The Committee on the Digital Agenda 2 “The digital revolution and the rise in global interconnectedness are transforming the world in which we live, and this has to be monitored, shaped and analysed by ­Parliament. Policy-makers therefore­ need to keep their eye on the ball in order to shape technical innovations in a way that makes them useful for everyone, if possible. In this context, the Committee on the Digital Agenda is the driving force in advancing the digital ­revolution both within the German and in our economy and our society.”

Jimmy Schulz, FDP Chairman of the Committee on the Digital Agenda

3 The German Bundestag’s decisions are prepared by its committees, which are estab- lished at the start of each elec- toral term. Four of them are stipulated by the Basic Law, the German constitution: the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Defence Committee, the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union and the Petitions Committee. The Budget Committee and the Committee for the Rules of Procedure are also required by law. The spheres of respon- sibility of the committees essentially reflect the Federal Government’s distribution of ministerial portfolios. This enables Parliament to scruti- nise the government’s work effectively.

The Bundestag committees The German Bundestag sets political priorities of its own by establishing additional committees for specific sub- jects, such as sport, cultural affairs or tourism. In addition, special bodies such as parlia- mentary advisory councils, The committees discuss and committees of inquiry or deliberate on items referred study commissions can also to them by the plenary. They be established. The commit- also have the right to take up tees are composed of mem- issues on their own initiative, bers of all the parliamentary allowing them to set priorities groups, reflecting the balance in the parliamentary debate. of these groups in the German When necessary, they draw Bundestag. The distribution on external expertise – usu- of the chairs and deputy ally by holding public hear- chairs among the parliamen- ings. At the end of a commit- tary groups also reflects their tee’s deliberations, a majority relative strengths in the ple- of its members adopt a rec­om- nary. In the current electoral mendation for a decision and term, the committees have a report, which serve as the between nine and 49 mem- basis for the plenary’s deci- bers. sion.

5 The digital revolution is changing the world. It offers major opportunities in all areas of life and has the power to improve people’s lives. At the same time, however, the challenges facing policy-​ makers and society are equally vast. There will be a ten-​fold increase in the amount of data available in 2025 compared to 2016. We need new know- ledge and skills to enable us to select, analyse and evaluate the information available online. This raises questions relating to data security, con- sumer protection and media literacy, but also copyright. The internet is also transform- ing the relationship between the state and the public, and offers greater opportunities for ­participation.

The Committee on the Digital Agenda In the last electoral term, the Bundestag established the Committee on the Digital Agenda, setting up a perma- nent parliamentary body for digital policy for the first time. The development of digital media was a recurring issue in the work of various com- The prerequisite for this, mittees during earlier elec- ­however, is for everyone to toral terms. A milestone was have an equal chance to finally reached with the work ­partake in the opportunities of the Study Commission of the digital transformation. on the Internet and Digital Policy-​makers and society Society in the 17th electoral must find answers to the term (2009–2013). Among ­challenges posed by digital the many recommendations technologies. They must set out in its final report was ­communicate the advantages, the suggestion that a perma- raise awareness of the risks, nent committee on digital and establish the parameters ­policy should be set up in for the digital transformation. ­Parliament.

7 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ CDU/CSU 5 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ SPD 3 ■ ■ ■ AfD 2 ■ ■ FDP 2 ■ ■ Party 2 ■ ■ Alliance 90/The Greens

Number of members: 21 Chairman: , FDP Deputy Chairman: Hansjörg Durz, CDU/CSU

7 In the current electoral term, the Committee on the Digital Agenda will continue to ­discuss far-​reaching issues Digital Agenda is usually ­relating to digitalisation and asked for its opinion on items interconnectedness, across of business, and passes on all policy fields, and pave the results of its deliberations the way for our country to to the lead committees. In develop into a strong digital addition, lead committees hub. The 21 members took and committees asked for up their work at the Commit- their opinion can hold joint tee’s constituent meeting on meetings on cross-​cutting 31 January 2018. The Commit- issues and pool their expertise tee examines cross-​cutting in debates. The Committee issues which touch on various sees itself as an important policy fields and aspects of ­catalyst for Parliament’s work people’s lives, and for which on all digital policy issues. no one ministry at govern- This is shown in particular ment level or committee in by the public hearings and Parliament is responsible. consultations to which experts Rather than having items re- from the business community, ferred to it as the lead ­com- academia and civil society are mittee, the Committee on the invited, on subjects such as

