Debate contributions by Pablo ARIAS ECHEVERRÍA

Madam President, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, generative artificial intelligence models are trained with the data of their users. Generating traffic on social networks through generative AI – such as X, with Grok – is essential for them, and doing so in an agile way, essential to win in the race of competition between them. Social networks such as X have become the dungeon of many who act with total impunity, with the connivance of the platforms themselves interested in generating traffic. The controversial sells and the algorithms reward it. We have allowed this, and now we find ourselves with one more step: nudity and intimate images generated by Grok, X's artificial intelligence.The subject could be comical if it were not tragic, especially when involving minors. They return to the same model without limits: The more controversial, the more gender traffic. This growing phenomenon needs to be tackled with clear rules and firm boundaries, training and digital education from an early age, and the responsible use of these tools promoted. If it does not, what is tragic today will also be irreversible.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President, Commissioner, digitalisation has long been an indispensable part of our day-to-day lives. It is a tsunami that permeates everything and that, in the case of the younger generations, goes even further: is your world and is part of your identity. It is transversal, and the truth is that I do not know anyone who does not use digital tools in any field. Its benefits are undeniable, but they are not without risks. This report addresses the risks and problems that we all already talk about and whose consequences can be devastating for children: Addictions, lack of sleep, self-harm, suicides, eating disorders, violence and pornography, just to mention a few. This digital world in which they have grown up may seem harmless, but sometimes we see that it is not. Do we want to bet on hyperprotection and deprive minors of their world? Or are we going to leave minors exposed to a world without limits? Faced with the rigidity of prohibition and the chaos of self-regulation, there is a third way: that of order, consensus and reason. The European model has always been to accompany our children, training them and educating them on a path in which they have to develop their own criteria that allow them to identify the opportunities and also the risks to which they are exposed. And the digital realm is no exception. This report, which I hope will be adopted by a large majority tomorrow, goes in this direction. Only if parents, youth, educators, institutions, platforms and health professionals go hand in hand can we find the right solutions. Only if we do it at European level will a standard be efficient and not 27, because the protection of minors is a shared responsibility, it is everyone's responsibility. No one wants to replace parents, but algorithms could do it.

Mr President, Madam Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry, but I am outraged. The Shein scandal in France has been making headlines for a week. Our standards are not being met: offers of child-looking sex dolls, weapons and – added – potentially dangerous toys, clothing produced with harmful substances or counterfeit products. What good is it for us to have a good normative deck if we are not going to take action on the matter? We continue in the sterile debates. We cannot fail in our responsibility neither to our consumers nor to our companies. What has to happen to make us realize that cheap can be expensive? Madam Vice-President, the campaign of the Black Friday and Christmas. I repeat, what has to happen? That a baby chokes on the parts of a toy without European safety guarantees? That a citizen is electrocuted with a bargain purchased on an e-commerce platform in third countries? When it comes to acting, we hesitate; When tragedy strikes, who will take responsibility? How many headlines are we going to need to react to? Once the headlines are forgotten, will we continue to allow these platforms to continue advertising their products in the media, those same media that are scandalized today? We have to act and we have to do it now.

I thank you very much for the question, Mr Gražulis, but the truth is that I have not talked about energy, neither green nor any other kind. But, having said that, I believe that what the Commission is doing is a great job. I believe that we have to push and go hand in hand with the Commission and try to get the Member States to do theirs too in order to achieve that simplification and get back to the European Union and the single market that competitiveness that we so badly need and deserve.

Mr President, the Draghi Report on European Competitiveness was published on 8 September 2024. We all applauded him, because he put black on white the problems we have and proposals to solve them. Draghi himself, a year later, sounded the alarm about inaction as a threat to our competitiveness and sovereignty. We're going too slow. While it is true that this first year of the legislature has not materialized in major changes, it is also true that for these to occur it takes time to prepare them. Today the Commission presents its work programme for 2026, which goes in the right direction and conveys a clear intention: take action. However, once again, we face the main barrier of the single market: protectionism of the Member States. We also need the Council's commitment to go a step further in implementing these recommendations. Driving change involves being disruptive in the measures we propose and rigorous in their application. The same formula that allowed us to create the euro and the single market: unity, vision and courage. In particular, we need a strong single market that inspires confidence in young people who are often disenchanted with the European project, that provides legal certainty for businesses and SMEs, that attracts and retains talent, that is attractive for investment, innovation and growth, and that is regulated by simple and harmonised rules: one rule and not 27. Scheme 28 may be an appropriate way to simplify and speed up. The Commission has already written the score, but – as the English say – it takes two to tango. The majority of this Parliament is prepared and committed. The question is: Is it also the Council?

