Aura SALLA

Policy topics Aura SALLA is active on

What Aura SALLA has said (24)

• “Thank you so much. I'm super worried about the digital union agenda that we have now at a heavy regulatory burden that we have created, and I have high hopes for your presidency. Here. I have three concrete tasks. We don't need more legislation. Can I? Can I count on you that we will not see from the commission? That you will hold the Commission accountable, that they will not propose anything new on Digital Networks Act or Digital Fairness Act. Second thing, will you reopen the dataflows agreement with the US? Since the US is clearly violating the agreement negotiated between the US and the EU? And the third question is that can we count on you that we will not see some regulation moving ahead during your mandate with a proposal that might break encryption or propose anything on client side scanning? Thank you.”
  EU-US data transfers
• “Thank you so much. Trump placing tariffs on European goods. We should no longer allow our data to be given for free. American and Chinese tech giants extract massive amounts of European behavioral and tariff data essential for AI development, and transfer it abroad without fair returns for Europe. It is high time to seriously consider placing tariffs on the export of European data, just as we do with other critical raw materials. The US is weakening the data data safeguards we negotiated. While China can force platforms like TikTok to hand over data directly, directly to the state. This shows how others use data as a tool of power and influence. We must better defend not only our privacy, but also our economic interests and innovation capacity. Will the Commission explore such measures on data tariffs and ensure Europe finally acts as a strategic player, not just as a regulator? Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “(15:59:56 – 16:01:15): Thank you. I think that we still need to make a careful assessment of whether it makes sense to integrate research into this competitiveness fund. Horizon needs to clearly remain as a stand alone research program which should not be mixed with supporting any industry production. And second, I want to highlight that this should not be mixed with cohesion in any way. Excellence needs to be the guiding principle here. Now the proposal refers to excellence oriented criteria but it does not clearly require funding to go to these highest ranked projects and this worries me a lot. We could end up supporting weaker ones and attracting less private investments. Invest EU is a standalone program that has showed us that this can work via the European Investment Bank and via the European Investment Fund and it is a loan facility. And we could also open the door to political preferences and geographic balancing which we don't want to see. So my question is how do we guarantee that funding goes consistently to the best projects and the most productive projects as well without any geographical prioritization? Thanks.”
  EU research funding
• “Europe has the talent to lead in AI and deep tech, but we don't have the market. The digital omnibus is a first test of whether Europe can finally become a place where our companies can scale and train their AI models, not just be regulated. Stop the clock on AI act was welcomed by everyone seeking clarity on rules. Simplifying procedures, decreasing overlapping regulations, and fixing cookie rules can strengthen protection by making obligations clearer and enforcement more consistent. And no, this is not about being soft on big tech. It is about giving our companies a level playing field. At the same time, we must find ways to set clear conditions when our data is taken and commercialized by third country companies and have a proper digital tax for them using our market. If we want real tech sovereignty, we must finally put our companies first by creating an enabling market, putting European solutions first in public procurement, and finding ways to push American and Chinese companies into doing equal trade with us, not misusing our market. Thank you.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “The European Commission's AI strategy launched today, is yet again repeating the same problems without offering any solutions. They focus on building apps for farmers, handing public money, and they speak about simplification and sovereignty. But at the same time they will propose new regulation on digital fairness. Real digital sovereignty means having the capacity to scale and option to choose European critical technology. For this, our companies need to be able to take a risk. Now we have a maze of regulation. We don't have harmonized market and we are lacking of risk capital. We must address the real problems we are facing with the Chinese and US companies, and stop handing data for them for free. We must put European companies first in our public procurement. Yes, you need to make an effort to choose European cloud software and cyber. What? We can do that. Let's choose Scaleway is it and only office? We must hold the Commission accountable that they will not propose any new regulation and stop thinking deregulation as a bad word. It is a necessity in the name of European sovereignty.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “The Affordable Energy Action Plan has a market based approach, but execution is the key. We must accelerate investment, cut red tape and ensure that competition, not subsidies, drive our transition. Europe cannot afford to slip into the state driven energy markets. Overreliance on government planning will drive investments elsewhere, and hidden subsidies would distort price signals. As the Nordic model shows, a market based, diverse and clean energy mix lowers energy costs. And yes, nuclear power is one of the key elements in this mix. Europe can do the same scale renewables, strengthen our grids and develop long term contract models. We must invest invest in grids. But this is not a cost. It is a down payment on lower energy bills, cheaper transport and industrial competitiveness. So let's be clear free markets, competition and private investments must lead our energy transition.