The European Union must apply a development model for the digital sector where technology serves the citizen and meets the needs of society, says Commissioner-designate for the digital age Margrethe Vestager in her answers to written questions put to her by MEPs for her public hearing on Tuesday 8 October.
To put people at the centre of her digital agenda for the EU, Ms Vestager will lead the development of a legislative digital services act, as well as the development of a European model of artificial intelligence – an approach that will be published 100 days after the Commission starts its work.
Working towards this EU digital leadership must be a priority in a world where “there are only two types of business: those that are already digital and those that soon will be”, she emphasised.
European industry must be supported to meet both the requirements of digitisation and the Green New Deal, for which the future Executive Vice-President of the Commission is also responsible.
And Ms Vestager to make the link with the competition, thus articulating the two main components of her portfolio. According to her, “competition will be central to what we want to create both in and for Europe”.
Because without a ‘level playing field’, the pursuit of transversal objectives – employment, the fight against climate change, inclusive European growth – will not be possible.
I commit to openness, fairness and to a level playing field”, she continues in her text.
The aim is therefore to develop long-term strategies for European economic operators. Single market rules could be reviewed through “more targeted measures to support strategic technologies and value chains” and by ensuring that these rules are compatible with digital challenges.
These key technologies and value chains, identified for their contribution to “technological sovereignty” or for their “catalytic” effect for European industry, Mrs Vestager wishes them “open, truly European, innovative and leading to a wide dissemination of knowledge”.
Another strategy envisaged concerns SMEs, by adapting the rules governing public procurement and State aid, as well as by improving investment in research and innovation.
The Danish liberal also undertakes to contribute to improving coordination between Member States, in particular to combat the importance in the EU of non-compliant products from non-Member States.
See the answers by Ms Vestager: http://bit.ly/2nVnRqt (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)