8 e-health, open data, quantum computing and start-ups. Many documents and opin- ions are published online. The Committee primarily the start of the current elec- works with four ­federal minis- toral term, and Dorothee Bär, tries: the Federal Ministry of Member of the Bundestag, the Interior, Building and was appointed to this role. Community, which deals with The Federal Government has security issues; the Federal set challenging goals in its Ministry for ­Economic Affairs coalition agreement: a world-​ and Energy, which focuses on class digital infrastructure support for the IT industry; nationwide, teaching digital the Federal Ministry of Justice skills as a key skill for all age and Consumer Protection, groups, and a working world which is the lead ministry for which em-​powers and pro- data ­protection matters; and tects people in the digital revo- the Federal Ministry of Trans- lution and enables them to port and Digital Infrastructure, enjoy greater quality of life. which is responsible for broad- Other objectives include regu- band deployment. In addition, lation which encourages com- the post of a Federal Govern- petition, a higher level of ment Commissioner for Digi- cyber security, greater respon- tal Affairs with the rank of a siveness to the public’s needs Minister of State was created via a modern, digital adminis- in the Federal Chancellery at tration, and a legal framework

9 The large number of topics means that the Committee members have to deal with a wealth of information. They receive bills, motions and reports from a wide range of ministries – whenever the lead committee designated by the Bundestag needs the expertise of the politicians specialising in digital affairs. which guarantees civil rights Items relating to European and strikes a balance between and international topics also freedom and security, while feature on the Committee’s at the same time facilitating agenda. The Committee thus greater innovation. In the not only scrutinises the Fed- framework of Parliament’s eral Government’s policies, scrutiny of the Federal Gov- but also participates in the ernment’s work, these are also European decision-​making key issues for the Committee process via its recommen­ on the Digital Agenda. dations and key issues papers.

10 A report published by the Federal Government on inter- national cooperation in edu- cation, academia and research, a government report on the security of its networks in light of current hacker attacks and a discussion about the German Video Game Awards shown by the subjects on the may seem, at first glance, to Committee’s agenda, which have little in common. And may include the future of yet they can all be found on the automotive industry, the the agenda of the Committee National Education Report, on the Digital Agenda. For, or the digital revolution in like so many issues today, the agricultural sector. A large they touch on digital policy. number of printed papers Support for the digital indus- land on the Committee mem- try, data protection, copyright, bers’ desks. They consider the net neutrality and big data are pros and cons of these par­ issues which the Committee liamentary initiatives in the wants to drive forward in working groups set up by their political terms. The sweeping parliamentary groups and nature of digital policy is debate them in the Committee.

11 European and international issues are regularly referred to the Committee. These include, for example, the EU cyber defence policy framework or the European Commission’s green paper on mobile health. Many of The Committee on the Digital these printed papers also Agenda attaches particular involve follow-up documents importance to international from the EU or statements dialogue with experts from from the Federal Government. the political field, business A European Parliament reso­- and the media. It sets its own lution on new technologies priorities in this context, gains and open educational re- a complete picture of the digi- sources might also be among tal revolution, and is a key the subjects discussed by point of contact in the Committee during a week when it comes to digital pol- when Parliament is sitting. icy issues.

12 Close links were already established with France in the last electoral term. At the start of the current electoral term, a meeting was held with a delegation from the South Korean parliament, at which the impact of the digital revo- lution on Industry 4.0 and Work 4.0 was discussed, as well as data protection, digital infrastructure and the devel- opment of 5G technology. In addition, the Committee members met the Norwegian State Secretary for digitalisa- tion and the modernisation of public services, Paul Chaffey, and discussed eGovernment, data security and open data.

13 Jimmy Schulz, FDP Hansjörg Durz, Chairman CDU/CSU Political scientist, Deputy Chairman entrepreneur, Business administrator, b. 22 Oct. 1968 in former mayor, ; b. 29 July 1971 married; three children. in Augsburg; Bundestag Member married; two children. from 2009 to 2013 Bundestag Member and since 2017 since 2013

Committee members The 21 members of the Committee on the Digital Agenda

14 , CDU/CSU CDU/CSU spokesman on the Committee , Savings bank business , CDU/CSU administrator, CDU/CSU Lawyer, b. 19 Oct. 1981 Lawyer, b. 16 July 1964 in Nienburg an der b. 18 Dec. 1977 in ; Weser; in Hattingen; unmarried; married; three children. unmarried. four children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 since 2013 since 2017

Tankred Schipanski, , , CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU CDU/CSU spokesman Economist, Business administrator, on digital policy b. 3 May 1989 former mayor, Lawyer, in Esslingen b. 14 Jan. 1966 b. 30 Dec. 1976 am Neckar; in Rüsselsheim; in ; married. married. married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2014 since 2017 since 2009

15 , SPD , Chemical laboratory , SPD technician, SPD IT specialist, b. 11 Oct. 1958 Public administration b. 28 Aug. 1961 in Harxheim, specialist, in Stuttgart; Palatinate; b. 27 July 1985 married; three children. married; two children. in Gütersloh. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2013 since 1998 since 2017

Dr Jens Zimmermann, , SPD AfD , SPD spokesman AfD spokeswoman SPD on the Committee on the Committee Business administrator, Business administrator, Self-employed, b. 23 July 1984 b. 9 Sep. 1981 b. 6 Apr. 1973 in ; in Groß-Umstadt; in Pitesti, Romania; unmarried. unmarried. married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2013 since 2017

