Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Commissioner for making the time and providing such a succinct presentation to the committee. I have two questions on different issues. On vaccines, we as Europeans are all extraordinarily proud of the speed of development of vaccines. It was a scientific achievement probably unparalleled in medicine and one to which Europe had significant input. However, Europe did allow the US, the UK and Israel to steal a march ahead of us where the pre-purchase and acquisition of vaccines is concerned. Have we learned from that experience for the next phase or indeed the next pandemic? Can the Commissioner tell us succinctly how we will not make that mistake again?

My other questions concern the separate issue of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. I do not know whether the Commissioner has had an opportunity to look at the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2020 we recently enacted. It is intended to protect the public space for citizens so that the Internet is as protected as any public park or street against harassment and abuse. Does the Commissioner think that would require a pan-European law? Control of digital platforms was a real difficulty for us in that legislation; a single country cannot do that. If one looks, for example, at Facebook and Twitter banning Mr. Donald Trump for his extremist utterances, surely it cannot be for corporate bodies and platforms to make the determination of what is and is not acceptable. Surely that should be a matter for democratic accountability. Will that be regulated in the European sphere?