of the world. Thank you.”
  Carbon capture storage and utilisation
• “Thank you. Chair. There are big ambitions for high speed rail across Europe. The big question is whether the EU is on track to deliver them. The commission promised a major high speed rail deal in 2026, backed by a new EU financing strategy that was supposed to be announced end of last year. Can you update us on when this financing strategy will be known, and how does this guarantee a genuinely open, competitive European rail area in place of national monopolies? A truly European rail network needs competition and innovation and avoid subsidizing the status quo. Extreme weather events like the devastating floods recently seen in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy these past weeks have exposed just how fragile our rail infrastructure can be. Disruptions. Disruptions cost billions in damage. The commission has promised harmonised standards for assessing climate resilience across Europe. When do you expect these to be available? Will they be mandatory for EU funded high speed rail projects to ensure passengers the same protections for all journeys across different countries? Finally, traveling by rail across Europe should be simple. Instead, passengers often face a maze of different websites with incompatible ticketing systems and no easy way to book a single journey across multiple modes of transport. The Commission has promised a ticketing ticketing initiative to fix this. When can we expect the proposal and beyond tickets? What's being done to make sure that new rail companies can actually enter the market and compete fairly, so passengers benefit from real choice and better prices. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Thank. Mr. president, Commissioner, colleagues, as we all know by now, the EU was faster to regulate AI than it was to invest in it, develop it, and widely adopted across our economy. It was refreshing to see this report on AI strategy for EU trade. Acknowledge that, quote, premature or excessive regulatory intervention risks undermining innovation, investment and competitiveness. Now we are too dependent on a small number of players outside of the EU, and we cannot afford to make access to these goods and services even harder. If we want to eventually grow and scale our own. While Europe hasn't led on AI development, it can still move fast to accelerate adoption, overcome our AI gap, and gear up for where we still might have an edge, namely in biotech and quantum unifying markets. Streamlining private investment across the single market will do far more for Europe than artificial barriers to tech trade can ever do. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “Thank you chair. Commissioner. Colleagues, since around the year 2000, incomes in Europe have grown more slowly than in the United States. The rise in energy prices since the invasion of Ukraine is, of course, has, of course played a role in this after decades of dependence on Russian gas. Even as we've recovered the energy shock, the energy bill remains twice as high for Europeans than it does for Americans. Sounds dire. It need not be. The cost of wind energy has fallen by 70% in a single decade. Solar by 90% and batteries also by more than 90%. These are now among the cheapest sources of power ever produced. We have the technologies. We have the market that is ready to invest in them. So what is holding Europe back ourselves? Permitting a wind farm in Europe can take up to nine years. That's nearly a decade. Grid connections take even longer. A staggering 81% of European renewable wind capacity is stuck in various permitting stages, surpassing the US, China and India. If we really mean business, let's remove the administrative obstacles. Okay. Simplifying. Digitize. Permitting. And allow clean technology.”
  EU policy on permitting for renewable energy projects
• “Mr. president, Commissioner colleagues. Over 6 million vehicles reached the end of their lives across Europe each year. Right now, we're treating valuable materials like waste when we should be treating them like assets. Many of the metals, plastics and critical minerals that Europe needs are contained in these vehicles. Letting them disappear into landfills and incineration plants makes no economic sense. Replacing the outdated directive with a future proof regulation makes recovery possible. It creates a new portal to cut red tape, harmonise rules that allow a single market for recycled materials to grow, and technology neutral targets that reward businesses for results, not for following prescribed methods. The goal is straightforward maximise environmental benefits, minimise regulatory burden and give industry room to innovate and remain competitive. This regulation removes obstacles to a bigger market that can optimize existing resources, giving us one more example where economic competitiveness and environmental aims can converge. Thank you. **Nicolae ȘTEFĂNUȚĂ @Co-Chair: Thank you very much, Miss Sarah Mathieu from the Greens.”
