Ursula von der Leyen EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT 2019-24: POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE TECH SECTOR - Inline Policy
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CC-BY-4.0: © European Union 2019- Source: EP
Ursula von der Leyen
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT 2019-24:
POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE TECH SECTOR
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Executive Summary
• Ursula von der Leyen was confirmed as centre-right European People’s Party (EPP)
President-Elect of the European political group within the European
Commission for the 2019-24 term by the Parliament and is seen as a close ally of
European Parliament on 16 July 2019. German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
• With 374 votes in favour needed to confirm • The publication of her ‘Political Guidelines’
her nomination, von der Leyen was ahead of the European Parliament’s
approved with 383 votes in favour, 327 confirmatory vote outlined her key policy
votes against, 22 abstentions and 1 vote initiatives as European Commission
void. President. The high-level policy document
indicates a key focus on environmental and
• Her slim majority reflects broader social policies.
discontent in the European Parliament over
the European Council’s decision not to • Tech and digital policy feature prominently
nominate a lead of a political group within in the ‘Guidelines’. Key areas covered range
the Spitzenkandidat system, as well as from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the
concern over von der Leyen’s track record envisaged ‘Digital Services Act’ to digital
in German government. taxation underline the importance of tech
issues within the next European legislative
• The vocal opposition of political groups cycle.
including the Greens/EFA, Identity and
Democracy (ID) and GUE/NGL highlight the • Von der Leyen has outlined an ambitious
broader challenge that von der Leyen will timeframe for some of her programme and
have to get her legislative agenda through firms should expect movement on certain
the European Parliament in the 2019-24 issues in the first months of her tenure as
term. European Commission President. A number
of policy proposals, including those related
• Von der Leyen has extensive experience in to AI, are expected within her first 100 days
German domestic politics at both a state in office. However it is unclear to what
and federal level, having served as Federal extent her legislative proposals will be
Minister of Defence, Federal Minister of supported both within the European
Labour and Social Affairs, and Federal Council and the European Parliament.
Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens,
Women and Youth. As a member of the
German CDU party, she is a member of the
2 | Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission President 2019-24: Policy Priorities for the Tech SectorIntroduction
The nomination of Ursula von der Leyen as the rejection of the Spitzenkandidat process and
European Council’s candidate for the her performance as German Defence Minister,
European Commission President for the 2019- including the operational capabilities of the
24 term followed several weeks of intense German military and ongoing investigations by
political negotiations in which European Union the German Parliament into contracts with
Member States sought to reach a collective external consultants.
agreement on a suitable candidate.
Despite strong calls from the European The appointment of a new European
Parliament for the European Council to Commission President represents a key
nominate a Spitzenkandidat (lead candidate) component of the EU institutional transition
from one of the political groups, European following European Elections held in May. The
leaders instead selected a compromise European Commission President enjoys
candidate from national politics without EU significant international visibility and provides
institutional experience. “political guidance” to the Commission.
Through selecting the Commissioners
As a multilingual veteran of German domestic nominated by national governments,
politics, von der Leyen enjoys the backing of allocating portfolios and overseeing the work
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian of the Commission, the President guides the
Democratic Union (CDU) party in Germany and political direction of the European Union.
the support of the European People’s Party Identifying their policy priorities is therefore
(EPP) political group in the European crucial for firms looking to understand the
Parliament. Her nomination nevertheless long-term direction of the incoming
faced considerable opposition within the Commission and key areas of potential
European Parliament due primarily to engagement.
concerns over the European Council’s
Policy priorities
Ahead of the European Parliament’s The Guidelines outline high-level
confirmatory vote, von der Leyen published a commitments to introduce legislative
‘Political Guidelines’ document outlining her proposals on social, environmental and
policy priorities as President of the European economic policy, as well as steps to improve
Commission. The high-level document is areas including inter-institutional relations and
focused on six “headline ambitions” for the EU’s international role. The Guidelines
Europe: reflect a broad-based policy programme which
1. A European Green Deal include a number of proposals and initiatives-
2. An economy that works for people particularly in regard to the environment-
3. A Europe fit for the digital age which were intended to appeal to centre-left
4. Protecting our European way of life political groups including the Socialists and
5. A stronger Europe in the world Democrats (S&D) and Greens/European Free
6. A new push for European democracy Alliance (EFA) within the European Parliament
and facilitate her election as President.
