The previous week had been the turn of the Commissioners-designate.
This kind of “examination” by European Parliament of the ability, expertise and capacities of the proposed College of Commissioners is a decisive step in the investiture process of the new Commission.
Since 2004, the Hearings have taken more and more importance and, in some cases, initially proposed Commissioners had to step down after a bad or controversial performance in the Hearing. That was the case of Italian Rocco Buttiglione in 2004 or French Sylvie Goulard in 2019 (who was replaced by Thierry Breton, “Plan B Commissioner” as Breton put himself forward).
Teresa Ribera and Henna Virkkunen are the main reference Executive Vice-Presidents for Telefónica. They will be in charge of very important issues for the European telecom sector, for the European citizens and for the future role of Europe in the world.
Teresa Ribera, Spanish candidate for Commission Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
In a very hostile Hearing, Teresa Ribera faced opposition from centre-right EPP group, which questioned Ribera’s role in the crisis management in recent floods in Valencia.
Many questions focused on the floods in Valencia and how Ribera would improve Europe’s ability to prepare for growing climate-related risks. Ribera stressed the importance to improve EU’s resilience and preparedness to extreme weather events and promised a new European Climate Adaptation Plan.
Ribera stressed the need for industrial decarbonisation, promoting a clean and just transition, including housing and quality jobs, and capitalising on the benefits of the twin green and digital transition.
Ribera called for a new approach to Competition Policy that is “more supportive of companies scaling up in global markets”, and allows European businesses and consumers to enjoy the benefits of effective competition.
She stressed the need to simplify and speed up competition enforcement processes to support a well-functioning Single Market. Furthermore, for the EU to become more attractive for investments, current tools should be updated, for instance, Merger rules should capture operations that prevent innovation, such as killer acquisitions of companies with low turnover but high innovative and competitive potential.
Ribera made it clear that industrial policy and competition policy are closely linked. In this line, State Aid assessment and approval processes of IPCEIs (Important Projects of Common European Interest) need to become simpler and faster to foster innovation in strategic sectors.
Henna Virkkunen, Finnish candidate for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
Virkkunen had the advantage of knowing well her audience, including some of her former colleagues as she has been Member of the European Parliament since 2014.
Virkkunen has an enormous portfolio of responsibilities and will oversee the work of Commissioners for Justice, Home Affairs, Defense and Innovation.
In her introductory remarks, Virkkunen said she would work to strengthen the EU’s digital independence, make critical digital infrastructure more secure and increase competitiveness.
She recalled that Europe is too dependent on third countries when it comes to digital (80% of technology comes from outside the EU) and proposed a two-fold approach:
- Take bold actions to boost innovation and investments in frontier technologies.
- Ensure a Level Playing Field, security and a safe online space, everyone doing business in the EU has to follow European rules.
Precisely, many questions focused on European Commission’s commitment to enforce EU rules such Digital Services Act (DSA) on big social media platforms, including Elon Musk’s X.
While Virkkunen restated her commitment to enforce DSA and Digital Markets Act (DMA) with enough competent staff, she also stressed that US is Europe’s most important partner in trade and in security. Also, in digital, EU and US will continue the good cooperation of the last years, particularly, within the EU‑US Trade and Technology Council.
Virkkunen pointed out to key technologies for the future, Artificial Intelligence, quantum, cloud, semiconductors and space technologies and the need for Europe to make a leap in these fields:
- Chips and microchips are key for EU’s technology sovereignty. Virkkunen proposed to build on 2023 Chips Act and come with a new Chips Act 2.0. to boost EU technological leadership, resilience and competitiveness in the semiconductor sector. Focus would be on quantum chips and advanced chips where “EU lags dangerously behind”.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI). Virkkunen called for Europe to become an AI continent, the best place in the world for developing trustworthy and advanced AI, and announced a set of initiatives:
- AI and Cloud Development Act as part of a broader strategy to bring the enormous computing capacity that AI will demand (Cloud, Edge Cloud, High-Performance Computing).
- AI Factories Act, to be presented in Virkkunen’s first 100 days, to bring the needed computing power to Europe’s AI innovators and start-ups (to avoid that EU start-ups are bought by non-EU tech giants).
- Apply AI Strategy, to accelerate the AI-driven transformation of Europe’s industrial sectors (automotive, pharma, robotics) and the delivery of public services (health).
- Connectivity. Virkkunen stressed that to become an AI continent and to boost innovation, Europe will require the highest standards of connectivity. Therefore, Virkkunen will propose the Digital Networks Act (DNA) to boost smart and secure connectivity, especially in 6G. The review of the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) will fold into the DNA. Virkkunen mentioned that telecom markets are very fragmented and that EUR 200 billion investments are necessary to meet the Digital Decade targets. The new DNA will provide a legal framework that encourages investments, make businesses easier, make Europe competitive and, ultimately, benefit European consumers.
- Cybersecurity and High-Risk Vendors. Virkkunen recalled that Cybersercurity has been at the heart of the past legislature and that an important Cybersecurity Package has been adopted (Directive NIS 2.0., Directive on Critical Entities Resilience, Cyber Resilience Act, DORA). Virkkunen stressed the need to de-risk communications when it comes to 5G and warned over too much dependency on radio equipment from High-Risk Vendors (42% of Europeans’ 5G communications run over high-risk vendors’ equipment). Virkunnen complained that “Member States have not taken this issue seriously”.
Next Steps
On 21 November, European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents (President Metsola and the political group Chairs) will conduct the final evaluation and declare the Hearings closed.
The election by European Parliament of the full College of Commissioners (by a majority of the votes cast) is currently scheduled to take place during the 25-28 November Plenary Session.
With the endorsement of the European Parliament, the new Commission will take office on 1st December and will start working on the immense challenges Europe is facing.