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “(09:14:33 – 09:16:12): Thank you so much, and good morning. The report highlights that EU institutions and public authorities remain targets for cyber attacks. Yet it it is also it also identifies a systemic risk and overreliance on non European ICT providers. So I am talking about technological sovereignty here. With the Cybersecurity Act 2 revision now proposing strict restrictions on high risk third party suppliers, It is clear that the commission has also started to recognize this problem. So my question is, how does the board plan to address the dependence on non European cloud and security providers, Where the risk isn't just the technical backdoor, but also, the legal obligation of these providers to comply with the third country intelligent laws, we have seen the so called kill switch already used, in the EU by an American company. Given the public entities are frontline targets, does the pro board think that the European preference procurement mandate for all EU institutions, bodies, and agencies should be done as regulation and not as directive already maybe this year. Specifically, does the board support European institutions serving as the first movers in migrating the sovereign European made cloud and cyber, security alternatives. Thanks. Thank you, Arab. And now, missus Elena Santomurillo from S and D.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “(11:06:10 – 11:07:24): Thomas, I have 2 main worries here. We are pacing out Russian gas way too slowly. And the second thing is that we are building new dependencies on, countries countries outside of the EU. So where we need to invest now heavily is more domestic clean energy, including nuclear power because that's the winning ticket that we will have renewable energy coming from the EU and that together with nuclear power. So we actually build resilience. And we cannot talk about sovereignty, not in technology if we don't have, sovereignty when it comes to energy. So here we are too slow. I I think the combination, of renewable and nuclear is the key. However, I have a question to the panel. How will the EU make sure that we have everyone on board? Because we still have member states who are reliant on Russian gas and now moving towards The US in the worst case scenario. And how do we make sure that investments go to clean energy and nuclear, and we will have also adjustment mechanism that we balance our consume consumption? Thank you. Thank you, Ella. And last but not least, Christian Eller.”
  EU approach to energy security (home-made vs import sources)
• “Indeed. I'm speaking as Marcus Faber right now. Uh, dear, dear colleagues, first of all, I would like to thank the Co-rapporteurs for their work on the file and the draft report that provides a good basis for further discussion. The investment omnibus proposal has two major objectives increasing the Investeu guarantee and simplifying procedures, in particular for small and medium sized enterprises. For the EPP, it is vital that the Parliament's position delivers on both objectives. I have no doubt that there will be a broad maturity for increasing the Investeu guarantee. However, looking at some elements of the draft report and some of the amendments that have been tabled, I am very concerned that some groups want to walk back on simplification aspects of the Commission proposal. That would be a mistake. Instead of rolling back the simplification proposals, we should expand on them. The Commission's ideas on simplification are very moderate in nature and scope, and we therefore only have a limited impact. We have the chance to be more ambitious and make Investeu an easier to use, and therefore even more attractive investment instrument. There are several avenues we can use to do that. Some examples that are part of my set of amendments are applying a more generous SME definition, increasing the reporting threshold under which later reporting obligations from intermediaries apply, scrapping more of those reporting obligations, deleting onerous sustainability guidelines and in particular the do no significant significant harm principle. Those simplification efforts are among the biggest EPP priorities for the file. I'm looking forward to working with the other groups to find an agreement for strong EPP negotiating mandate. Thank you.”
  Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
• “Thank you very much. My question concerns uh, more food industry and role of Efsa because we have a huge competitiveness issue here on the approval processes. I know companies who have waited years before Efsa even started to look at their their cases, and this cannot be happening. We need urgency, more new solutions on sustainable proteins, for example. And we have companies who are producing this, but they are waiting the approvals of our own agency. So my question is regarding these sandboxes and how quickly we can actually make it happen that Efsa can speed up their processes. Thank you.”
  EU policy on novel foods
• “Thank you so much, Commissioner. The Commission has recently proposed the 28th regime to establish a unified legal framework across the EU for innovative companies, so that start ups and scale ups do not have to navigate 27 different national laws. The aim is super good and I'm sure we all support this, but how will the Commission do this without proposals that will require unanimity in the Council? The aim is also to reduce red tape with regulations or directives that will be simplified. And how and how do you ensure it's effectively adopted across the Member States. Thank you.”
  EU Single Market harmonisation
• “Thank you. Chairman. During the Polish presidency, we witnessed a historic milestone. The full synchronization of Baltic states electricity grids. With the European network, finally ending their dependence on the Russian system. A major step for Europe's energy security and resilience. Yet recent incidents, undersea cable damages and escalating cyber threats highlight the need to protect our critical infrastructure more broadly. We need to increase investments in grid modernization and security using the newest technology, as well as wider cross-border energy resilience. At the same time, our energy payments to Russia continue to finance Putin's war against Ukraine. We need an immediate ban on Russian fossil fuels, particularly gas and LNG. I have two questions. Can you confirm that under the Polish presidency, there will be no backtracking, that the EU remains firm in its commitment to Ukraine and in cutting all ties to Russian energy? What concrete actions are you aiming to put forward to secure our critical infrastructure? Thank you.”