  Ecodesign & durability
• “Thank you, chair, and thank you to the panelists also for your remarks and very concerning presentations. I would also like to go back to the topic of harmonization, um, and ask. I mean, part of this has to do with also the member states, and we know that on the part of the EU, there have been multiple attempts to harmonize. What do you think specifically, the EU can do more to bring member states on board if you have insights to share in that regard, I think that would be very useful for us. Um, for Miss Matera in particular. Question, um, regarding feasibility and challenges, uh, do you believe a single EU wide digital permitting system for charging infrastructure is really feasible and would work well. What challenges would you anticipate in implementing it? Um, and also, um, the idea of a simplified fast track process for strategic EV infrastructure, uh, in underserved regions. What are your what are your prospects on that um, um, approach? And, uh, for Mr. Fragen, um, about, uh, could you, could you share some particular insights about where interpretations of EU rail regulations have been inconsistent and caused, uh, added to the problems of fragmentation and also, uh, best practices from member states that have successfully reduced administrative burden. We usually hear about the complaints, but it's also useful to hear about successful cases. And finally, uh, Portugal has faced ongoing delays, um, in integrating the border European. Uh, sorry, Integrating with the broader European rail network. What concrete steps would you recommend to simplify and speed up rail infrastructure developments in less connected and peripheral Member states? Thank you very much.”
  EV charging infrastructure · EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Speaking on behalf of my colleague Jeannette Baljeu, I would like to say that first of all, she would like to remind you that the European Parliament has no right of veto on this implementing act. So one could wonder why an objection has been tabled. This brings me to my second point. The arguments raised by ECR and Patriots for Europe in this objection are not only incorrect, they are a reflection of a broader reluctance to embrace innovation in our food systems and to support the transition toward protein diversification in Europe. Efsa has issued a positive scientific opinion on the safety of cricket powder, confirming that it poses no risk to human health when used as intended. Concerns around allergenicity have been acknowledged and addressed through clear and appropriate labelling requirements for consumers with relevant allergies. Claims that this authorisation violates EU food safety rules or misleads consumers are not supported by any evidence on the contrary. Renew Europe believes the placing on the market of this cricket powder is a well regulated step forward, grounded in science and aligned with existing procedures. Procedures for novel food approvals. Renew Europe supports a science based approach and consumer choice. We should continue to encourage safe, sustainable innovation in our food systems rather than turning away from it. Thank you.”
  EU policy on novel foods
• “Thank you, chair, and thank you for your presentations and answers so far. You do take on the presidency of the Council in a time of crisis that we're going living through. But it is in times of crisis that we can see deep structural change. So there are a lot of opportunities here to make progress that is much needed. Now, a big buzzword in this mandate so far has been simplification, and you've mentioned that already. I'm also very happy to see you don't have any trouble using the word deregulation, which is not as popular as simplification. But there is another aspect to this that has been slightly touched upon that I would like to hear you expand on which is harmonization. Many of the issues we face have to do with a fragmented market, and in transport and tourism matters this is even more evident. So in terms of files to prioritize, what is your approach to tackling this challenge, which is, by the way, also very emphasized in the Draghi report in particular. How does the presidency plan to accelerate cross-border rail interoperability and boost infrastructure investments within member states? And also with regard to digitization and in particular, the use of artificial intelligence? What are your views on advancing smart digital transport systems and traffic management, and improving the use of new technologies in the sector. Um, finally, um, I've been working on the county missions, EU uh, regulation. Do you expect it to be, uh, concluded in this term? I actually, I think this was the first meeting, trialogue meeting that your presidency had. And I commend you on how efficiently it was conducted. Thank you very much.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Chair. We welcome the initiative to replace the outdated 2000 EelV directive with a future proof regulation. Each year, more than 6 million vehicles in Europe reach the end of their life and become waste. If not properly managed. These end of life vehicles pose environmental risks, and their intrinsic material value is not maximized within our market. Plastic plays a key role in reducing transport emissions by lowering vehicle weight, and the most effective lever to tackle plastic pollution lies in strengthening waste collection and recycling systems. To this end, it is most important to take a streamlined, harmonised and technology neutral approach that can bring the most vehicles into circularity at the lowest cost by establishing a single EU portal for producer registration. For instance, we can ease compliance and respond to the competitiveness call for smarter, more coherent regulation. We must be cautious not to burden manufacturers with rigid, one size fits all requirements, particularly when high cost interventions add marginal environmental value. Circularity should not mean complication, nor can it come at the price of competitiveness. The commission's proposal sets a high bar for circularity, and we support this ambition. So let us ensure that it is workable for the European industry. I look forward to working with the rapporteur and shadows to shape the regulation that is ambitious, workable and fit for the future. Thank you.”
