Speeches

Mr President, today the European Parliament will send a strong signal that we want a digital market and an internet with clear rules for businesses and safety for users. The internet has made our lives so much better. We can all stay in touch with friends and family, access information, shop online and participate in the public debate, and it will continue to revolutionise the world and humanity in ways we cannot even imagine right now. However, our citizens must also feel safe online. Today, we are exposed to illegal content on websites with fraud, disinformation, foreign interference and dangerous products. I’m glad that we – as European lawmakers – have listened to these concerns, and I’m proud that we have been able to unite behind a strong proposal in the Digital Services Act – the DSA. For me, as the negotiator for the largest political force in this House, three things are most important. Firstly, that we are now creating a framework to remove illegal content more quickly. This will put an end to the digital Wild West, where the biggest platforms are setting the rules and criminal content is going viral. Secondly, we want to ensure that the internet remains an open space. The DSA will strengthen the rights for users, increase transparency online and protect freedom of speech. Platforms will no longer censor opinions or block accounts without any explanation, and users will be able to contest these decisions taken by the platforms. Thirdly, we need a unified digital market where entrepreneurs and start-ups can easily compete, without trade barriers or massive bureaucracy. With the DSA, tech companies in the EU will follow one set of rules, not 27 sets of rules. Right now, we are letting the US and China run the show in several areas, and it’s time for Europe to take the lead in the global digital race. So let’s make the DSA a worldwide example for a better digital future with safety, openness and innovation.

Mr President, thank you very much. The pandemic has shown that trade and cooperation are the most important tools for managing crises. This applies not only to the coronavirus crisis, but also to the climate crisis. Everywhere in the EU, researchers, entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs are developing new solutions to reduce emissions and contribute to the circular economy. Here we politicians need to get better at giving carrots to boosta the green relaunch of Europe's economy. We need to eliminate tariffs on climate-smart goods. We need to remove trade barriers on sustainable services such as repairs and rentals. We need to remove red tape and ban trade in recycled materials. The fact that we have tariffs on electric cars feels incredibly strange in these times. Our trade policy is also key to achieving a green and sustainable circular economy, and not only by making it more expensive to release, but also by giving more carrots to entrepreneurs.