What were tech commissioner-designate Virkkunen’s policy concerns as an MEP?

The incoming EU commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen (Finland, EPP), served two terms as a member of the European Parliament – and was elected a third time in June – before being nominated by her country’s government to become EU commissioner early July. 

Euronews checked her main digital focus areas as a member of the Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) since 2014 – based on written and oral questions she submitted to the Commission – which show that her interest in audiovisual and SMEs grew over the years. 

Audiovisual questions

In her second mandate (2019-2024), Virkunnen asked the EU executive more questions, compared to her first term. Of 76 written questions she submitted, some 15 covered tech and industry topics. In addition, she asked six oral questions, one of which on technology.

This was an increase on the first mandate (2014-2019), when she asked 40 written questions in total, of which seven were technology related. She asked eight oral questions, two of those were on tech: consumer rights and online services.

Questions in her first mandate were broader, covering a range of issues like consumer protection, VAT on digital books and online sales.

For example, of data she asked how the Commission intended to ensure access and availability to data to support innovation and development, and if the EU executive planned to change liability rules to ensure that they were harmonised across Europe.

This changed in the second mandate, where she asked six written questions related to intellectual property and audiovisual laws, as well as two on SMEs and two on energy efficiency and IT. 

Her questions on the audiovisual touched upon the Digital Services Act (DSA). She said in 2021 that the film and audiovisual sector “is sustaining severe losses from the widespread illegal use of copyrighted content, including during the pandemic,” which the DSA can protect. Asking the Commission to make sure there are no “liability privileges”. 

Also in May 2021, Virkkunen asked about support for the recovery of the audiovisual sector, and the Commission’s approach to guaranteeing full territorial exclusivity and commercial freedom. 

A third question focussed on whether or not the Commission planned to include streaming platforms with a competitive advantage in a common media data space.

DNA

Last November, she wanted to know more about the much debated Digital Networks Act – plans to overhaul EU telecom rules planned for next year — stating that regulation “needs to encourage investment”.

“Ambitious, quantitative targets must be set to reduce the amount of unnecessary regulation, and these should be actively monitored. Regulation must be consistent and predictable, and it must be competitively and technologically neutral,” she said, and asked whether the Commission wanted to remove such “unnecessary regulation in the field of electronic communications during what remains of its current term?” 

As a rapporteur – the lawmaker who prepares the Parliament’s position on a piece of legislation – she was in charge of a report on online platforms and the digital single market in 2018. 

As a so-called shadow rapporteur – representing her political group on the dossier – she contributed to another digital single market report in the period 2014-2019. In addition, she wrote opinions on tech and innovation fund Horizon Europe. 

In her second mandate, she wrote a report on cybersecurity of the EU institutions, and as a shadow-rapporteur one on cybersecurity requirements for products. She also submitted opinions on information security in the EU institutions, and one on the Digital Services Act. 

Virkkunen – who will need to stick to her work described by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a mission letter, including facilitating AI innovation, a Digital Networks Act and strengthening cybersecurity – will face a grilling in the Parliament on her ideas next month. 

She said in a post on X in July that sustainable growth is “a number one priority”, adding that entailed: “Reducing bureaucracy, SME entrepreneurship, continuation of the green transition, R&D funding, digitalization, and accelerating investments."