Mr President, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, 282 million vehicles circulate in the European Union. Can you imagine them circulating without rules? In 2024, 319 million Europeans used internet-connected devices. Why aren't we surprised that the internet is used without limits or rules? The benefits of the Internet are undeniable, but the services they offer us are not without risks, and represent, in many cases, serious problems for companies, start-ups, users or young people. Until now we lived in the Far West: The strongest decide, impose and self-regulate. The exponential growth in internet use is equivalent to that which – much more slowly – occurred with the emergence of the automobile and the industrial revolution. The car became indispensable for the economic development and our daily lives, which generated chaos in cities such as New York or Paris at the beginning of the 20th century. Thus arises the need to regulate and order traffic. From this need arise the limits for the car: on the streets by means of traffic lights and signs, and on vehicles by means of seat belts or child seats. It is called road safety and, far from curbing innovation, it encourages it. Ensuring user safety and security is not incompatible with innovation. It is about finding this balance and transferring it to the market, also to the digital one. That is what the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act are looking for. It is not about prohibiting or imposing, it is about identifying the risk and minimizing it. It is not a question of attacking or censoring, but of curbing abuses and protecting consumer rights without hampering innovation. Let's continue to bet on these rules. Let's continue betting on its implementation.

Madam President, Mr Vice-President of the Commission, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, the single market is arguably the best tool we have to return, from European values and principles, to the path of competitiveness. After thirty-two years, we are still debating issues that we should have resolved long ago. Today, once again, we have the opportunity to do so, but we must move from the debate to the facts. The Single Market strategy recognises as the "terrible ten" the obstacles to our competitiveness, creating an unacceptable bureaucratic burden and legal uncertainty for our businesses and SMEs. Madam President-in-Office of the Council, let me be very clear: the greatest obstacle is the protectionism of the Member States. We need bureaucratic simplification, a standard for the whole market and not twenty-seven, a single voice to lead the project, standards of easy compliance according to the quality and safety of our products. To be competitive, we have to make our single market work at full capacity, attracting talent and investment, facilitating the development of our companies and professionals and generating trust, allowing our industry and our primary sector to be in a position to network with global companies. On the other hand, we need an open market based on our rules and not on impositions: neither in the digital sphere with the self-regulation of platforms nor in the environmental one with ideological impositions. Ladies and gentlemen, it is also essential to have young people. It is imperative that they see our single market as an opportunity and not as a problem, for example, to undertake or work. If we are not able to make our project attractive to them, to the younger ones, the European Union - let me say - has an expiry date, and we cannot afford that. We couldn't forgive ourselves.

Madam President, Commissioner, extraordinary situations such as COVID-19, the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook or the eruption of a volcano, paralysing European airspace, force us to react by adapting our rules: it is essential for businesses and consumers to ensure the viability of the tourism sector. It is about striking a balance between the protection of consumer rights and the viability of our businesses, especially SMEs. The former is compatible with the latter, but we will hardly be able to guarantee citizens' rights if we do not guarantee the viability of the sector. The revision of the Package Travel Directive reflects this balance: In the face of legal uncertainty and excessive complexity and bureaucracy, we need clear answers, such as the text amended by this Parliament. In addition, experience shows that exceptional events occur, and their consequences are devastating: job losses, massive cancellations and lost investments. We must be prepared with adapted rules and mechanisms, but without losing sight of the everyday and without burdening our companies with unaffordable obligations. The key to this balance is to instil confidence through legal certainty for our companies and guarantees for passengers, both for their safety and for the expense they make when hiring travel services. This should be our priority: a strong tourism sector with competitive SMEs and businesses that protects citizens' rights, thus further strengthening our Single Market.

