ITRE MEPs to want specifics on how Commissioner designates will handle cloud, telecoms, competitiveness

MEPs from the Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) will drill tech-related commissioner-designates on priorities mentioned in Ursula von der Leyen's mission letters to the new college, particularly in cloud, telecoms and competitiveness, according to a draft seen by Euractiv.

Hearings are set for 4-12 November, and if all goes to plan, the new Commission could take office in December. The document seen by Euractiv is a draft and is still subject to changes.

The new Commission president's mission letters to the college laid out a vision with promises for parliamentarians' demands across the spectrum, from boosting competitiveness to child protection online.

Now, the Parliament wants to know what it will mean in practice, drilling down on specifics and their views on existing debates. They also want to know what the candidates working on tech-related matters will do in their first 100 days.

Henna Virkunnen, executive vice president (EVP) for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

She will be asked for specifics on the EU Cloud and AI Development Act, the single EU-Wide Cloud Policy, the European Data Union Strategy, how to "expand" the Chips Act, create a long-term EU Quantum Chips plan, and strengthen "security and defence industrial competitiveness in the context of a European Defence Union."

The Digital Networks Act has the potential to spark controversy over deregulation and fees for content providers, which the MEPs want Virkunnen to address.

She will also be asked about her views on EUCS, the cloud cybersecurity certification scheme, which has stalled due to a debate over "sovereignty requirements" that would require companies to meet certain shareholding or residency standards.

Finally, Virkunnen will be asked how Europe can reach its 2030 digital targets, including skills building. Some of that would fall under the remit of EVP for People, Skills, and Preparedness Roxana Mînzatu, but according to this draft, ITRE does not have questions for her.

Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, EVP for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition

Ribera's questionnaire shows a marked absence of tech questions, even though there are large debates about changing competition policy for the tech sector, including questions around killer acquisitions.

Stéphane Séjourné, EVP for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy

The French commissioner-designate will be asked about financing the European Competitiveness Fund to invest in strategic technologies in light of existing commitments, what his approach to such a fund, how the fund will interact with various aspects of existing emissions-reduction policy, and the Critical Raw Materials Act.

On the CRMA in particular, MEPs want to hear how the EVP will "promote resource efficiency."

MEPs will also question how he will unlock long-term investments to strengthen EU competitiveness while "maintaining the European social model." The draft does not specify if this means public or private investments, but it is a question very relevant to tech, as the proposed changes to competitiveness could significantly diverge from existing policy.

Séjourné will also have to speak on "concrete plans" for making "speed, coherence, and simplification" top priorities to reduce administrative burdens, including an "SME and competitiveness check," which could very well include tech policy.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation

MEPS wants to hear concretely whether she will support a boost in the budget of Horizon Europe and how to support public-private partnerships.

They will also ask for specifics on the European Research Area, the European Research Council, the European Innovation Council (EIC), the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and the European Artificial Intelligence Research Council, as well as how all these initiatives would work with a European Innovation Act.

They also want to know more about her plans for the European Research Infrastructure and a startup and scale-up strategy.

Zaharieva has been involved in a major corruption scandal in her home country of Bulgaria.

Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space

Many questions for Kubilius revolve around space, particularly the Space Strategy, the Space Law, and the Space Data Economy Strategy.

MEPs will also ask about the EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base, budget, and financing.

[Edited by Alice Taylor-Braçe]