MEPs debate US visa sanctions and their affect on EU digital sovereignty

Parliament’s committee on the internal market and consumer protection will debate the recent US visa sanctions imposed on EU officials working in digital regulation, and what this means for enforcing the EU’s digital rules and Europe’s regulatory independence.

Former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, affected by the US sanctions, is expected to make a statement at the start. Other invited speakers include EU digital policy experts: Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, Josephine Ballon (joining remotely) and Clare Melford, advocate for stronger user rights online and are also affected by the entry bans.

The debate follows a US travel ban preventing the individuals concerned from entering the country; a move that has further strained transatlantic relations over digital regulation. Members have described the sanctions as an unacceptable personalisation of EU policy, a dangerous precedent for the independence of the European institutions and an attack on the EU’s regulatory sovereignty.