EUCommission V.President Dombrovskis to EF: Citizens Dialogue + Alternat. SmartPhone OS not excluded

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Experienced vice-President of EU Commission and former Long-Time Prime Minister, Valdis Dombrovskis from Latvia, replying to "Eurofora"s Questions in a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg on the conclusions of the 1st Meeting of the New EU Commission (2019-2014) here, did Not Exclude, a priori, in view of the forthcoming "Conference on the Future of Europe", the possibility to eventually launch "Regular Dialogues" with EU Citizens before EU "Acts" affecting them, by activating Lisbon Treaty's Article 11 (See Infra), and, concerning EU's Wider "Digitalisation" Plans, he Agreed that, "Probably", EU would "have to Look at" the notorious China Offer for Cooperation with Europe for the eventual Creation of an Alternative SmartPhone Operation System, (able to Face the currently Global Dominance of Google's Android and/or Apple, which raises Questions even inside the USA), as part of the key "Topics" that these larger processes have just Started to explore.

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- In "Eurofora"s 1st Question, we observed that "President Dombrovski informed about EU Commission's First Discussion on the "Conference on Europe's Future", Today in Strasbourg, after relevant moves also by EU Heads of State/Governments latest Summit and EU Parliament's Constitutional Committee, last week in Brussels", (See, f.ex. : .., etc).

 - "Concerning the OPEN Question how to associate Citizens,  which might become one of the most innovative Socio-Political aspects, don't you think that, Nowadays, when we celebrate 10 Years of Lisbon Treaty, the Time has come to Activate one of its Articles : Number 11, which speaks about "Regular Dialogue", "Consultation" and "Exchanges", etc., with Civil Society and Citizens,  on "Acts" to be made by any among the 3 EU Institutions : Council, Commission or Parliament ?", "Eurofora" asked vice-President Dombrovskis.

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- "On the Conference for the Future of Europe", as You Know, right Now Discussions are Currently still On-Going, on What Exactly are the Best Forms of Engagement, both Inter-Institutionally, and with Citizens", he replied.

- "So, what we (EU Commission) had Today was an "Orientation Debate", introduced by vice-President Suica, and it's clear that it will follow 2 Distinct Strands :"

- "One is an Inter-Institutional Strand, where (EU) Commission will act as a Honest Broker, between EU Parliament and Council".

+ "And, the 2nd Strand, that You ("Eurofora") mentioned, is, indeed, to ensure a Broader Outreach, and to have a Debate with (EU) Citizens", (i.e. Not a mere Consultation).

- The later will be "Structured around (EU) Commission's 6 Priorities, and the (EU) Council's Strategic Agenda", he announced.

- "So, on the Exact Modalities of those strands, Work is Still On-Going. This was (just) the 1st Orientation Debate that we had in College", Dombrovskis stressed Carefully, but, also, withOut Excluding a priori what "Eurofora" had suggested around Lisbon Treaty's Article 11.

=> In consequence, "it will be Advancing in the Comming Weeks and Months", he foresaw, (while, this Same Day in Strasbourg, in parallel, EU Parliament Presidential Committee's "Working Group" on the CFE has Scheduled another special Meeting, Later this Afternoon, held "in camera").

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+ in the 2nd "Eurofora"s Question, we observed that EU Comission's vice-President "spoke about Digitalisation, and stressed that it's very Important, but, nowadays, when Citizens and Companies see what's happening in the Global Dimension, unfortunately, we are sometimes Sadened, because we do Not yet see the EU Present in certain Flagship Areas :"

- F.ex., considering Even the Demand of our Chinese Competitors but also Partners, about the Possibility for the EU to Help have (World-wide) an Alternative Operating System for SmartPhones (Comp. the Recent "Huawei" - "Google/Android" row) :

- "A Sector in which We (EU) already have some elements, while Europe was a Pioneer in SmartPhones, thanks to our Finnish friends, who (by a Timely Coincidence) hold the EU Presidency now", so that we (EU) might, eventually, be able to do something", "Eurofora" suggested.

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 - "On the 2nd Question, of Digitalisation, I think that it'not a coincidence : this is one of the Main Priorities of the New (EU) Commission (2019-2024): to Ensure that the EU is Fit for Digital Age", stressed Dombrovskis in his Reply.

 - "There, we (EU) have to look at a Number of Aspects : at Competitiveness in the Digital Age, at Companies, how succesfully they are Performing at the Digital Age, how could we Develop our own companies in the Digital Age", (etc).

- "I would not now Go to the Specific Issues for Topics, because there are, actually, Many of them", he warned.

+ However, "Probably, As You ("Eurofora") Mentioned, Operating Systems for SmartPhones, Could be just one of the Topics to look at", vice-President Dombrovskis agreed.

 - But, I would say, the Issue is Much Broader, Both from Competitiveness point of view, and also from the Social point of view : Because we have to adjust our Social and Labour Market Legislation to the Digital Age, to ensure what we already did in a previous Commission : - "Social Protection for All", i.e. regardless of the type of the Contract People are contributing to, and, then, eligible to the benefits of Social Systems, and, currently, also striving to improve the Working Conditions in the Platform economy, which is also relevant to this issue of Digitalisation".    

(../..)

("Draft-News")

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