Cybersecurity priorities in Europe

On 9 December 2020, EIF organised a virtual debate on ‘Cybersecurity priorities in Europe’. The event, hosted by MEP and EIF Steering Committee member Marina Kaljurand, was moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini and discussed about EU priorities and challenges in the context of cybersecurity certifications and response to cyberattacks together with the following policymakers and industry representatives:

• Philippe Blot, Lead Expert on Certification, ENISA
• Dr. Claire Vishik, Intel Fellow and Chief Technology Officer, Government Markets and Trade group at Intel Corporation
• Bernardo Costa Pereira, Cyber Attaché, Portuguese Permanent Representation
• Tomas Jakimavicius, Senior Director of Public Policy - Europe, GSMA
• Alexandra Maniati, Director, Cybersecurity & Innovation, European Banking Federation

What is needed for smart farming?

On 30 November 2020, EIF debate ‘What is needed for smart farming?’ tried to disclose which benefits agriculture in the European continent could reap from the ongoing digitisation of the economy and society and explored what the building blocks are for successful smart farming in Europe, both in practice and in policy.

The debate, hosted by MEP and EIF member Franc Bogovič, was moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini and featured the following speakers:

• Diego Canga Fano, Principal Adviser, DG AGRI, European Commission
• Sergej Krajnc, CEO, Termodron (innovative Slovenian start-up)
• Ben Hatton, Sales and Key Account Manager, Proagrica
• Javier Veglison, Strategy and Business Development, Hispasat

Read more at www.internetforum.eu

A European Digital Skills strategy

On 18 November, EIF organised a virtual debate titled "A European digital skills strategy" hosted by MEP Victor Negrescu.

The discussion, moderated by EIF Director-General, Maria Rosa Gibellini, featured the following speakers:

- Alina Ujupan, Member of Cabinet of Executive VP Vestager, European Commission
- Izabela Milewska, Digital Skills Global Leader, Amazon Web Services
- Nenja Wolbers, Project Manager, Digital Opportunities Foundation
- Rok Kvaternik, CEO, Ernst Klett Publishers, Region Eastern Europe & Baltics
- Janine Costa, Education Attaché, Coordination Education, Youth and Sports, Portuguese Permanent Representation

Read more at www.internetforum.eu

Energy transition and Digital revolution

On 17 November 2020, in collaboration with European Energy Forum, EIF organised a debate on the Energy Transition and the Digital Revolution, the real engines that can drive us toward a zero-carbon future that puts the consumer at the centre.
The virtual debate was co-hosted by MEPs Pilar del Castillo, EIF Chair and EEF Vice President, and Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, EIF Steering Committee Member and EEF Vice President. The discussion, co-moderated by Maria Rosa Gibellini, EIF Director General, and Pascale Verheust, EEF Director General, featured the following speakers:

• Mark Van Stiphout, Deputy Head of Unit 'Innovation, clean technologies and competitiveness', DG Energy, European Commission
• Stefan Kapferer, member of the Elia Group Management Board and CEO of 50Hertz
• Dorothée D'Herde, Head of Sustainable Business, Vodafone
• Annika Hedberg, Head of Sustainable Prosperity for Europe programme, EPC

More information at www.internetforum.eu

Europe's Digital Sovereignty

Geo-blocking: the next steps

On 28 October 2020, EIF organised a virtual discussion amongst several experts to explore the territorial dimension of the single market and the possible scenarios about its regulation.

In a virtual debate moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini and chaired by Róża Thun MEP and EIF Steering Committee Member, different experts shared their views:

- Andrus Ansip MEP and EIF Member
- Prabhat Agarwal, Head of Unit ‘E-Commerce and Platforms’, DG CNECT, European Commission
- Léon Mölenberg, Senior Policy Advisor, Ecommerce Europe
- Linn Selle, Policy Officer, the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV)
- John Phelan, Director General, ICMP
- David Martin, Senior Legal Officer, Team Leader, BEUC
- Enrico Turrin, Deputy Director/Economist, Federation of European Publishers (as First Respondent)

More information at www.internetforum.eu