New Commission puts innovation and entrepreneurship to the fore
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Anna Jenkinson, Science Business, 02.12.2009
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Innovation, entrepreneurship, climate
action and the digital agenda are all buzzwords that appear for the
first time in the job titles of Europe’s proposed new Commissioners,
reflecting José Manuel Barroso’s policy priorities for his second term
as Commission President. [...]
Just as green issues are moving up the agenda, so is the digital world. The Commission says one of its priorities is delivering a single digital market, where for example consumers can benefit from competitive prices offered in other member states. But again the industry may be dismayed to see this portfolio, with its new moniker of Digital Agenda, go to Neelie Kroes, who as Competition Commissioner has pursued some of the leading companies in the sector in anti-trust cases.
However, the fact that Kroes was previously responsible for the powerful competition portfolio is “a strong sign that the Digital Agenda is high on the Barroso II agenda” said Janis Emmanouilidis, senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre.
One role that isn’t clear, says Emmanouilidis, is, “Who is Mr or Mrs Lisbon?” In other words, who will be the person in charge of coordinating all the different strands of this post-Lisbon strategy? Perhaps Barroso himself plans to fill that role.
Still, “Barroso
has divided the portfolios creatively, but logically. If you look at
the cards in his hand, he played them well,” Emmanouilidis said. [...]