Mr President, Mr Vice-President, when we believed that the current legislation was sufficient to improve public procurement and the fight against corruption, we found that reality points to the opposite or, at least, does not deter those who want to make a profit at the expense of everyone's money. Favoritism, opacity, bespoke awards, excessive bureaucracy ... apparently competitive offers hide sometimes spurious interests for, among other reasons, lack of transparency and effective mechanisms to fight against these practices. We should not settle for simplistic remedies. Some see in awarding for the lowest price the solution to all problems, as if cheap is synonymous with clean. The cheap is almost always paid dearly: poorer quality infrastructure, lack of proper maintenance, lost innovation and despised or devalued intellectual property. Reality demands a reform of the existing rules, but if those rules lead us to always reward the cheapest we will be failing our engineers, our innovators, our companies – especially our SMEs – and, ultimately, our citizens, who expect efficient, but top-quality public works and services. The public procurement that citizens deserve must become an instrument of quality and future, demanding transparency, traceability and independent controls. It should foster innovation, protect and reward intellectual property and ensure that every taxpayer's euro is invested in solid and useful projects for all. Europe cannot – and should not – accept corruption and mediocrity as a price to pay, not in public procurement. This will help restore confidence in our institutions.

Mr President, Commissioner, a successful agreement is to prioritise understanding over imposition: In the face of climate constraints that weigh on our competitiveness, we need a strong and comprehensive single market. That must be our priority. However, our market will never be able to realise its full potential, nor be competitive, if we have unattainable climate objectives, market fragmentation with confusing and different rules between Member States or if we create unaffordable obstacles and administrative burdens. Today we are talking about cars and recycling, key sectors in the midst of transformation that need clear and efficient responses to regain their role as one of the drivers of the European Union's competitiveness. From the EPP Group we continue to bet on technological neutrality and the circular economy, a balanced approach that leaves behind the "produce, use and throw away" model and protects the environment without increasing the burdens on our companies, especially SMEs. This is the path that we must follow from the institutions and that the Commission must take forward: a balance between environment and industry that adds up and does not subtract. According to Mario Draghi, there is a reconciliation between competitiveness and climate ambition. Let me add that it will only be achieved with responsible and balanced policies, paying attention to the demands of industry to accompany us in the fight against climate change. This is and should be the way: a strong and competitive market that listens to the industry without neglecting environmental challenges. That is why we applaud the agreement. Congratulations to the rapporteurs.

Mr President, Commissioner, 4.6 billion packages entered our market via e-commerce platforms in 2024, 91% coming from China: this puts our citizens at risk and our companies at a clear competitive disadvantage. Chinese e-commerce giants have a massive supply of products at derisory prices, delivered to consumers directly at home. How do they do it? With subsidized products in their countries of origin and taking advantage of the exemption of 150 euros through a kind of logistic engineering to avoid controls and customs fees. The answer should be blunt: the customs reform, together with the Council's agreement to remove the 150 euro exemption, points in that direction. European companies comply and must compete on a level playing field, and consumers must have their safety, health and data protected: We cannot allow others to circumvent the rules or take advantage of their gaps. The message is clear: Any product that enters our market, regardless of its origin, must comply with our legislation. But there are still questions left unanswered: how is it possible that they are constantly advertised on social networks and other applications, or through influencers, potentially dangerous or illicit products without problem?, what has to happen so that we realize that the cheap can be very expensive: a fatal accident of a child receiving an unsafe, dangerous toy that does not comply with our legislation? There are no easy answers to complex problems, but we must continue to work to address this situation without delay.