3 | Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission President 2019-24: Policy Priorities for the Tech SectorThe Guidelines highlight the importance of proposals within the first 100 days of her
tech policy within the 2019-24 European tenure as European Commission President,
legislative term. Key policy proposals including indicate that digital policy may move very
the Digital Services Act and investment in new quickly under the new Commission. The
technologies will need to be elaborated in the complexity of the political landscape within
coming months, providing opportunities for the European Parliament following the May
firms to engage with stakeholders within the 2019 elections nevertheless indicates that
European institutions. significant challenges will remain in ensuring
the passage of key legislation.
The ambitious timeframe proposed within the
Guidelines, including the introduction of
Tech-focused proposals
DIGITAL SERVICES ACT
DISINFORMATION
Von der Leyen proposes a new ‘Digital Services
Act’ to “upgrade our liability and safety rules” Von der Leyen states that the EU should
for platforms, digital services and products. No develop a “joint approach and common
information on the legislative elements or standards” in order to address this challenge.
specifics of this proposal are included in the Von der Leyen will also propose a “European
Guidelines. Democracy Action Plan” which will include
legislative proposals to ensure greater
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE transparency on paid political advertising.
(AI)
DIGITAL TAXATION
Legislation on a coordinated European
approach on the human and ethical Von der Leyen supports the reform of current
implications of AI will be launched within her EU and international corporate tax systems
first 100 days in office. which she states are unfit for the modern
global economy and “do not capture the new
business models in the digital world”. She
SUPPORTING NEW commits to ensuring that digital taxation is a
TECHNOLOGIES policy priority and will support movement on
current proposals. In line with the European
Von der Leyen calls for the development of Union’s current stance on digital taxation, she
joint standards for 5G networks, as well as states that the EU will look to move on its own
technological sovereignty in “critical if no international agreement is found by the
technology areas”. She would support end of 2020.
investment in new technologies including
blockchain, “high-performance computing”, TAXATION
algorithms and tools to support data sharing
and data usage. She states that the EU should
Von der Leyen supports measures to improve
lead the development of new standards which
the business taxation environment within the
could become the “global norm”. Investments
European Union. She supports Common
in Artificial Intelligence will also be prioritised.
4 | Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission President 2019-24: Policy Priorities for the Tech SectorConsolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) by co-decision and decided by qualified
proposals to ensure clarity on tax regulation majority voting (QMV) within the Council of
across the Single Market. She supports the the European Union.
adoption of taxation proposals to be adopted
Key proposals for businesses in general
SMALL AND MEDIUM- 100 days in office, as well as further
movement on the ‘Women on Boards’
SIZED ENTERPRISES (SMES)
Directive to support gender balance on
corporate boards.
Von der Leyen will propose a “dedicated SME
strategy” to improve market access and
reduce red tape. She will support a new STRENGTHENING EU INTER-
public-private fund to support SME IPOs with INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS
matching investment from the EU and private
investors. To strengthen relations between the
European Parliament and European
FAIR MINIMUM WAGE Commission, von der Leyen supports a right of
legislative initiative for the Parliament. She
An action plan to ensure full implementation commits to responding with a legislative act
of the European Pillar of Social Rights will be when the Parliament adopts a resolution
proposed. She will also propose legislation to requesting the Commission to submit
ensure that European workers have a “fair legislative proposals. She outlines her
minimum wage” according to national commitment to ensuring that Commissioners
circumstances. engage frequently with the European
Parliament during the legislative process and
international negotiations and will support
WORK IN THE PLATFORM regular debate with the Parliament through
ECONOMY the ‘Question Hour’ initiative. This will allow
MEPs to engage directly with the European
Von der Leyen will explore ways to improve Commission President (and other
labour conditions for workers in the platform Commissioners) on key issues.
economy, particularly through skills and
education. She also supports the full BREXIT
implementation of the EU’s Work-Life Balance
Directive. Von der Leyen supports an “ambitious and
strategic partnership” with the United
EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY Kingdom following Brexit. She supports a
further extension past the 31 October 2019 if
To ensure equality, von der Leyen commits to it is for “good reasons”.
proposing new anti-discrimination legislation
as well as a new European Gender Strategy to ENVIRONMENT
ensure equal pay. This will also be reinforced
through binding pay-transparency A key element of von der Leyen’s Guidelines
requirements to be introduced within the first focus on environmental policy. These outlines
5 | Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission President 2019-24: Policy Priorities for the Tech Sectornew initiatives including a “European Green including the maritime and construction
Deal” to be introduced within 100 days in sectors, and a “European Climate Pact” with
office, a “European Climate Law” with a legal pledges from stakeholders. The Guidelines
commitment to ensure EU carbon neutrality also underline a commitment to increase
by 2050, an extension of the Emissions sustainable finance and investment in
Trading Scheme (ETS) to cover new areas environmental technologies.
