Ribera Rodríguez will inherit active investigations into tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Meta, and will be responsible for enforcing the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which regulates Big Tech's market power. Virkkunen will be responsible for enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA), which governs digital services and includes algorithmic accountability rules for larger tech platforms. Zaharieva will work on a “European Innovation Act” to streamline the bloc’s regulatory framework and facilitate access to venture capital for European startups and scaleups.
Key takeaways:
- The European Union has reached a political agreement on the team of 26 commissioners who will implement President Ursula von der Leyen’s policy plan for the next five years. The new European Commission is expected to start on December 1.
- Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, the incoming Executive Vice President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, will be a key figure in tech policy, taking over competition enforcement from Margrethe Vestager. She will inherit several active investigations into Big Tech companies and will be responsible for enforcing the Digital Markets Act.
- Henna Virkkunen, the incoming Executive Vice President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, will shape the bloc’s approach to web technologies and AI, and will be responsible for enforcing the Digital Services Act. She will also focus on boosting AI innovation and fostering investment in "frontier" tech areas.
- Ekaterina Zaharieva, the Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, will work on a "European Innovation Act" to streamline the bloc’s regulatory framework and facilitate access to venture capital for European startups and scaleups. She will also lead on proposing a "European Research Area Act" to support the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge, and technology.