Speech

Speech by Executive Vice-President Magrethe Vestager,
Strathmore College,
Nairobi 28 February 2020

"New technologies will affect the way we all live, work and communicate with one another. And as this transformation takes place, just as we in Europe wish to shape our digital future, here it will be for Africans to decide the kind of economy and society they wish to live in."

Speech by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager,
Symposium on Digitalisation,
The Hague, 3 February 2020

"[..] We have what it takes to succeed in the digital world. But it’s not enough just to say that we want Europe to lead. We need to know where we think it should be leading. And that has to start with the values and principles, with the democratic spirit that make Europe what it is. So we can build a digital future that’s every bit as fit for Europeans as we are for it."

Speech by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager,
Conference of Europe Ministers of the German Länder,
Brussels, 30 January 2020

"[..] The transition ahead will be complex – and the state aid rules shouldn’t add to that complexity. On the contrary – we should make it as straightforward as we can, to support the investments that are so vital for our future."

Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager - Space: grasping opportunities and building synergies
12th European Space Conference, Brussels, 21 January 2020

"Space technology is an essential part of our lives and it is the best argument to ask the taxpayers to fund it. It is not something out there. It is critical for our everyday life and for our security. This is equally important for all of us"

Speech by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager,
Chillin’ Competition Conference,
Brussels, 9 December 2019

"The achievements of the single market, in knocking down the barriers that once divided Europe’s national markets from each other, have made it much more likely that customers will be willing to turn to suppliers anywhere in the single market. The growing ease of global trade, together with the power of digitisation, can make it easier for customers to benefit from truly global markets."

Speech by Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager,
Internets of the World Conference,
Copenhagen, 5 December 2019

"The future which Leonard Kleinrock and his colleagues imagined for the Internet in 1969, was a utopian vision, of a world where freedom and truth mattered more than power and money. But the Internet today is a part of our daily human lives – and human beings don’t live in Utopia. And only when we see the Internet for what it really is – when we see its dark side, as well as the good it can do – will we be able to guide it in a way that’s good for humanity."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
Conference on Competition and Digitisation,
Copenhagen, 29 November 2019

"[..]Competition, at its heart, is about making sure that businesses have to listen to consumers. And there can be few better guarantees than that, of a future where digital markets work for human beings."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress,
Brussels,
21 November 2019

"As we work on a European approach to artificial intelligence, we’ll need to make sure that AI systems respect people’s privacy. As competition enforcers, if we find that some businesses are using their control of data to deny others a chance to compete, then those companies might have to share the data they hold – in a way that’s fully in line with the data protection rules."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
Harvard Club of Belgium,
Brussels,
12 November 2019

"We know that good leadership is going to make the difference to whether our children will live in a world that’s free and prosperous and fair. And we know that this means that we can’t afford to choose leaders who aren’t up to the job."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
Digital Summit,
Dortmund, Germany,
29 October 2019

"A new world is being designed. And we, as citizens, need to be there in the studio when those designs are drawn up. So that we can make sure that the digital future will be a place where we want to live."

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
GCLC Conference on Sustainability and Competition Policy,
Brussels, 24 October 2019

"Today, sustainability is at the centre of our politics. But in a way, we’re still very much at the beginning. We’ve made a commitment to sustainability; but we’re still working out exactly what has to change, to make that promise a reality.[...] Every one of us – including competition enforcers – will be called on to make our contribution to that change."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
SRB Conference 2019 – Bank Resolution: Turning Policy into Action. Brussels,
10 October 2019

"Patience and determination are qualities we will need, too. [..] We can tackle the challenges ahead as a team. Banks, Member States, and the European institutions can work together to make sure that the European banking sector is stable and competitive. So, that Europe’s citizens and businesses can put their trust in a banking system that works for us all."

Opening remarks
By Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
European Parliament Hearing,
8 October 2019

"After all, Europe is all about teamwork. And today, when we face some of the biggest challenges of our lifetimes, we need more than ever to work together. So we can make sure that Europe remains the best place to live in all of history."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
CCBE Standing Committee,
Copenhagen, 13 September 2019

"[..] Successful digitisation depends on having effective rules in place, to give people confidence that digitised businesses will treat them fairly. That’s what people need, so they can put their trust in digitisation, and unlock the true potential that it has, to make our lives easier and richer and more fun."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
Conference of Nordic Competition Authorities,
Bergen, 4 September 2019
"[..] In the Nordics, for sixty years and more, it’s been clear that the best way to deal with an interconnected world is to work together. To learn from each other, to support each other, to help each other protect people better."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
Business Forum of the German Ambassadors’ Conference,
Berlin, 27 August 2019
"There’s no doubt that Europe has the influence that we need to help us reach our goals. The real issue is whether we can use that influence effectively, to get the best results for Europeans. In other words, we do have the power to make a difference. We do have the power to make sure that digitisation works for Europe’s people, not against them."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
OECD/G7 Conference,
Paris, 3 June 2019

"The most important challenge for competition enforcement is being able to step in, quickly and effectively, to tackle threats to competition before it’s too late. We need to be mindful of new strategies that can harm competition, so we’re ready to deal with them when we meet them in practice, when the evidence shows that competition could be harmed, even when it is hard to put an exact figure on the cost to consumers. [..] Because we’re at a moment in our history when the choices we make will define the sort of world we live in for decades to come. And we can’t afford to miss a beat, when it comes to making sure that we protect the values that matter to Europeans."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
European Association of Judges,
Copenhagen, 10 May 2019
"[..] These are challenging times for us all. But I’m confident that we can face up to those challenges. After all, for sixty years, the courts and the Commission have succeeded in keeping up with every change. Not in spite of our commitment to the rule of law – but because of it."

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
Competition in a Globalised World,
Paris, 8 April 2019

"[..] A platform can seriously affect competition, just by acting as a referee – by laying down the rules that govern the market"

Speech by Commissioner Margrethe Vestager,
European Policy Centre event on industrial strategy,
Brussels, 1 April 2019

"[..]Our true strength is that we are united in our diversity. If we think ourselves as keepers of the ecosystem, we should design an #industrialpolicy fit for all its members."