Meet three incoming EU lawmakers in charge of key tech policy areas

Meet three incoming EU lawmakers in charge of key tech policy areas: With the European Commission’s new lineup set to commence its five-year term under President Ursula von der Leyen, three commissioners stand out for their potential impact on tech policy, innovation, and enforcement. Here’s a closer look at the key players shaping the EU’s digital and tech future:

1. Teresa Ribera Rodríguez

Role: Executive Vice President for Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition

Teresa Ribera Rodríguez is positioned as one of the most powerful figures in the incoming Commission, taking on a combined climate and competition portfolio. Her role gives her significant oversight of Big Tech and competition enforcement, marking a continuation and escalation of the EU’s regulatory focus on technology giants.

Key Responsibilities and Impact:

• Enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA): Ribera Rodríguez will oversee high-stakes investigations into companies like Apple, Meta, and Google. The DMA, aimed at curbing platform dominance, has already triggered operational changes, and her leadership will likely intensify enforcement.
• Classical Competition Enforcement: She inherits ongoing cases, such as the EU’s antitrust probe into Google’s adtech dominance. Potentially groundbreaking decisions, like calls to break up Big Tech entities, could rest on her leadership.
• Preventing “Killer Acquisitions”: She has pledged to focus on acquisitions that stifle innovation, signaling continued scrutiny of mergers and acquisitions in the tech sector.
• State Aid Reforms for Strategic Technologies: Her role includes shaping EU support for sectors like microelectronics, quantum computing, and next-gen cloud infrastructure, aligning tech advancement with climate goals.

2. Henna Virkkunen

Role: Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy

Henna Virkkunen’s portfolio spans critical areas like AI, digital infrastructure, and cybersecurity, with an emphasis on boosting tech sovereignty and democratic governance in the EU.

Key Responsibilities and Impact:

• AI Ecosystem Growth: With the EU AI Act taking effect in 2024, Virkkunen’s mission prioritizes AI innovation, including establishing the European AI Research Council and enhancing supercomputing capabilities for startups.
• Enforcement of the Digital Services Act (DSA): As the EU investigates platforms like X (Twitter), TikTok, and Facebook for compliance with content moderation and transparency rules, Virkkunen will oversee enforcement. She may have to navigate high-stakes decisions, such as potential regional bans on non-compliant platforms.
• Online Safety and Disinformation: Protecting children online, tackling “dark patterns,” and countering disinformation are top priorities. Her decisions, especially in high-profile cases involving platforms like X, will shape the global narrative on digital governance.
• New Legislation: Virkkunen will draft an “EU Cloud and AI Development Act” to support SMEs, ensuring access to computational resources for tech innovation.

3. Ekaterina Zaharieva

Role: Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation

Though not an EVP, Ekaterina Zaharieva’s portfolio positions her as a key player in shaping the EU’s startup ecosystem and research strategy over the next five years.

Key Responsibilities and Impact:

• European Innovation Act: Zaharieva will spearhead regulatory streamlining and improve venture capital access for startups and scale-ups, addressing long-standing concerns about EU red tape.
• Startup and Scale-Up Strategy: She is tasked with crafting a comprehensive strategy to foster local entrepreneurship and innovation, which could make the EU a more competitive global player.
• Boosting Research and Innovation: Leading efforts to expand the European Innovation Council and European Research Council, Zaharieva will push for increased R&D investment across member states, aiming to meet a 3% GDP target.
• Deep Tech and AI Support: Zaharieva will work on building networks of trusted investors and expanding regulatory sandboxes to test cutting-edge technologies, such as quantum computing and genomics.

Broader Implications for the EU

• Focus on Sovereignty: The overarching strategy links competition, innovation, and sovereignty, with a goal of reducing reliance on non-EU technologies and fostering resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges.
• Tech and Climate Convergence: Ribera Rodríguez’s dual portfolio emphasizes a sustainable approach to innovation, combining decarbonization with technological advancements.
• Global Leadership in Regulation: Virkkunen’s leadership on the DSA and Zaharieva’s focus on innovation could solidify the EU’s reputation as a global leader in digital governance and sustainable innovation.

The new Commission faces a dynamic and challenging global landscape, and the actions of these key figures will play a significant role in shaping the EU’s trajectory in tech and beyond.

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