  Fossil fuels · EU energy infrastructure integration · Cybersecurity investments for critical infrastructure
• “Thank you so much. Commissioner Hoekstra, thank you for being here today. As you mentioned, corporate management is increasingly viewed not only as a mitigation tool, but also as a business opportunity. Can you give us a little bit more details? How do you see? How will the EU position itself as a global leader in developing and deploying CCUs technologies, while addressing concerns about economic competitiveness and energy affordability? Additionally, given the cross-sectoral nature of these challenges, what concrete steps in the Commission is the Commission taking to ensure effective coordination between climate, industrial and innovation policies for a balanced and sustainable transition? Thank you.”
  Carbon capture storage and utilisation
• “Thank you. I am a Finnish reserve sergeant, and I think it's particularly important that Denmark continue to strengthen cooperation and synergy between the EU and NATO. Nato has military power and the EU has economic power beyond its strong capabilities. And obviously there's interoperability as well. I come from the eastern border of Finland. This is where I served in the Air Force. It's the longest external border between NATO and Russia. The aim of the Safe Loan Instrument is to support the European defence industry History through large scale, urgent investments. It's also very important to simplify regulations, ensure military mobility and make changes to EU funding, including for lethal weapons. One essential initiative relates to Russia's shadow fleet, and we could expand the mandates of the CSDp to include Russia's shadow fleet. How does Denmark intend to promote that? Furthermore, do you think that the EU border with Russia should have extra funding from the EU and permanent structures which strengthen security? Thank you.”
  Relations with NATO
• “Thank you so much. Thank you for coming today. Giving regional differences in integration, grid capacity, retail market structure and flexibility uptake. Our aim at the EU level is, of course, to ensure that less, less connected regions are not left behind, that we can preserve security and competitiveness all over the internal market. For example, Eastern Finland. Where I come from, we know that clean energy based industry will only come and stay if investors can rely on price stability. In my opinion, what we need is a better internal and cross-border connections to reduce bottlenecks and price volatility. In addition to our nuclear energy production, we must bear wind and power with realistic storage that can stabilise supply and demand and improve security. As we know, today's battery technology is not there yet on a wider scale and we must support heat pumps, electric boilers, electrolyzers and for example E-fuels can create more demand. With this in turn just justifies further investments. Together, these points argue that EU backed region specific investments can also help remote regions compete on equal terms with more connected regions. Is there anything in your study that I'm missing in my analysis? Thanks.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “The Digital Networks Act has been debated, often with conflicting expectations. I am happy to see that the Commission has chosen a pragmatic approach, leaving Fairshare and dividing merger control proposals out on spectrum. The direction is right. Poorly designed auctions, short licensed durations and fragmented national approaches have drained capital that should be invested in secure, high quality networks. By improving predictability, we can unlock Investments for 5G and future six G. The same applies to satellites. Eu level authorization is strategically important when European services are to scale and we want to reduce dependencies. Combined with the new Cybersecurity Act on high risk vendors, this strengthens Europe's security and resilience. I do not think space acts is a wise choice for Europe, and this framework helps us to push European alternatives. Reinforcing the single market through Passporting is welcomed, but it can also add new obligations and this must be avoided. Finally, I remain sceptical about the conciliation mechanism. I do not think this is needed. We should address US platform dependencies through possible tariffs, procurement, cybersecurity rules and forthcoming cloud legislation as it is an economic, security and sovereignty issue first and foremost.”
  5G
• “Thank you so much. First, when we talk about AI, it all comes down to data. We must stop handing our data for free for our competitors in the US and China. Second, we have Microsoft example blocking access to our emails and right now cyber attacks against our critical infrastructure in Europe. We must finally put European companies first when it comes to public procurement to build our resilience. The problem here is that it is difficult for consumers and companies, for our public sector to choose European. Not that there are no alternatives. Sector by sector, but there is no alternative for companies like Microsoft who provide cyber, cloud and software in one package. What is your assessment on European market? How quickly we can bring our consumer market for purely European alternatives with high interoperability. Thanks.”
