Tech players and digital priorities of the incoming College of Commissioners
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Regulatory and Public Affairs Advisor
Belgium
As a Regulatory and Public Affairs Advisor, I help clients navigate the dynamic EU environment.
Regulatory and Public Affairs Director
Belgium
Ireland
As Regulatory & Public Affairs Director in Brussels, I assist companies facing an unprecedented wave of new EU regulation that will have an impact on every business operating in the digital and data-related economy. I help companies navigate complex EU decision-making processes and understand the practical application of the law to their sectors.
Ursula von der Leyen, the re-elected President of the European Commission, recently unveiled her proposed team of Commissioners and their respective portfolios for the upcoming European Commission term of 2024-2029. Each Commissioner-designate received a Mission Letter from the President, outlining the objectives for their particular portfolio. These objectives build on the policy priorities set out in the Political Guidelines presented by President von der Leyen in the summer of 2024.
Who will take the lead on tech policy?
Henna Virkkunen of Finland has been appointed by President von der Leyen as the Executive Vice-President-designate for “Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy” in the upcoming College of Commissioners. A thrice-elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Virkkunen has been involved in the work on the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the Industry Committee during the previous mandate. Her new position will place her at the helm of the Commission's digitalisation strategy, the Digital Decade. Her responsibilities will span a wide array of topics, from cloud computing and semiconductor technology to quantum computing, in addition to copyright issues. She will also oversee a planned Digital Networks Act which aims to adapt the EU regulatory framework for the telecommunications sector to, meet future connectivity needs. Moreover, Virkkunen is expected to play a role in the implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and help to drive innovation in artificial intelligence through the AI factories initiative.
However, a number of other Commissioners will be involved in important aspects of tech policy over the next five years. The Spanish candidate for Executive Vice-President for a “Clean, Just and Competitive Transition”, Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, is tasked with modernising the European Union’s competition policy. According to her mission letter, she should aim to balance sustainability, industrial policy and competition concerns. Her responsibilities will include strengthening and speeding up the enforcement of competition rules as well as addressing concerns in digital markets, platform economies and data-driven business models under the DMA.
In addition, Stéphane Séjourné has been put forward by France as the candidate to become Executive Vice-President-designate for “Prosperity and Industrial Strategy.” This follows the resignation of the former French Internal Market Commissioner, Thierry Breton, who was known in Brussels as the "digital enforcer".
Mr Séjourné, who previously served as the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in France, has a very broad remit ranging from investment and innovation to trade, economic stability and security. His mission letter specifically delineates his responsibility for formulating a new industrial strategy and simplifying regulations to bolster the competitiveness of European businesses. Among other responsibilities, he is charged with ensuring that the EU’s intellectual property policy rewards innovation and creativity, as well as stepping up enforcement.
Bulgaria's Ekaterina Zaharieva is set to take on the role of Commissioner-designate for “Startups, Research and Innovation”. Formerly serving as Bulgaria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms Zaharieva’s work programme is set to include the development of a European Innovation Act aimed at simplifying access to venture capital for innovative European startups and scale-ups. Executive Vice-President-designates Stéphane Séjourné and Henna Virkunnen will oversee her work.
Austria's Magnus Brunner, transitioning from his role as Finance Minister, is preparing to step into the role of Commissioner for “Internal Affairs and Migration”. His responsibilities will include spearheading the protection of children from sexual abuse in both the digital and physical world. Furthermore, Mr Brunner will work on ensuring the security and resilience of critical physical and digital infrastructures alongside the College's other members. His duties include addressing security threats online and offline, including online terrorist content. He is also tasked with strengthening the EU's approach to cybersecurity and fighting cybercrime.
Lastly, Ireland's Michael McGrath has been named Commissioner-designate for “Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law”. Mr McGrath, who previously held the positions of Finance Minister and Public Expenditure Minister, is set to advance the European Democracy Shield. His responsibilities extend to presenting the upcoming Consumer Agenda for the period 2025-2030 and implementing product safety policies. He is also tasked with developing a new Digital Fairness Act that would introduce measures to combat manipulative online designs known as “dark patterns” and set rules for marketing by social media influencers. He is also asked to address “addictive design in digital services” and online profiling. Mr McGrath will work under the guidance of Executive Vice-President-designate, Henna Virkunnen.
When will the new College of Commissioners begin?
Before the new Commissioners-designate can be officially confirmed, they must first undergo hearings of up to three hours in the European Parliament, where they will be questioned extensively by MEPs from the committees relevant to their portfolios. The European Parliament has scheduled hearings from 4 - 12 November 2024.
Prior to the hearings, the candidate Commissioners will be screened for possible conflicts of interest, which must have been completed by 18 October 2024. They are required to answer written questions from their respective Parliamentary Committees by 22 October 2024.
Once the hearings have been completed, MEPs will be asked to vote to approve the entire College of Commissioners. While President von der Leyen had hoped to have the new College in place by 1 November, this has been pushed back to December 2024 at the earliest. Furthermore, if the Parliament rejects one or more Commissioners-designate and Member States are obliged to find new candidates, the official start date of the new Commission could be delayed into early 2025.
For more information, please contact Francine Cunningham and Paula Alexe.
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