00:00And joining us on Euronews is Commissioner Virkanen from Strasbourg.
00:04Commissioner, thank you so much for being with us.
00:06You just came back from the Cannes Film Festival.
00:09Of course, for Europe, part of its identity is culture.
00:13What role do you see the commission can play when it comes to film, series, overall funding for culture?
00:21Of course, we know that culture is very much, of course, about our values.
00:27It tells what we are.
00:29It tells about our history, our culture, and it's a very important part of European identity.
00:35So, of course, the way how we can support this is very much funding.
00:39And we have proposed for the next MFF Agora EU program.
00:43And there we are also providing more funding for our creative sector and for our culture,
00:48because it's very much, of course, about our identity, our values.
00:52And it's important to support this very crucial sector.
00:55And, Commissioner, since you're in Cannes, I have to ask you about what is really the story of the festival.
01:00And that is a letter from French cinema productions, companies, actors,
01:06worrying about what they call this potential censorship coming from Vincent Bolloré and also the Canal Plus group.
01:13Is this something that you're monitoring?
01:18Of course, when we speak about our creative sector and about our culture, it's, of course, the greatest strength of
01:26the European model.
01:27It's our freedom of expression.
01:28And it's a very fundamental value for the European Union, freedom of speech, freedom of expression.
01:35And this is having, of course, it's the basis for our cultural sector, for our creative sector, and also for
01:41our media.
01:42And this is also the reason why we have adopted the Media Freedom Act, really to support independent media, independent
01:49journalism,
01:50which is a cornerstone of our democracies.
01:53And we are protecting that in the European Union level.
01:56So you say freedom of speech when it comes to the arts is essential for Europe.
02:00Just to pick up on this point, and just a final question on this issue.
02:03It has created a big storm in France.
02:06The idea that Canal Plus may now refuse to fund some films may have been blacklisted.
02:12Is this something that worries you?
02:14And who's going to make up for the shortfall?
02:16Do you believe European institutions could pay where funding is now lacking?
02:23I think it's, of course, very important that we have always full transparency.
02:27And it has to be always clear that we are fully supporting freedom of expression and freedom of speech in
02:34our activities
02:35when it comes to media or creative sector, because this is what makes Europe strong in this field.
02:42And it's so crucial part of our fundamental values as well.
02:46So we have to protect that everywhere.
02:49OK, so you are monitoring this question, or is this in general?
02:54This is, of course, in general level for what we are working all the time.
03:00OK, and let's talk about, of course, the tech sovereignty package, which has been delayed.
03:05Again, can you explain the reasons behind this?
03:08And also, how would you define tech sovereignty?
03:11What is tech sovereignty in 2026 for you?
03:16The Commission is supposed to adopt our tech sovereignty package on the 3rd of June, so in two weeks' time.
03:24And this is, of course, about building our own capacity when it comes to critical sectors.
03:29But for us, the technological sovereignty doesn't mean that we are planning to work somehow in isolation in the future.
03:35But it's very important that we have certain capacity in a critical field.
03:40And then we are also working, of course, with the like-minded partners to make sure that we don't have
03:45risky dependencies
03:46and we are not too dependent on one company or one solution, that we have always alternatives, that we are
03:52able to work in all conditions.
03:54So it's very much about building our own capacity, building more resilience for our supply chains and working together with
04:02our partners.
04:02What I understand from your language is that you do not want this package to be perceived as protectionist.
04:08Is that what's creating tensions with some member states and ultimately delays?
04:13You don't want anything that looks like protectionism?
04:17I think it's very important to really also clarify that what tech sovereignty is.
04:23And it's not about protectionism, but it's also about taking care that we are not too dependent on one solutions,
04:30that we don't have that kind of risks when it comes to our very critical services to our economy.
04:36And especially we are looking, of course, now in our tech sovereignty package,
04:39the crucial parts will be about AI and Cloud Development Act and also about CHIPS Act 2.0.
04:46So these are the main elements of our package.
04:49So to make sure that we can boost our European alternatives in the cloud services,
04:54that we can invest to sustainable data centers in the European Union,
04:57and also that we have various resilient supply chains on semiconductors,
05:02and we are also able to design and manufacture also more advanced chips in the future, also AI chips.
05:08So it's very much about that.
05:09And the way how we can also boost our own European home-crown technologies,
05:13it's very much connected to public procurement,
05:16because governments and public sector is very big customer for ICT services.
05:20So it really matters how we are buying and what kind of services we are buying.
05:24It can give a great boost for European technologies,
05:26and we should also use more strategically open source solutions
05:30to really boost our own home-crown technologies,
05:33because then we can have very lively, of course, competition and more innovations in the markets.
05:39And I want to ask you two final questions.
05:40Speaking of AI, the head of Mistral, the European unicorn,
05:44there's a lot riding on this company.
05:46He came out recently and said,
05:47the way that the European legislation is operating simply is not adaptable to real life.
05:52How do you read that criticism?
05:53And is there still room where you can negotiate and listen to more feedback from companies?
05:58His criticism was loud or clear.
06:02I think it's very important when it comes to AI that there's a huge potential,
06:06and we want to boost really investments and innovations in this area.
06:09But in the same time, we have to be aware of risks.
06:12And I think our AI Act is very balanced ones, because it's a risk-based approach.
06:17So most of the cases, there is no risk when we are using AI, or risk is very low.
06:21But when AI is using in the banking sector and healthcare sector into transportation,
06:27it often also creates more risks.
06:30And those systems, they have to be tested before they are entering to the market.
06:34So we think that it's important that people can trust those technologies.
06:37But of course, we shouldn't have that kind of rules, which are hindering innovations.
06:42And just finally, there is a question that keeps coming up,
06:45which, of course, for women in Europe certainly is an issue,
06:49which is the use of AI technology on social media, a lot of these companies based in the U.S.,
06:54to present women who are naked or in situations they have not consented to.
06:58This issue has been playing out for months.
07:00You have taken measures, but they are not enough.
07:02We still see these pictures coming up week after week.
07:04What measures are you thinking?
07:06And ultimately, are you ready to hit the nuclear button and say,
07:09we will not allow you to operate in Europe if this continues?
07:15It's clear, according to our rules, that all these service providers,
07:19they have to all the time assess and mitigate the systematic risk what they are posing.
07:23And when it comes to that kind of notification apps,
07:26we clearly, we are banning them in the European Union.
07:29So it's part of our AI Act and the trial of negotiations.
07:34We concluded two weeks ago with the co-legislators
07:37that we decided that we are banning that kind of notification apps in the European Union.
07:41Do you fear any backlash just finally on this from the U.S. as a result of this?
07:45Keep it in mind, however, no one has consented to this.
07:50I think that these are very common concerns globally now when technology is taking bigger role,
07:56that what kind of risks it's also posing.
07:59And many countries are looking towards Europe, that what kind of measures we are taking here,
08:03because with our Digital Services Act, with our Digital Markets Act and with our AI Act,
08:08we have really also set the global benchmark that we want, that we have digital environment,
08:12which is safe and fair and democratic, and we are enforcing these rules.
08:17And at the same time, we want to encourage innovations and investments in this area,
08:20but we want that people can trust those technologies.
08:23Well, Commissioner, thank you very much for joining us on Euronews.
08:26Thank you very much for joining us on Euronews.
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