Eva MAYDELL

Policy topics Eva MAYDELL is active on

What Eva MAYDELL has said (8)

• “So thank you for taking up the job, for organizing that. And for setting it up, hopefully in a speedy manner. Um, we need to rethink the investment in technologies in Europe. And this is why I think the fund, by pulling the private and public resources, having an external manager tapping into pension funds makes a lot of sense. Um, for me, there's maybe two questions, um, that are more linked on the scale part. If we would have the resources and let's say partially the fund would organize those resources, how do we link the startups with the industry, and how could you further collaborate with Commissioner Hannah Virtanen in that part of making sure that we can apply AI, um, in our, um, smaller and medium companies, which currently are at about 11%, according to the latest data published by the commission. If I'm not wrong, and to our more established industries, which are at around 40% of applying AI. So investment in our tech sector is key and important for it to scale. But it is also equally important for our industries to be linked with those new ideas and their. I have seen a bit of weaknesses in the way this is approached by the EVP. And so I would like to see whether with your support, there could be a better link between startups and industry in order to incentivize that collaboration and technological transfer.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “Thank you. Chair. Commissioner. Dear colleagues, businesspeople know that trade relies on two fundamentals economic incentive and also trust. When it comes to economic incentives, the numbers in trade volumes between the EU and the US speak for themselves. Just last year, the US, EU goods trade hit a record of $976 billion. But the trust trust in rules, commitments in partners is shaken on both sides of the Atlantic. Economic nationalism does not make you first, but it makes you alone. And this is no leadership. This is volatility masqueraded as strength. And when we speak about strengths, the numbers are clear. In Europe can respond with resolve. But our priority is principle openness. Because we are not the Democratic Party. We are an ally. Thank you.”
  EU-US trade relations
• “Okay. We'll try to be as precise as the executive vice president, Commissioner Virtanen. Dear Hanna, thank you so much for coming to our committee. The EPP Group, of course, welcomes the proposals put on the table, particularly the digital and the AI omnibus. Personally, as someone being involved in a number of those files over the years, I've always said they need to fit together like a digital jigsaw. And in previous mandates, we haven't necessarily seen that. But maybe now through the omnibus we can make more sense of the files and the rules out there. My question today is related to the AI omnibus and the related to the decision to delay the high risk AI obligations, which we believe may be justified. Yet the way it was done creates more uncertainty rather than clarity. While the dates do exist on paper, the Commission currently can unilaterally trigger the compliance clock by declaring readiness without transparent criteria to justify that judgment. If we as co-legislators are not able to adopt the full package by July, we believe we risk legal gaps, including a period in which obligations could theoretically apply before companies even have the tools to meet them. So I have two questions. The first one is how will the Commission ensure this conditional timelines do not drift and that companies have genuine legal certainty on when obligations apply, especially if standards or institutional capacity would arrive late. How can you also prevent a legal vacuum, including risk of private litigation or retroactive liability, given the Commission's broad discretion to declare readiness without criteria? And if there's any concrete mechanisms that would ensure this timeline is workable but also credible. If something doesn't go right would be great. If you can elaborate. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “The commission should take the necessary provisions already in the current MFF to lead in the establishment of a public private investment fund. Such fund could build on the private market standards together with European private investors. It would unblock a high level of investment and would be beneficial for the entire single market. Fourthly, when it comes to European researchers, there are some of the most renowned with outstanding peer to peer recognition, but excellence in research must translate in products and services. This is why we need to ensure innovation doesn't stop in the lab. We must support startups, our leading startups and our leading innovators through various initiatives, through connecting mechanisms as well as funding to bring great ideas to market and scale them effectively. And lastly, the adoption of artificial intelligence by our traditional industries is absolutely key. We might rely on others for semiconductors and components, but our strength lies in applying technology. Currently, only 13% of European businesses have integrated AI tools so far 13%. I believe we can do way more because history shows that it's not the inventors, but it is the adopters who lead industrial revolutions. So we cannot afford to watch while others write the future. Let's stop managing decline and start winning that future. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence
• “And in a way, this is a wake up call. But perhaps the final wake up call that we can no longer fail to ignore. So there are several steps to take for Europe to lead in order to be part of the race. We have to do that with vision and strategy, and not with a patchwork of ideas that are glued together. Why do I say that? In order to have vision and strategy, first and foremost, the Commission has to have a clear and comprehensive assessment of our capabilities in each sector where we can lead and invest more, where we are dependent and need to diversify, and where we need to cooperate and do that in a strategic manner. On this assessment and once it's done. Secondly, we must identify and prioritize the areas that are key for Europe. We can't afford to spread limited resources across every sector instead of chasing the next Nvidia chip. Let's double down on areas where we can excel. Areas such as deep tech, quantum sensors and companies like ASML without which the world will come to a halt. Strategic innovation means investing where we can leverage, not follow, where others already dominate. Thirdly, we need to make sure to have that innovation and that growth and to close the funding gaps. We need to unleash capital at scale. With the support of the Commission, the European Innovation Council could tap into pension and insurance funds to support deep tech and help reap higher long term yields for investors across Europe.”
  Research priorities within the EU
• “Thank you very much, chair. Thank you, commissioners, for being here today. I appreciate your emphasis on a better pricing of energy in Europe, but it's time also for some actions because we continue to see major disparities in electricity prices between Eastern and Western Europe. And to bridge this gap, we must urgently address on one hand infrastructure bottlenecks and necessities, but also the market inefficiencies. In a way, if we do not act earlier rather than later. There is, of course, a risk that those electricity prices continue to divide and to harden the economic divide, one that can further undermine our industrial future, but also Europe's cohesion as a whole. So my question to you is actually two questions. Um, have you, as the commission conducted any analysis of transmission capacity shortages between Western and Eastern Europe. And are there any dedicated funds or initiatives that you foresee to help reduce that gap and ensure a truly competitive but also interconnected, um, union? Thank you.”
  EU energy infrastructure integration
• “Executive vice president. Dear colleagues. In the last term, one of European leaders said that strategic autonomy is not isolation. Let me quickly build on that and add something more. I don't think strategic autonomy is war either. It has to be clear that through strategic autonomy, we do not defend or attack with rules. What we actually do is protect our citizens. And I think it's an important point that has to resonate with our partners and our competitors, such as the United States, but also with our rivals such as China. European legislation such as the DMA and the DSA is not expanding the European budget through collecting fines. And these are neither tariffs. Our actions are simply aimed at having stronger standards and having and setting standards for safety, for our European way of life and our European understanding of rights and liberties. So the main question today is how do we achieve sovereignty without getting into isolation, without trade and without tariff wars? And my answer is by being smart. Smart here means to know our strengths and weaknesses, the spots where we have leverage and further develop them. It means building partnerships we can and resilience where we must. Strategic autonomy is not about closing doors. It's about knowing which ones to open and how. Thank you.”
  EU foreign policy approach
• “Thank you so much, chair. I would like to welcome, uh, the experts here today. Very happy to see Matias, professor Calarco. Um, as well as, um, the other speakers, some of them are here and others couldn't make it. Um, and I make this point because I wanted to talk a little bit more on, on AI, but I would use it as a leeway with Matias said that without winning that and being on top of it would be difficult to talk about, um, quantum. Um, and currently, uh, to me at least, it feels that a lot of the EU companies, um, you know, all they want is to make sure how do they actually integrate AI into their operations? Um, but if we look at the data, the data says the following that European SMEs are lagging behind in doing that, at only about 20% are able to integrate it and adopt it. But the actual problem is that 95% of those that try end up with zero return on investment. Um, and you are all, in one way or another, have your own experiences in trying to embed it and trying to use, uh, AI in your daily operations. So I wanted to ask what were the main obstacles, um, when implementing, uh, ways, uh, AI. Um, so, so what are the struggles to achieve that return on investment? And I'm finishing, um, and also, what are the sort of right partnerships we can promote in order to support the industry that is typically the strong, uh, one, uh, in Europe. And it's broader than just the tech industry. Thank you.”
  Artificial Intelligence