EU Lawmakers OK European Commission Panel
The European Parliament Wednesday approved a slate of European commissioners, whose five-year terms are expected to begin Dec. 1. Among the new officials are Henna Virkkunen, former Finnish member of the European Parliament, as executive vice president-tech sovereignty, security and…
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democracy; Stephane Sejourne, former French minister of foreign affairs, as vice president-prosperity and industrial strategy; Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, former Spanish ecological transition minister, as executive vice president for a clean, just and competitive transition; and Michael McGrath of Ireland's Republican Party as commissioner for democracy, justice and the rule of law. The new team will work across different areas "because the challenges of our times are all intertwined," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The EC's first major initiative will be a "competitiveness compass" under which Europe will close the innovation gap with the U.S. and China, create a joint plan for decarbonization and competitiveness; and boost security, von der Leyen announced. "Without urgent, powerful and ambitious reforms from policymakers, Europe will fall even further behind its global peers," said the GSM Association. Much of 2024 has been spent debating the new Digital Networks Act, and GSMA urged the EC to make it a priority. Among other things, the measure calls for reducing regulations and updating spectrum licensing procedures.