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Governing Online Platforms: Policy Options for Shaping a Principled Digital Future

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STOA online workshop Governing online platforms: Policy options for shaping a principled digital future Participants’ booklet EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) EN PE 690.011 March 2021 Governing online platforms: Policy options for shaping a principled digital future STOA workshop Tuesday 30 March 2021, 15:00 - 17:00 Online by Webex STOA | Panel for the Future of Science and Technology Prepared by Mihalis Kritikos, Scientific Foresight Unit (STOA) Available at Governing online platforms: Policy options for shaping a principled digital future (online event) Join the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #OnlinePlatforms and by tweeting at @EP_ThinkTank #OnlinePlatforms PE 690.011 © European Union, 2021 II Governing online platforms: Policy options for shaping a principled digital future Table of contents 1. Programme _____________________________________________________________________ 2 2. Introduction _____________________________________________________________________ 3 3. Welcome _______________________________________________________________________ 4 3.1. Eva KAILI, MEP and STOA Chair ___________________________________________________ 4 4. Speakers ________________________________________________________________________ 5 4.1. Policy keynote I: The social implications of online platform work ________________________ 5 4.1.1. Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights ___________________ 5 4.2. Policy keynote II: Governing online platforms: Policy options for the protection of platform workers _________________________________________________________________________ 5 4.2.1. Sylvie Brunet, MEP ___________________________________________________________ 5 4.3. Policy keynote III: The challenges associated with online platforms and how the European Parliament might address them ______________________________________________________ 6 4.3.1. Deirdre Clune, MEP __________________________________________________________ 6 4.4 Presentation of the STOA Study "Online Platforms: Economic and Societal Effects" __________ 6 4.4.1 Annabelle Gawer, Professor of Digital Economy, University of Surrey and Oxford University 6 4.5 Interactive panel: Governing online platforms: Policy options ___________________________ 7 4.5.1 Pierre Regibeau, Chief Competition Economist, DG Competition, European Commission __ 7 4.5.2 Philip Marsden, Professor of Law & Economics at the College of Europe ________________ 7 4.5.3. Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, University of Oxford Saïd Business School ______________________________________________________________________ 7 4.5.4. Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) _______ 8 4.5.5 Oliver Bethell, Head of EMEA Competition, Google _________________________________ 9 5. About STOA ____________________________________________________________________ 10 5.1 Mission ______________________________________________________________________ 10 5.2 STOA Panel members __________________________________________________________ 12 5.3 STOA administration ___________________________________________________________ 14 1 STOA | Panel for the Future of Science and Technology 1. 15.00-15.10 Welcome Eva Kaili, MEP and Chair of the Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) 15.10-15.20: Policy keynote I - The social implications of online platform work Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights 15.20-15.30: Policy keynote II - Governing online platforms: Policy options for the protection of platform workers Sylvie Brunet, MEP 15:30-15:40 Policy keynote III - The challenges associated with online platforms and how the European Parliament might address them Deirdre Clune, MEP 15.40-15.50: Presentation of the STOA study ‘Online Platforms: Economic and Societal Effects’ Annabelle Gawer, Professor of Digital Economy, University of Surrey and Oxford University 15.40-16.40: Interactive panel: Governing online platforms: policy options Pierre Regibeau, Chief Competition Economist, DG Competition, European Commission Philip Marsden, Professor of Law & Economics at the College of Europe Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, University of Oxford Saïd Business School Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Oliver Bethell, Head of EMEA Competition, Google Moderator: Annabelle Gawer, University of Surrey and Oxford University 16.40-17:00: Q&A and Closing remarks 2 Governing online platforms: Policy options for shaping a principled digital future 2. Today, all 'big tech' companies are digital platforms. Online platforms have grown to an unprecedented scale by becoming leading beneficiaries of the widespread moves towards remote work, social distancing, and online shopping. Online platforms have a massive impact on individual users and businesses as we increasigly rely on them to buy and sell goods and services, to find information online and to keep in touch with each other. Propelled by data-driven business models, online platforms not only are recasting the relationships between customers, advertisers, workers and employers but also impact nearly every aspect of work. Platform workers have been particularly hard hit due to their precarious position. In view of the recent European Commission proposals on a Digital Markets Act and a Digital Services Act, which include rules that govern gatekeeper online platforms, the event will discuss the effects of online platforms on the economy and society, analyse ways to address them and propose policy options to address the issues and mitigate the risks associated with online platforms to ensure that the digital economy operates in a way that sustainably benefits people, businesses and society. How do online platforms shape our lives and businesses? How can online platforms be governed in a principled way? What are the most imminent questions that they pose to policy-makers and legislators? On the occasion of the publication of a new study assessing the effects of online platforms on the economy and society, the European Parliament is hosting an event to address these questions. Following the opening remarks of Eva Kaili, MEP and STOA Chair, the European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Scmidt, will deliver an introductory speech on the subject of the event. His keynote speech will be followed by two additional policy keyone speeches: one under the Sylvie Brunet, MEP, and another one under the t keynote speeches, Professor Annabelle Gawer will present the main findings of the recent STOA study Online Platforms: Economic and Societal Effects . Professor Gawer presentation will be followed by a panel discussion on the effects of online platforms that will bring together the following international experts in the field of online platforms: Pierre Regibeau, Chief Competition Economist, DG-COMP, European Commission; Philip Marsden, Professor of Law & Economics at the College of Europe; Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, University of Oxford Saïd Business School; Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary, ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation); and Oliver Bethell, Head of EMEA Competition, Google. The roundtable will be followed by a public debate. Please join us for a lively debate across experts and representative members from the European Parliament, the European Commission, academia, online platforms, and civil society. 3 STOA | Panel for the Future of Science and Technology 3. 3.1. Eva KAILI, MEP and STOA Chair Eva Kaili is a Member of the European Parliament, part of the Hellenic S&D Delegation since 2014. She is the Chair of the Future of Science and Technology Panel in the European Parliament (STOA) and the Centre for Artificial Intelligence (C4AI), Member of the Committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), Budgets (BUDG), and the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA). Eva is a member of the delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (DACP), the delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula (DARP), and the delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (DNAT). In her capacity, she has been working intensively on promoting innovation as a driving force of the establishment of the European Digital Single Market. She has been the draftsperson of multiple pieces of legislation in the fields of blockchain technology, online platforms, big data, fintech, AI and cybersecurity, as well as the ITRE draftsperson on Juncker plan EFSI2 and more recently the InvestEU program. She has also been the Chair of the Delegation to the NATO PA in the European Parliament, focusing on Defence and Security of Europe. Prior to that, she has been elected as a Member of the Hellenic Parliament 2007-2012, with the PanHellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). She also worked as a journalist and newscaster prior to her political career. She holds a Bachelor degree in Architecture and Civil Engineering, and Postgraduate degree in European Politics. 4 Governing online platforms: Policy options for shaping a principled digital future 4. 4.1. Policy keynote I: The social implications of online platform work 4.1.1. Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit took up office as European Commissioner responsible for Jobs and Social Rights in December 2019. Prior to this, and following a long career of public service in his native Luxembourg,
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