Constantin Gissler

It was a pleasure to discuss with leaders of chambers of commerce throughout Europe, and listen to the wise words of VP Maroš Šefčovič. Many thanks to Ben Butters for the invite. The Green, Digital and Competitive SME (gdc.lisboncouncil.net) index shows a wide gap between SME fast digital adoption and slow progress in green transition and competitiveness. This raises a question: what if using green energy and exporting were as cheap, easy and predictable as using the cloud? How can we get there? To me, lowering the green premium is crucial, and the single market offers a more realistic solution than tariffs and subsidies for industry. The challenge in front of us is design single market policies that are effective but also able to address the discontent behind the far right surge before it's too late.

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🔍🧐 Are you curious to know what it's like to be part of the citizen's panel of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 ? Members will show you around! 🤖 The citizen's panel on AI is a unique opportunity to gather valuable insights and perspectives on the impact of AI on society from citizens. 🇧🇪🇪🇺 On may 25 the panel's conclusions will be presented and discussed with a large number of Belgian and European political leaders and stakeholders. 👉 Read more about this exciting project of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 and the significant work of our citizen's panel on AI : https://lnkd.in/dhTSKWQX #EU2024BE #CitizenPanel #AI

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Elections in Belgium: once in a blue moon the stars all align. It seems that a federal government could be seeing the light of day quite quickly as potential coalitions are already taking shape in Belgium. As the country moves to the right, politics are more aligned than ever. Things unfold quickly but... the new federal govt could become the sum of a likely Flemish centrist coalition of right-wing nationalists, Christian democrats and socialists and centre-right coalition in Wallonia of MR and Les Engagés. Having said that, policy negotiations, institutional reform and political egos (IYKYK) are still big hurdles to overcome. Or shall we break a new record, this time for quickest govt formation?

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Finally acknowledging that the naive perception that the world is not a global village. Over-reliance on third countries for one's prosperity only works if there is peace, trust and democratic institutions. None of these three hold these days.. The new Economic Playbook should be accompanied by a New Political Playbook...

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Today, I had the honor of speaking at the ICMA Summit in Hasselt, Flanders, on behalf of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. As the Spokesperson on digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, I shared insights on the crucial role of AI and technological innovations in local governance. 🏛️ Key highlights from my speech: - The importance of using digital and AI tools responsibly to benefit our communities while mitigating potential risks. 💡🤖 - Addressing the digital divide to ensure equitable access to technology for all, especially in remote areas. 🌐📶 - Emphasizing human rights and sustainability in the development of smart cities and regions. 🏙️ - The necessity of protecting privacy and data security in the era of AI. 🔐🛡️ - The recent adoption of the first international treaty on AI by the Council of Europe, establishing principles to align AI development with human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. 📜 I look forward to continuing this dialogue and collaborating with experts to advance human-centered AI and technological innovations in local governance. Thank you to the organizers for this invaluable opportunity! 🤝 #ICMASummit #AI #LocalGovernance #HumanRights #Sustainability #DigitalTransformation Peter Agh, PhD Lon Pluckhahn Anca D. G. Yuejiao Liu Jakub Mazur Mathieu Mori https://lnkd.in/eywmR8yA

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Is the EPP Group really a centre-right party ⁉ The latest report of the Centre for European Studies at Mathias Corvinus Collegium - MCC is adamant: our analysis of 86 pieces of legislation reveals 9️⃣ 5️⃣ % alignment with S&D and Renew on four key EU policies. With 100% approval on : 1️⃣ the Migration Pact 👮‍♂️ 2️⃣ Rule of Law 👨‍⚖️ 3️⃣ and Trade Agreements 💹 ...and "only" 90% on the Green Deal 🍏 . Of course, some national delegations (notably the French) took a different stance, but when comparing the EPP´s final votes, the result is cristal-clear. Infinite thanks to the co-authors Damille Devenyi, Yann Caspar, and my other colleagues of the Centre for their great work on that report. 🙏 Dive into the data! 👇 👇 MCC Brussels #EU #EUelections #migration #GreenDeal #RuleofLaw #EPP

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Good news: 🐳 🐋 🦈 🐠 🐙 🦑 European Parliament consents by an overwhelming majority for the EU to ratify the #HighSeasTreaty. This is an important step forward for EU ratification; ifaw urges the EU Council to conclude the process as quickly as possible and all EU Member States to complete the ratification process domestically. The 27 EU Member States represent nearly half the remaining 56 ratifications needed for the treaty to enter into force. If EU Member States act quickly, they can be a driving force to conserve over half the Earth’s surface. Right now, only 1% of the High Seas are protected. The rest remains a mostly lawless space where millions of marine species have no protection. Yet oceans are the largest habitat on Earth, producing half the Earth’s oxygen, and absorbing about 30% of the carbon dioxide created. With this treaty, we have a formidable opportunity to help protect the planet and combat climate change. Governments around the world have committed to protecting 30% of our ocean by 2030, so we have no time to lose.   This is one of the most significant treaties of our times. While this decision by the European Parliament is an important milestone, EU Member States and other governments around the world need to take the plunge to make this a reality. #RaceForRatification High Seas Alliance 