  Ecodesign & durability
• “All right. Thank you. I'll try again. Thank you. Chair. Thank you, Commissioner, for being with us again in Portugal. Our rail sector has tended to be monopolistic, therefore leaving consumers without rail transport alternatives they can rely on at a lower cost. Ensuring competition in this sector, as you just mentioned, is therefore crucial for increasing mobility for everyone. How will the Commission ensure that Member States are incentivised to allow true open access conditions from day one in high speed operations, particularly cross-border connections, and stop any single operator from calling all the shots on how many trains are available to people, how much tickets cost or how trains can access, or which trains can access the tracks. Now, also, I would like to say that it's still hard to believe that Lisbon and Madrid, the only capitals in the Iberian Peninsula, still don't have a high speed connection. The commission recently decided to postpone the full conclusion of the Atlantic Corridor segment between these two capitals from 2030 to 2034, citing Portugal's technical and financial constraints as one of the reasons. I would like to ask is what is the commission doing to ensure that member States have no further delays given this long timeline? Does the Commission intend to set interim milestones and transparent progress reporting mechanisms to ensure real accountability?”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Madam president. Commissioner. Colleagues. Europe controls the largest maritime area on Earth. Yet we treat the ocean as a blind spot rather than our competitive advantage. The Ocean Pact is an important first step to deliver change. And we must ensure that change means targeted action anchored in strategic investments and measurable results. The Ocean Pact correctly identifies six essential priorities ocean health, blue economy, resilient coastal communities, technological innovation, maritime security, and global leadership. But priorities without execution are merely aspirations, and our continent's prosperity depends on the ocean. As both a climate stabilizer and a backbone of global global trade markets need clarity. Innovators need capital, and citizens need proof that the EU can deliver results. The pact's focus on implementation before more regulation is a step in the right direction, but we must see more clarity soon. What is the timeline for the Blue Carbon Reserve? How will we mobilise private investment to complement EU funds? And 1 billion in EU funds will be allocated to ocean related projects. Will the EU sees the Ocean Pact as an opportunity to revise our funding policy and address the challenges our continent faces? If we want progress, we must empower, initiative and unlock innovation, because innovation is key to delivering to deliver on recovering oceans, health, economic competitiveness and security. Thank you.”
  Decarbonisation of maritime transport
• “Thank you. I'd like I'd like to start by thanking Commissioner Costas for being with us and actually for being forthcoming and actually answering your questions, which is something that we'd like to see more of in this house. Um, I'm happy to hear that you're prioritizing high speed rail connectivity, uh, as well as digitalizing and streamlining ticketing systems. And being from Portugal, I am particularly looking forward to the long awaited day in which Lisbon, the Europe's most one of the Europe's most peripheral capitals, will finally have a direct rail connection to Madrid and not just a direct flight connection. Europe's insufficient connectivity has been a critical barrier to our competitiveness. It is crucial to deepen competitiveness, is crucial to deepen the true and truly harness the potential of the single market, and is fundamental to the freedom of circulation that is the cornerstone of our union. So aside from rail, I would like to emphasize the importance of prioritizing comprehensive electric mobility network that reaches beyond urban centers into rural and peripheral regions. Finally, I would not. Finally, we are expecting the Water Resilience Framework and Ocean Pact to be, uh, announced, uh, this year. And I hope it's well articulated with sustainable, sustainable inland waterway transport and maritime transport systems. So highlight that we must ensure corruption practices remain open to competition, to incentivise the supply choices for consumers to circulate. And. And now, yes, finally.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. President. Dear Commissioner. Commissioner. Dear colleagues, let us be clear about what's really at stake with the Mercosur agreement. It's not just Europe's economic future, it's our international credibility after stalling this deal for more than 20 years. It's about where we stand in a world where where the global balance of powers is shifting and Europe is struggling to defend its interests. Some warn of threats to our industry and farmers. They're missing the crucial point. Our economy doesn't struggle because of international competition. It struggles under the weight of excessive regulatory burdens. This agreement cuts tariffs on key European exports while maintaining environmental standards. It gives small and medium enterprises the backbone of our economy, access to new opportunities in a market of nearly 300 million consumers. Yet some prefer to walk away because they fear competition. Here's a real threat not competition, but risk aversion. Not trade, but excessive bureaucracy. We burden our businesses with excessive regulations, and then we wonder why we struggle globally. While we hesitate, China is acting fast. Already replaced Europe as South America's primary trading partner. The path to European competitiveness isn't through isolation. It's through strategic engagement.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Thank you. Chair. There are big ambitions for high speed rail across Europe. The big question is whether the EU is on track to deliver them. The commission promised a major high speed rail deal in 2026, backed by a new EU financing strategy that was supposed to be announced end of last year. Can you update us on when this financing strategy will be known, and how does this guarantee a genuinely open, competitive European rail area in place of national monopolies? A truly European rail network needs competition and innovation and avoid subsidizing the status quo. Extreme weather events like the devastating floods recently seen in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy these past weeks have exposed just how fragile our rail infrastructure can be. Disruptions. Disruptions cost billions in damage. The commission has promised harmonised standards for assessing climate resilience across Europe. When do you expect these to be available? Will they be mandatory for EU funded high speed rail projects to ensure passengers the same protections for all journeys across different countries? Finally, traveling by rail across Europe should be simple. Instead, passengers often face a maze of different websites with incompatible ticketing systems and no easy way to book a single journey across multiple modes of transport. The Commission has promised a ticketing ticketing initiative to fix this. When can we expect the proposal and beyond tickets? What's being done to make sure that new rail companies can actually enter the market and compete fairly, so passengers benefit from real choice and better prices. Thank you.”