Mr President, in 2023 we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the single market. In these two years we have worked to unify and Europeanize it. The work is positive, but much remains to be done. We know this, it is corroborated by Draghi and Letta, it is suffered by our companies and citizens and evidenced by the data: In just 15 years, we have gone from accounting for 21% of global GDP to just 16%. With the current international situation, our market can no longer absorb the barriers it once faced. This forces us to react: We have an opportunity to bet on our market and our competitiveness. This obliges us, Commissioner, to ensure that the at least ten barriers which you list and which you refer to as 'terrible' for the market can be abolished. The aim is to ensure an attractive ecosystem for our young people, our entrepreneurs and businesses, especially our SMEs, start-ups and scale-ups, and for European talent to realise its full potential in our territory, in our market. This strategy is the answer to the question I asked you a few weeks ago about whether the warm welcome we gave to the Letta and Draghi reports was just a photo or a compromise. It is clear that for the Commission it is a commitment that comes with a timetable that we will be – and I have already announced – very attentive to. Commissioner, we in Parliament are prepared to accompany you in the implementation of this strategy, but as you know – and as the English say – it takes two to tango; It's actually a matter of three: music and the dance partner. The music we have heard today sounds good, Parliament is here and we must ensure that the Council also joins us in this dance.

Mr President, Commissioner, in 2023 we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the single market. The construction of this Union of free movement of goods, services, capital and people reflects the values and principles we share; a project that has become the beacon guiding the economy of the European Union. But there are also shadows – shadows that we must dispel. Draghi and Letta have made it very clear: We are looking to be competitive, yes, but we have a fragmented market. We seek to be innovative, yes, but we put obstacles to our SMEs. start-ups y scale-ups, and we let talent slip away from us. We seek leadership, yes, but we put administrative burdens that slow down the growth of our companies. We seek a single market, yes, but we find an excess of unequal rules in that same market and national protectionisms. What was previously able to withstand our market, today seems impossible. The current global situation requires us to address these shadows with diligence and determination. The task is not simple: simplification, less bureaucracy, facilities to finance private digital initiatives, innovation, retention and attraction of talent. We need fewer but equal rules for the whole market, with the same level of guarantees and protection. In short, more legal certainty. The Member States and the European institutions need to be far-sighted enough to tackle these structural reforms, because we don't have much of a stake; We probably risked everything, Mr. Commissioner. When we all welcomed the Letta and Draghi reports, was it just a photo or was it a compromise? In the case of the Popular Party, I assure you: a compromise. I hope that this will also be the case for the Commission and the Council.

Mr President, Commissioner, today everyone knows, or should know, that data is the main object of desire for any digital initiative. They are the oil of the 21st century. This data, which digital companies collect from users, is monetized through, for example, what is called targeted advertising. But we would be very innocent if we thought they were only used for that: manipulation in electoral processes, destabilisation of democracy, espionage and cyber-attacks are, among others, examples of harmful use of our data. Artificial intelligence, which feeds on this data, is the key to the future. The one who leads artificial intelligence will be the one who leads the world in the next fifty or a hundred years. Hence this fever for the new black gold, the data, at any price. Because artificial intelligence without data doesn't work. This is why it is necessary to have rules such as the Data Protection Act, the Digital Services Act or the Regulation on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector, among others. That is why it is essential that the rules are correctly applied and that the appropriate sanctions are imposed on the person who does not comply. Our market, our rules: we cannot hesitate to apply them. Protecting the privacy of Europeans is our obligation.

Mr President, does the Commission believe that we have a problem with talent in Europe? Does the Commission believe that we are not capable of being competitive in the digital field? Does the Commission believe that with a fragmented market we can be competitive? We have capacity for all this and much more. We've shown that in the past. We have trained talent and young people, start-ups, entrepreneurs and expanding start-ups capable of being competitive and innovative. However, we put barriers on them. Talent ends up leaving the European Union, where they can offer their full potential. Start-ups and scale-ups face market fragmentation that prevents them from developing their business and end up selling their digital initiatives to internet giants. They bear an administrative burden that slows their growth, sometimes even makes them desist. Difficulties in accessing finance do not allow them to innovate. We need an attractive digital ecosystem that, far from putting sticks on the wheels, incentivises our entrepreneurs, start-ups and scale-ups to become large European companies in the digital market. This is achieved with more market, more single market. We need legal certainty, trust and growth opportunities for our SMEs and young people, we need to break down existing barriers within our single market, less bureaucracy, regulatory simplification, fewer rules – equal for the whole single market – and with the same level of guarantees and protection. The key remains more single market and fewer barriers to innovation. We are on a better path, but we have to move from words to deeds.