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Fascinating subject, extremely timely too. As we need to understand. #Europe: #east/west divide in the past and today. I recommend this 👇 https://t.co/QmnKnemhQl

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I'm very proud to have contributed to the development of the EBSI Pan-European Blockchain, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at making information easy to verify and almost impossible to fake. This initiative represents a significant step towards enhancing trust in a privacy-preserving way as no data is stored on #Blockchain aside the public keys of issuers of information (authentic documents and data). Have a look to know more! #Innovation #EBSI #DigitalTransformation #Cybersecurity

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🚨 Update: Digital Factsheets - Vol 3 (mid-2024; end of term version)🚨 Even after five years in Brussels, I was constantly surprised by names of digital laws that I have never heard about before. I decided to change that and thought I know exactly the player, who can help me: the European Commission. Yet, when I called DG Connect in 2019, asking for a list of all EU digital laws, they told me that such a document does not exist. One EU official even admitted that the executive arm of the #EU has lost track of all of its digital initiatives. An idea was born: why not preparing an overview myself. Fast forward to 2024: together with Bruegel - Improving economic policy (in particular: J. Scott Marcus, Kamil Sekut, Hèctor Badenes Rodríguez) I am publishing today the third version of our well-known dataset, the “blue wall” of EU digital regulation. While the 2010 'Digital Agenda' marked the starting point, it was the von der Leyen Commission that released a #tsunami of new proposals. At the end of the 2019-24 legislative term our dataset lists overall 116 legislative items, 87 adopted as EU laws, 21 still in negotiation and 8 remain in planning. 82 EU governance mechanism have been created to implement and enforce the digital legislation. If the 2019-Kai felt already lost, how do young professionals and Brussel newcomers feel in 2024? How should #SMEs and #startups manage to navigate through this jungle? Is #civilsociety really better protected if the legal system becomes so complex that the time and money required to enforce individual rights is getting higher and higher? It is important to me to underline that I do not argue against new EU laws. I do not have anti-regulation sentiments but think that the vast majority of our digital laws makes sense … in principle. However, what needs to be urgently addressed are the numerous overlaps and incoherences that are creating more problems than they are solving. Only then we will avoid creating even more #regulatorymoat that triggers market concentration. Only then we will adequately protect #citizens's #rights in the digital field. Many have said it in #Brussels over the past months: the next legislative term needs to focus on #betterregulation and #enforcement. I hope our policy-makers do still remember those statements once the EU election are over. Access the document here: https://lnkd.in/eMcKnddt

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Looking forward to the next two days at the State of the Union event at the European University Institute – discussing all things regarding the future of the EU. On Friday 24 May, we will have this discussion on the new macroeconomic modes of fiscal governance together with Pierre Gramegna, Laurence Boone and Declan Costello, moderated by Benedicta Marzinotto. The pandemic has changed the scope for fiscal policy and led to a period of fiscal stimulus in advanced economies. In the EU, this was also provided by the successful introduction of NextGenerationEU, which helped overcome financial market turbulences and started off important public investments in green and digital. Finally last year a reform of EU fiscal rules was agreed upon. While there are some new elements of the fiscal governance which are welcomed, the fiscal rules will again be too complex and will start biting some Member States soon. On top of that, NextGenerationEU and the Recovery and Resilience Plans face many delays and challenges throughout the EU. I will discuss the path forward and how we can improve the implementation of NextGenEU to make it work and ensure that its initial successes from the pandemic continue up throughout its full realisation. 

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Indeed an inspiring day and a privilege to contribute to the discussion of how we strengthen EUs competitiveness while at the same time accelerate the green transition. EU has set the right direction with the Green Deal and should not compromise. Now we have to work together across sectors as we do in WEFs CEO Action Group for EU Green Deal and build even stronger partnerships with institutions, coming EU parliament and Commission. Transforming EU is not an easy task. Financing, permitting, regulatory updates, workforce and skills etc. calls for clearheaded and constructive cooperation. It is simplification and implementation tackling a new geopolitical reality, all at the same time. Let’s - not get to work - but work even harder together to secure EUs single market, growth, prosperity and green transition.

