Brussels, 15/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - Digital Agenda Commissioner Viviane Reding has left the European Commission after a very active term of office to become an MEP in the new European Parliament. To replace her, the government of Luxembourg has fielded Martine Reicherts to work on data protection in the transatlantic negotiations, defence of the rights of lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals, and ensuring free movement of individuals in Europe while remaining sensitive to the concerns of a number of member states. At a hearing at the civil liberties, legal affairs and women's rights committees at the EP in the evening of 14 July, Reicherts stated that she would be focussing on these issues.
She will replace Reding for a very short period - until the new European Commission chaired by fellow Luxembourger Jean-Claude Juncker starts work in October - which gives her little room for manoeuvre. Reicherts, until now the head of the EU's Official Publications Office, joked with the MEPs that she would need more than four years to do everything they had demanded of her but she only had four months.
The interim commissioner-designate explained she wanted to carry on where Reding had left off, but reassured the many MEPs expressing concerns about the speed of reform of data protection and the mushrooming of espionage scandals. Pointing out that progress had been made at the last EU-US talks in Milan (see EUROPE 11117) where the United States had promised to introduce a new appeals law so that Europeans can take cases to court in the US, Reicherts said that things were moving in the right direction and that trialogues could begin at the end of the year.
Urged by MEPs such as Jan-Philipp Albrecht (Greens, Germany) to say what would now be done with the data retention directive that the European justice system has ruled unlawful, Reicherts kicked the matter into touch and, a little as if it was about her own personal knowledge of the dossiers, sought the understanding of the MEPs, requesting that they allow more time.
Reicherts took a stronger line on the question of free movement that she says is non-negotiable (echoing Reding). Reicherts' appointment will be voted upon at the EP on Thursday after a hearing on the question of member states' respect of fundamental rights, the formation of common investigation teams, prison overpopulation, making life easier in Europe and parity between men and women on management boards and the civil justice system. EUROPE will return to this. (SP)