Thank you very much for the question. I believe that the Commission has done and clearly responded to what has been raised as interference by some platforms or some platform users. I therefore believe that the Digital Services Act is well framed and I also believe that the Commission is giving the answer it needs to give. This should be based on evidence. Member States have to refer illegal content to the Commission and the Commission has to simply collect that evidence, open the file, if necessary, and exercise its power and responsibility.

Madam President, Madam Vice-President of the Commission, with the arrival of the new President of the United States we see how in the digital sphere the digital giants are moving their tokens. Today, these platforms bring together an enormous capacity and number of users and exert an undeniable influence, representing for our society a new way of communicating, informing and expressing opinions. However, it seems that in this game there are no limits, only the interests of the players, who disguise themselves under the argument of freedom of expression. In the European Union we have clear limits and rules: our values and principles embodied in the DSA which, as Vice-President Virkkunen said, are based on transparency and the protection of freedom of expression, but also on the fight against disinformation. The Digital Services Act – which does not regulate content or censor opinions – sets limits to protect our values, the integrity of our democracies, the rights of our citizens and the competitiveness of our businesses, ensuring legal certainty for all parties, but it does provide clear answers against illegal content and foreign interference in electoral processes. Therefore, the Digital Services Act needs to be rigorously enforced. We demand that platforms take their share of responsibility and comply with the DSA’s objectives and obligations on content moderation. However, it is also necessary that from here we guarantee strict compliance with our rules, always supported by research and evidence, and not by opinions or beliefs. To strengthen our democracy, trust and credibility, the rules we adopt must be rigorously adhered to.

Mr President, Madam Vice-President Virkkunen, the fight against disinformation is essential to protect the European project. From the institutions and based on the legislation on transparency, we seek to minimize attacks and interference in democratic elections without regulating content or assessing what is a hoax and what is not. These attacks have increased exponentially due to the internet, social networks and their algorithms, which reward certain content. Platforms and influencers They have become very attractive tools for those who seek to undermine our democracies. That is why the European Democracy Action Plan, presented by the Commission last legislature, is key to safeguarding our values and democratic integrity. In this regard, I welcome the strong reaction of the Commission in the case of Romania under the Digital Services Act. Platforms have no limits, they are focused solely on generating more interactions to increase their profits, even at the expense of the privacy of citizens and their opinions. In this context, and with the aim of curbing these practices, the DSA is reinforced by the Regulation on transparency and targeting in political advertising, adopted in 2024 and to be applicable from October 2025. Good enforcement of these rules is and should be a priority. They are rules that do not censor or prohibit. They do not go against freedom of expression; on the contrary, they seek transparency and rely on it to ensure the dissemination of truthful and verified information. The rules need to be met and we need to send a clear message to platforms: If they want to operate in our European market, they must comply rigorously with our standards of transparency, with our standards.

Mr President, Madam Executive Vice-President of the Commission, the Digital Services Act, better known as the ‘DSA’, aims to put limits on the digital domain: the risk of disinformation sweeping the internet and weakening our democracies is a reality, which is why the DSA and the European Media Freedom Regulation were adopted, to preserve everyone’s right to truthful information, to protect press freedom, not to promote censorship, and to respect editorial freedom and the independence of public media. As you know, these norms do not give any legal cover to any government interference, they are born precisely to protect us all against those who seek to polarize, confront and manipulate us. That is why I would like to alert the Commission today: the Democracy Action Plan approved today by the Government of Spain is clearly contrary to the European norm and aims to put pressure on journalists and media outlets that are reporting on judicial investigations and corruption cases involving members of the Government and its immediate environment. Undoubtedly, it is a governmental hoax that this plan is covered by these Regulations. I therefore call on the Commission to ensure the proper implementation of the FSD and the European Media Freedom Regulation throughout the European Union, to pay particular attention to ensure that Member States do not use and misrepresent these regulations to control the media and do not decide what is truthful and what is a hoax at will in order to distract and manipulate on issues that are sub iudice. As legislators, we have already done our homework: Let the media and journalists do their job and let justice do theirs.