Biography
Ursula von der Leyen was born in Brussels, Women, Family Affairs and Health. From 2004
Belgium on 8 October 1958. She attended the she was a member of the CDU’s Presidium
European School of Brussels from 1964-71. (leadership committee).
Von der Leyen studied economics at the Von der Leyen was appointed Federal
Universities of Göttingen and Münster in Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens,
Germany, with some time spent at the Women and youth in 2005, and was elected
London School of Economics in the United as a member of the German Bundestag in
Kingdom. She later studied medicine and 2009. She was appointed Federal Minister of
graduated from the Hanover Medical School Labour and Social Affairs in 2009. From
(MHH) in 1987. She was awarded a doctorate December 2013-July 2019, von der Leyen
in Medicine in 1991. She worked in the MHH served as Federal Minister of Defense. Von
Department of Epidemiology, Social Medicine der Leyen was widely tipped as a potential
and Health Systems Research from 1998- successor to Angela Merkel as German
2002. Chancellor.
Von der Leyen joined the Christian She is married to Heiko von der Leyen and has
Democratic Union (CDU) party in 1990 and seven children. Her father, Ernst Albrecht,
held a number of local political positions in was a prominent German politician who
Hanover before being elected to the State worked with the European Economic
Assembly (Landtag) of Lower Saxony in 2003. Community (EEC) and European Commission
From March 2003 to November 2005 she and served as state premier of Lower Saxony
served as State Minister for Social Affairs, from 1976-90.
Implications for the tech sector
Ursula von der Leyen’s ‘Political Guidelines’ institutions, do not represent a concrete
highlight the importance of tech and digital forecast of the European Commission’s
policy in the incoming 2019-24 Commission proposals. The publication of the European
and identify key policy areas to be addressed Commission’s work programme later this year
over the next legislative cycle. The ‘Guidelines’ will help identify which of von der Leyen’s
were nevertheless intended primarily as a tool ideas will be translated into more tangible
to facilitate her election as European policy proposals.
Commission President which, although
indicative of discussions within the EU
6 | Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission President 2019-24: Policy Priorities for the Tech SectorPolitical ‘fragmentation’ within the European More practically, the ‘Political Guidelines’ have
Parliament following the 2019 elections may been produced before the start of her tenure
complicate the legislative process due to the and will be further shaped by the
need to balance competing demands, circumstances of the 2019-25 legislative term.
expectations and commitments from political Geopolitical challenges, climate change, and
groups. More complex or controversial global trade tensions are just some of the
proposals outlined in the ‘Guidelines’ may face potential challenges that may come to define
opposition within the European Parliament. the incoming Commission’s term and require
Given this more challenging political more immediate policy responses. The
landscape, it is unclear at this stage which of legislative priorities within the ‘Political
von der Leyen’s proposals- if successfully Guidelines’ can therefore be expected to
introduced as legislation- would become EU evolve considerably over this Commission in
law. It is also possible that a number of her response to the changing global landscape.
initiatives will face resistance within both the
European Council and Council of the European
Union.
Key dates
JULY-AUGUST 2019 1 NOVEMBER 2019
Ursula von der Leyen will review EU Member The new College of Commissioners, including
States’ nominated Commissioners. Member von der Leyen, is due to assume office.
States will need to submit their nominations
by 26 August. AUTUMN 2019
The European Commission will present its
SEPTEMBER 2019 policy priorities for the 2019-24 legislative
The European Parliament will hold hearings cycle.
with Commissioners-designate.
OCTOBER 2019
The European Parliament will vote on the new
College of Commissioners as a whole during
the II Plenary session in Strasbourg.
7 | Ursula von der Leyen - European Commission President 2019-24: Policy Priorities for the Tech SectorThe specialists in politics and regulation
for the tech sector
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