On 1 June 2021, EIF organised a virtual debate on ‘Digital Services Act: creating effective rules for content moderation in the EU’, exploring the diverse perspectives on the European Commission’s proposal for a Digital Services Act and how to best create a comprehensive, workable and effective set of rules for digital services in Europe.

The debate, hosted by MEP and EIF member Lina Gálvez Muñoz and moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini, featured the following speakers:

• Ricardo Castanheira, Digital Counsellor, Portuguese Presidency
• Wouter Gekiere, Head of Brussels Office, European Broadcasting Union
• Lisa Felton, Chair of the Mobile Commerce Operator Expert Group, GSMA
• Frane Maroevic, Director, Content & Jurisdiction Program, the Internet & Jurisdiction Policy Network

On 26 May, EIF hosted a virtual debate on ‘Towards Transatlantic Partnership: the role of digital transformation’ to focus on the important role of a collaborative Transatlantic Partnership which, with the new US administration, may lead to new areas of cooperation. The debate, co-hosted by MEP and EIF Chair Pilar del Castillo and MEP and EIF Member Liesje Schreinemacher, was moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini and heard the views of the following experts:

• Peter Linton, Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Policy Network
• Rupert Schlegelmilch, Director, The Americas, Agriculture and Food Safety, DG Trade, European Commission
• Stephen C. Anderson, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Communications and Information Policy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, US Department of State
• Nate Tibbits, Senior Vice President of Global Government Affairs and Public Affairs, Qualcomm

The first episode of our new #EIFasksMEPs project features Ivan Stefanec, MEP with the EPP Group and EIF Programming Committee Co-Chair, with whom we discussed "SMEs and digital transformation".

As a member of the IMCO Committee in the European Parliament, MEP Stefanec's work focuses on SMEs, employment, entrepreneurship and the Digital Single Market. #EIFasksMEPs aims to be an opportunity for our Political members to share views on a topic of choice, in the format of a professionally filmed interview.

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On 11 May 2021, EIF organised a virtual debate on “E-commerce or Digital Trade or both? What’s negotiated at the WTO in Geneva”, discussing the ongoing WTO e-commerce negotiations amongst today’s 86 WTO members and focusing on the range of issues that are under discussion.
The debate, hosted by MEP and EIF Steering Committee member Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, was moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini and featured the following experts:

• Christophe Kiener, Acting Director, DG TRADE, European Commission
• Pascal Kerneis, Managing Director, European Services Forum
• Marilia Maciel, Digital Policy Senior Researcher, DiploFoundation

On 22 April, EIF organised a virtual debate on “Diversity in Tech”, focusing on the need to enhance diversity and inclusion, key drivers for innovation, non-linear thinking, growth and success.
The debate, hosted by MEP and EIF Steering Committee member Maria da Graça Carvalho, was moderated by EIF Director General Maria Rosa Gibellini and featured the following panel of experts:

• Monika Ladmanova, Adviser to the Vice-President Jourova, European Commission
• Angelique de Vries-Schipperijn, Executive Vice President & CEO Northern Europe, Salesforce
• Belinda Exelby, Chair of EQUALS Steering Committee and Head of International Relations, GSMA
• Mechtild Walser-Ertel, Global Head of Human Resources and Corporate Social Responsibility, Orange Business Services
• Petra Kotuliakova, Member of CEPIS Diversity team
• As First respondent: Eke Vermeer, Vice President Public Policy, Liberty Global