  EU digital & tech sovereignty
• “This year's internet governance forum will test Europe's credibility. We say we defend open internet, while Russia and China push the opposite. State control and surveillance by design. And yet, the Danish presidency and even our commissioners are supporting this horrific season proposal that points Europe in the same direction. Introducing scanning to our private messaging services using by default best possible technology is not saving our children from pornography. The opposite. This is a gift for criminals and authoritarian leaders. There are no back doors on encrypted services just for good people. The door is open or closed for everyone. And no, you cannot write a law saying when technology is ready, one plus one will never be three. Let me be very clear. It will be no to scanners for our messaging services. No breaking encryption. So no to chat control. That is how we protect our children. Credibility. Open internet and security. Thank you.”
  Privacy & detection of online child abuse
• “The clean industrial deal is not only about sustainability goals, it is about Europe's security and competitiveness. It is about resilience. A strong and sustainable industrial base means scaling up our economy and strengthening our defence industry. Without this, we keep being dependent on others. Let us be clear we needed to get rid of Russian fossil fuels yesterday. An industry that can't be produced at home can't defend the home Europe's supply chains for critical raw materials must be secured. We must utilize our key resources better, expand circularity and what comes to regulation. We must finally build the single European energy market, supported by a free market economy, and ensured that our companies can keep up in the global competition. Weak industry means weak defence. Let us choose to scale up our sustainable industry for our autonomy, a strong economy and strong defence.”
  Sourcing of critical raw materials
• “Thank you very much. Thank you for being here. My question regards standardization and interoperability because, uh, in in the EU we have cloud services. We have open source models like Linux, for example. We have cybersecurity cloud. We could combine all these and replace us uh hyperscalers. But uh we are lacking of standardization and interoperability. And what we did with three GPP on telecoms combining mandatory technical interfaces, regulatory backing and industry participation was successful. So is this something that the Commission is looking into? Thanks.”
  Interoperability requirements for digital platforms
• “Thank you so much. First of all, let me underline that we need to do our utmost to cut all ties with Russian fossil fuels immediately. This requires strengthening and building a real EU energy market. But in this conversation, we must also acknowledge that Member States are facing different challenges when it comes to energy affordability, thanks to national decisions made in the past. In Finland, for example, electricity prices are among the lowest thanks to a diverse energy mix, including nuclear power grid investments and a fully integrated Nordic energy market built on competition. This shows the solution can't be one size fits all and certainly not built on subsidies. What we need is a truly open, competitive and integrated EU energy market backed by strategic investments in clean production and modern modern grid infrastructure. Tools like the Loan Guarantee Program Investeu can support this by mobilising private capital where it is most needed and helping to scale clean energy solutions. We need to move forward with competition, investment and resilience, not temporary fixes with subsidies, but lasting and sustainable progress. Thanks.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices
• “Maybe I would just like to reflect that the success of this program is, of course, based on assessment by the bank and economic facts. And the risk sharing by the member states has been quite moderate. So European taxpayers can be certain that they are actually gaining from this program. Um, that would just be my my highlight today. And regarding the housing, that's one of the things that, of course is concerning right now and strategic priority. However, it's not holistic. We need to remember that it's not the same in every member state. But if we don't invest in defence, we don't need to worry about housing. So I would say that defence defense remains as one of the key priorities for the EP. Looking forward to meeting tomorrow. Thank you.”
  Defence spending
• “Thank you so much. And thank you for the digital omnibus. Full support from here to enable data use for our European companies. This is much needed. My question today concerns security. Europe has been extremely naive. What comes to China and Chinese companies for years? And the risk they pose to our critical infrastructure, including data. So recently we have seen China restrict access to their market even more for our companies like Nokia and Ericsson. So we are completely lacking in reciprocity. At the same time, China is helping Putin in Ukraine. So my question concerns the upcoming Cyber Security Act revision. Does the Commission intend to make elements of the 5G and ICT supply chain toolboxes binding on member states, including the possible creation of an EU level list of high risk vendors? And to extend this toolbox logic beyond telecoms to other critical ICT sectors such as cloud data centers, solar and connected cars.”
  Scope of EU cybersecurity obligations
• “Like the Minister report outlined clearly, the EU must get its act together with a comprehensive security approach, and we need to back this up with money. Given the urgency of the war in Europe, we must focus on defence investments as well as in innovation, research and high tech. We must ensure that there is enough reasonably priced energy and keep fighting the climate crisis. If we fail to stop Putin and our globe becomes unlivable due to climate change, we will not have to worry about anything else. The next budget must cut red tape, actively support completing the single market, and ensure sufficient resources to enforce EU legislation like tackling illegal imports from countries like China. The EU and its budget should focus on the biggest challenges facing us and add value to the whole continent with excellence based cross-border Border investments, not with fragmented local policies and national envelopes. Thank you.”
  Defence spending