MEPs from the coalition of EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA MEPs unanimously adopted the ‘counter-report’ on technological sovereignty in the European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) on Tuesday 3 June, in response to the own-initiative report by French ESN MEP Sarah Knafo (see EUROPE 13601/16).
“This is a very good report, which the European Commission could study before proposing new digital-related initiatives”, enthused Michał Kobosko (Renew Europe, Polish), speaking on behalf of the four parliamentary groups behind the conception of the counter-report.
The text was tabled as a single amendment to the original document, whose adoption (63 votes in favour, 5 against and 10 abstentions) put the draft report in the hands of the coalition of four groups.
In broad terms, the adopted version of the document calls for a comprehensive European industrial policy and addresses a much wider range of digital and technology-related issues: 5G/6G, artificial intelligence, satellite connections, network infrastructures, security of cables and communications networks, data centres, ‘cloud’ services, cybersecurity and simplification, etc.
The report also proposes setting up a European “public digital infrastructure” (PDI) and recommends allocating appropriate funding in the next multiannual financial framework.
On X, Sarah Knafo nevertheless welcomed the adoption of the text, calling for “a move beyond the status quo defended by the centre and the left” in order to “go further”, by “removing anti-nuclear rules from the European electricity market” or “relocating the hosting of sensitive data to Europe”.
She was criticised by French MEP Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe), who, stressing the “irony” of her reaction, pointed out that the text adopted was “the result of the work of the centrists, the socialists, the Greens and the moderate right”.
This reaction echoed Michał Kobosko’s statement a few hours earlier, in the ITRE Committee, that the ESN MEP had “distanced herself from political discussions” on the subject: “She claims ownership of a document that bears no trace of her work”, he said.
See the compromise adopted: https://aeur.eu/f/h5h (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)