Last September, during her State of the Union address, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced the establishment, by the end of the year, of a group of experts to tackle the issue of protecting minors online. The aim was to advise the European Commission on how to ensure consistency in this thorny political issue (see EUROPE 13808/4).
Five months later and this high-profile panel of experts has still not been set up, leaving a void that is beginning to cause exasperation, particularly in the European Parliament. Forty-eight MEPs, including some who have been very active on the issue (see EUROPE 13760/5), have co-signed a letter sent to Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday 19 February denouncing the EU’s level of inaction on the subject.
“There is still no public information regarding the establishment of this panel, its composition, or its specific mandate. At a time when the protection of minors requires decisive leadership, several Member States (...) are advancing determined national initiatives. While these efforts reflect legitimate concern, a fragmented regulatory landscape risks undermining the integrity of the internal market and weakening the coherence of the European response”, deplore the signatories.
They have asked the European Commission to clarify the progress made in setting up the committee of experts, to explain why it has still not been formally set up and when the Commission really intends to make use of it.
“This is not only a political priority; it is a moral responsibility”, they say.
Read the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/kvz (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)