16 Dr , AfD Mathematician, Parliamentary Secretary of the AfD , parliamentary group AfD in the Bundestag, Senior manager, b. 5 May 1989 b. 12 Dec. 1961 in ; in Gießen; unmarried. married. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2017

Manuel Höferlin, FDP Anke Domscheit-Berg, FDP spokesman The Left Party on the Committee, The Left Party FDP spokesman spokeswoman on digital policy on the Committee Dr , IT entrepeneur, Columnist and The Left Party b. 6 Feb. 1973 journalist, Economist, in Paris; b. 17 Feb. 1968 b. 1 Dec. 1960 married; three children. in Premnitz; in ; Bundestag Member married; one child. unmarried. from 2009 to 2013 Bundestag Member Bundestag Member and since 2017 since 2017 since 2005

17 , , Alliance 90/The Greens Non-attached Member Alliance 90/The Greens Non-voting member Dr , spokesman on the Entrepreneur, Alliance 90/The Greens Committee business adviser, Political scientist, Political scientist, b. 19 Aug. 1958 in b. 24 Sep. 1983 b. 25 May 1976 Magdeburg; in Hanover; in Pirmasens; married; married; one child. married; three children. three children. Bundestag Member Bundestag Member Bundestag Member since 2017 since 2013 since 2017

18 19 Information online

The Committee on the Digital Agenda www.bundestag.de/en/committees/a23

Information on the digital agenda from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy www.bmwi.de/Navigation/EN/Topic/ topic.html?cl2Categories_LeadKeyword=digitale-agenda

Information on IT and internet policy from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community www.bmi.bund.de/EN/topics/it-internet-policy/ it-internet-policy-node.html

Information from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure www.bmvi.de/EN

Information on the digital single market from the European Commission https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/​ digital-single-market_en

20 Contact details for the Committee Secretariat

Deutscher Bundestag Ausschuss Digitale Agenda Platz der Republik 1 11011 Tel.: +49 30 227-32612 Fax: +49 30 227-36159 Email: [email protected]

21 Published by: German Bundestag, Public Relations Division Coordination: Robert Schönbrodt Texts: Georgia Rauer (p. 4 – 5), Secretariat of the Committee on the Digital Agenda (p. 6 – 21); revised by: Committees Directorate (p. 4 – 5) Edited by: Katharina Frier-Obad Translated by: Language Service of the German Bundestag, in cooperation with Emma Hardie Design: Marc Mendelson Bundestag eagle: Created by Professor Ludwig Gies, revised in 2008 by büro uebele Photos: p. 2 Deutscher Bundestag (DBT) /Linus Lintner Fotografie; p. 8–9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 19 DBT / ​Marc-Steffen Unger; p. 23 DBT / ​studio kohlmeier Portrait photos: p. 3, 14 Jimmy Schulz / ​Sanjar Khaksari (Jimmy Schulz); p. 14 Hansjörg Durz / ​Daniel Biskup (Hansjörg Durz); p. 15 DBT / ​Thomas Trutschel / ​photothek (Maik Beermann); Matthias Hauer / ​Jan Kopetzky (Matthias Hauer); Stefan Theil / ​Daniel Gebhardt de Koekkoek (Thomas Heilmann); Ronja Kemmer / ​Jan Kopetzky (Ronja Kemmer); DBT / ​Julia Nowak (Stefan Sauer); Tobias Koch (); p. 16 DBT / ​ ­Thomas Köhler / ​photothek (Saskia Esken); SPD-Parteivorstand / ​Susie Knoll (Gustav Herzog); SPD-Parteivorstand / ​Susie Knoll (Elvan Korkmaz); SPD-Parteivorstand / ​Susie Knoll (Falko Mohrs); Marlene Bleicher (Jens Zim- mermann); Michael Kleinespel (Joana Cotar); p. 17 Michael Espendiller / Siegfried Rettgen (Michael Espendiller); Jürgen Schwalb (Uwe Schulz); Christian Kuhlmann (Manuel Höferlin); Die Linke / ​Jürgen Angelow (Anke Domscheit-Berg); Petra Sitte / ​personal photo (Petra Sitte); p. 18 Stefan Kaminski (Anna Christmann); DBT / ​Thomas Trutschel / ​photothek (Dieter Janecek); DBT / Julia Nowak (Uwe Kamann) Graphic: p. 7 Marc Mendelson Printed by: Druckhaus Waiblingen Remstal-Bote GmbH As at: January 2019 © Deutscher Bundestag, Berlin All rights reserved. This publication has been produced as part of the German Bundestag’s ­public relations activities. It is provided free of charge and is not intended for sale. It may not be used for election campaign purposes or utilised by parties or parliamentary groups in their own public relations activities. 23 The German Bundestag takes decisions on what are at times highly complex and controversial bills and parliamentary initiatives relating to the entire spectrum of policy fields. The committees play a central role in parliamentary deliberations. They are the forum where the Members thrash out compromises and draw on expert advice before submitting their reports and recommen­dations for decisions to be voted on by the Bundestag as a whole. www.bundestag.de/en/committees