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🌟 Thrilled to have attended the ECN Digital Markets Act #DMA Conference 2024 in Amsterdam ! Here are some critical takeaways and insights: 🔹 Apple has been called out for not respecting the DMA, particularly how its terms & conditions restrict app developers from freely communicating with their users and how it unfairly taxes app developers with its core technology fee #CTF. 🔹 It's time to stop the "privacy washing" and focus on implementing genuine privacy safeguards. 🔹 There's a clear benefit to app store diversity. For example, the need for anonymous internet voting highlights the limitations of mainstream app stores. 🤔 Many stakeholders are hesitant to speak up, fearing retaliation. This reflects the unhealthy state of our current ecosystem and underscores the need for a supportive environment that fosters open discussion and feedback. ⏩ Looking Ahead 🔹 Criticism of the DMA is easy; what's crucial is constructive engagement. We must build robust frameworks that encourage innovation while protecting consumer rights. 🔹 Strong enforcement collaboration between the Commission, national competition authorities, and the ECN is vital for the DMA's success. 👏 Congratulation to the organisers: Martijn Snoep, The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets, Konkurentsiamet / Estonian Competition Authority, Bundeskartellamt, Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde | Austrian Federal Competition Authority , Belgian Competition Authority, Swedish Competition Authority, Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC) - Portuguese Competition Authority. This conference was a compelling reminder of the challenges and opportunities ahead as we strive for a digital market that benefits everyone. #DigitalMarketsAct #ECN2024 #TechRegulation #InnovationPolicy

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Yesterday, the Flemish people voted for their representatives in the Flemish parliament. Facing the complex geopolitical and economic challenges we are facing, Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office published a #memorandum with detailed proposals for a new government. In these proposals, we strive for: ✅ an integrated policy; ✅ more quality regulation, less regulatory burden; ✅ even greater digital access to government decisions; ✅ clear communication; ✅ open strategic autonomy & a well-thought-out security and crisis policy, with a special focus on an eastern border programme responding to reconstruction in Ukraine; ✅ contributing to a stable world order, with a value-driven foreign policy. Want to know more? Read the full memorandum here (available only in Dutch): https://lnkd.in/ezBjWuFG Flanders Chancellery and Foreign Office Departement Kanselarij en Buitenlandse Zaken #FlandersInternational #KIES24 #VlaanderenInternationaal #DKBUZA

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Eleven events completed and four more to come between now and the end of June... But that's not all. Working for the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 also means a huge amount of negotiating behind the scenes... Here is a brief overview of the work in progress: - The evaluation of the EU's financial instrument (NDICI); - The evaluation of the EU's Global Gateway initiative, for which our country is emphasizing human development, "mutually beneficial" partnerships and ownership by partner countries (24 May); - The EU DG Meeting, where discussions will focus on our partnerships, rebuilding trust in a context of multiple crises, and the messages the EU wants to send to the next Commission (13-14 June); - Discussions within the Working Group on Humanitarian Aid (COHAFA) on innovative financing, decolonization, disinformation, hate speech and their impact on humanitarian aid. Following the adoption of the Council's conclusions on humanitarian protection on 7 May, the Presidency is also working on the EU's common messages on the protection of humanitarian workers and an update of the common messages on the humanitarian situation in the DRC. Without forgetting the negotiations led in synergy within the working parties dedicated to development (CODEV), Africa (COAFR), finance (FICO), health (EPSCO), migration (EMWP), humanitarian aid (COHAFA), the ACP, the Agenda 2030 and the CYBER. Focus of the day: the innovation as a key enabler for sustainable food system transformation in Africa. An event co-organized with Enabel and European Commission (INTPA) to be followed here: https://lnkd.in/erQisQ_U #EU2024BE

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🔔 "Speak Up for Europe: A strong and meaningful voice" has been one of my top priorities over the past year. From implementing a new format for opinions to promoting a call for an #EUBlueDeal, and strengthening the European Economic and Social Committee's relations with think tanks, key steps were achieved. Discover more on this here 👉️ https://europa.eu/!T9rxhF #EESC #EU #EuropeanUnion #EUCivilSociety

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Brussels Mobility - Public transport for all? Assessing the STIB-MIVB stops in Brussels

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Much more than a market...During the last Council’s working group on Better Regulation under the 🇧🇪Belgian presidency, we delved into the Letta report report on the future of the Single Market—an intriguing topic that will soon be followed by a report from another Italian ex-Prime Minister, Draghi. As the European Union continues to expand and evolve, so does its administration and legislation.⚠️ A dedicated subchapter of the report addresses the pressing need for simplifying 🇪🇺EU regulations. The Better Regulation Policy plays a pivotal role in achieving this goal. It revolves around designing EU policies and laws in an open and transparent manner, informed by the best available evidence, and backed by comprehensive stakeholder involvement. The objective? To achieve policy goals with minimal cost. Looking forward for next steps. But first EU elections🇪🇺 https://lnkd.in/d4ha2SiK

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