Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, participated in an exchange of views on new initiatives in the digital sector during a joint meeting of the EP Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), in the European Parliament in Brussels. The discussion focused on a strategy for Europe fit for the digital age, a White Paper on Artificial Intelligence and the European Data Strategy. Questions by Morten LØKKEGAARD (RE, DK), Martina DLABAJOVÁ (RE, CZ), Virginie JORON (ID, FR) and Ville NIINISTÖ (Greens/EFA, FI).

New initiatives in the digital sector: extracts from the exchange of views with Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market

Title: New initiatives in the digital sector: extracts from the exchange of views with Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market

Arrival of  Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market

SOUNDBITE (Danish), Morten L&#216;KKEGAARD (RE, DK), There are also disadvantages for SMEs and NGOs and volunteer organisations which many operating in Denmark. How can we see that SMEs are not overburden by all this red tape? How can we really tap into AI positively without overburdening people?

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, There a lot of fake news around Europe and technology that is not up to tackling challenges. I come from the business world and I know that is not true. We are going to find ways of dealing with these challenges. Europe is not behind in all of this. We are going to be at the forefront of what is coming. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Martina DLABAJOV&#193; (RE, CZ), How are you really going to make sure that we develop in Europe the technologies and the platforms that will help us to grasp the opportunities of industrial data?

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, We need to act quite urgently. All the Member States are thinking along the same lines but to a different extend. It is important that the Commission, particularly now, before budgetary negotiations, in order for the all the initiates to come together and be part of the strategy. The data strategy is a reaction to what is happening in the industrial world and everyone will see a bit of themselves in the strategy.

SOUNDBITE (French), Virginie JORON (ID, FR), If there is no agreement with the OECD, the EU will have to reach an agreement on digital taxation. But the opposition of some Member States such as Ireland, Sweden and Denmark has not allowed to reach an agreement. I have two questions. First, given the internal opposition, how do you see the EU could come to an agreement on the tax for digital giants? Secondly, how can we be certain that the EU will take retortive measures if there are tarihfs place by the US on French and EU products?

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, The US has not yet joined this agreement. I think it is a good agreement. But obviously no one is going to pay taxes voluntary as it was proposed by the American negotiators. It has to be a binding tax. All taxes should be binding. I say very clearly that if there is no OECD agreement, then the 27 EU Member States would be able to come to an agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ville NIINIST&#214; (Greens/EFA, FI), Obviously, there are a lot of things like tDH technology that can be a solution to delimit the rise of emissions, the use of industrial waste heating data centres and resources recycling that are raw material that are better in the digital area. In Europe we have a chance to be leaders in all of this, how do you see we can suit this agenda as well so digital and the Green Deal goes hand in hand?

SOUNDBITE (French), Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, The Green Deal is going to set the ambition, we need the financial resources as well. It is a massive opportunity for Europe because this is going to be required across the world. You are right when you say that greenhouse gases are produced more by the used of data than from global air transport. So, yes, there is no Green Deal without technology and we cannot have data technology without the Green Deal. So these things are inextricably linked. All the proposals that we are going to make for these platforms will have to show that they are in line with the Green Deal.

New initiatives in the digital sector: extracts from the exchange of views with Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market

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