  EU support of rail transport
• “Dear colleagues. Our single market has about 450 million consumers. The American market has around 350 million. So our market is pretty sizable. It's a big question. How come we have dwindled in our economic growth? We know, and I wonder if you can test that, that a big reason for that is that SMEs struggle with administrative burden, up to 25% of their resources, is spent on administrative burden. We also know that many businesses with potential, once they start showing that potential, they are incentivized to move to the United States. So how exactly do we address the conditions that are lagging for our economic sector to keep businesses in Europe if we don't acknowledge the excess of regulation?”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Europe needs more scale ups, not more firms trapped in the SME category. Our rules must never hinder the journey, not only from SM to SMC, but to bigger and bigger companies that want to stay in Europe, grow and create more and better paying jobs in Europe instead of leaving to more business friendly countries.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Madam President, Commissioner colleagues, connectivity is a basic need for Europeans. 85% of them have said so, and over 60% of small and medium businesses need 5G to grow. Reform is an urgent need for Europeans to safely thrive and meet global challenges in the unpredictable world we live in. The Digital Networks Act rightly identifies connectivity as essential for European competitiveness and tech sovereignty, strengthening wireless network licensing alliances with global 5G and six G developments, which is a key step forward. Yet apart from wireless, this proposal does not significantly improve the status quo. Reinforcing competitiveness, creating a single market, or deepening the single market, promoting investment are stated as objectives, but not sufficiently reflected in actual measures. Instead, additional complexity has been added. Europe can no longer afford overregulation, fragmentation and underinvestment. Let's not waste this chance to deepen the single market and finally bring our tech sector. The conditions for it to grow and catch up with our global competitors. Thank you.”
  5G
• “Well, I know we're short on time. So just a quick remark to say that I support the application of the simplified procedure. My main concern in regards to the precedent that this extension may set for future contractors who do not fulfil their obligations. But the shadows meeting was important to understand what went wrong, and the efforts that are made by the Commission to ensure that this time frame for the establishment of the case management system is respected and in similar cases as well. So thank you very much. Happy to support.”
  Conditions to access EU budget
• “Good morning. Uh, Europe is currently facing three fundamental and interconnected challenges adapting to climate change, increasing economic competitiveness and strengthening our defense capabilities amid growing geopolitical instability. The clean industrial deal is part of the answer to these challenges, insofar as it tackles Europe's urgent and vital need to recover its innovative edge and to compete on the global stage. Europe has more start ups than the US, yet fails to scale them effectively. In 2023, 55% of SMEs called regulatory obstacles their biggest challenge. Europe's political culture has normalized the idea that adding reporting requirements is somehow inconsequential, while forcing startups, small and medium sized companies to to dedicate more resources to regulatory compliance instead of to innovative solutions or economic growth. These regulatory burdens divert Europe's talent from creating breakthrough technologies and to to manage paperwork. Since the Draghi report came out last year, it has become widely acknowledged that the EU and in particular by the Commission in its competitive competition compass that we must remove barriers to entrepreneurship in order to remain competitive on the global stage. Now it's time to see how this acknowledgment will translate into actions. What are the most immediate steps that the Commission will take? Not merely to simplify, but to release productive capacity back into the real economy? How do you reconcile the need for regulatory predictability with the growing calls for deregulation, especially when it comes to permitting, permitting and industrial investments? And finally, what concrete timeline has the Commission established to dismantle barriers to cross-border capital flows and ensure European entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs can more easily access financing and fully take advantage of the single market? Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you. I thought you were skipping me. Good morning. Um, I would like to start by thanking the rapporteurs for your work. The commission's proposal is a welcome and necessary step to help small businesses scale by shielding them from the disproportionate compliance costs that derive from heavy regulation. Following the recommendations, by the way, in the draft report, existing mitigating and simplifying measures to small Mid-caps is, uh, is taking an important step to correct the cliff effect that occurs the moment a company grows beyond the SME category and suddenly faces the same compliance requirements. As a multinational, we often forget that whenever we increase regulatory complexity, we disadvantage small and mid-sized companies vis a vis corporations with the resources to hire entire legal teams. The. The rectification this proposal introduces is therefore an important step for Europe's digital sector, which urgently needs to scale. Mid-caps are central to Europe's technological sovereignty, especially in electronics, aerospace, energy intensive industries, health and other digital driven ecosystems. And therefore, I support the draft report's emphasis on clarifying the provisions that apply to SMEs and SMEs. However, it must also be clear that proportionality must never become an incentive to stay small.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you. Good afternoon and thank you for your presentations. I am from Portugal, where we don't yet have a high speed rail connection between the only neighbour capital, so between Lisbon and Madrid. And of course, you didn't address the Atlantic Corridor. My first question would be why was it, why was it not possible to include a presentation on the Atlantic Corridor today? And when do you expect us to be able to hear it? And on a second note, this would apply. This would be my question. If we had spoken about the Atlantic Corridor with regard to the Portugal and Spain connection, I think it also applies to the other corridors. So I would like to know how we will monitor the progress to make sure that there are no further delays, for instance, between Portugal and Spain, we expect it to have the connection between Lisbon and Madrid by 2030. That has already been postponed. And I would like to know how we will make sure that we have all mechanisms in place to dissuade progress delays, make sure everything is on time so we can benefit from these all overdue connections between our countries. Thank you very much.”
  EU transport infrastructure integration
• “Thank you. Um, chair. On behalf of Pascal Canfin, confirmed a new coordinator and shadow for this file. I would like to share the following remarks. The RF is not a perfect tool, and this is not surprising as it is a tool devised during a time of crisis to support Member States coping with the direct consequences of the Covid crisis. While flawed aspects, while flawed in aspects of its design and operation as a tool, it has been a catalyst and played a role in motivating change in how we address the climate investment gap and how we fund the green transition. The combination of investments and reforms is an innovative approach to drive forward change that can be built upon in the post 2027 funding period. The findings of the ECA Special Report on the unclear Contribution from the Recovery and Resilience Facility highlight the flaws. Highlight what design weakness needs to be addressed, need to be addressed in future use of tools of this nature. There are lessons to be learned in order to ensure the effectiveness and better targeting of EU funds for climate action and the green transition. In the context of the goals and targets we have set as we enter the negotiations for the next budgetary phase, it is clear that the lessons must be applied going forward, that the momentum is not halted and that the bottlenecks are addressed. Traditional budgetary tools and models may not be enough to deliver on the investment needed, but future performance based instruments must also have a results metric. In particular, Pascal Canfin would point for the need for a focus of political discussion around the unspent funds and how, if targeted measures were brought forward, they could benefit. The second phase of the Green Deal, which will partly be embodied in the Clean Industrial Deal. Practically, D. It is essential that extensions are given to projects that have a sufficient implementation rate before the 2026 deadline. Thank you.”
  EU policy on sustainability criteria in public funding
• “Thank you. In our earnest efforts to combat disinformation and foreign interference, we must be vigilant not to erode trust in our democratic institutions, underpinned by the fundamental freedoms that set us apart. We know the goal of foreign actors is not even to persuade, but to paralyze, to make people believe that truth doesn't exist, and to ultimately erode trust in elections, in the rule of law, and in the neutrality of our democratic institutions. The key to defending our democracies from these challenges must be to empower citizens with the tools of assessing the credibility of the contents they come across. Upholding core liberal democratic tenets such as transparency and accountability of all who disseminate information, online platforms and traditional media alike. Because some hypocritically claim to defend free speech while cheering for those who like Putin, Orban and Trump, threaten journalists, ban books and censor language. We cannot allow this debate to be black and white. We mustn't ignore that monitoring and regulating content is a delicate balancing act that carries the risks of undermining open debate and trust in our systems. Am I out of time?”
  Disinformation & online freedoms