MEP Viviane Reding, former Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship of the European Union between 2010 and 2014, is the newest member of the group of parliamentarians who are part of the Association. With the addition of Ms Reding, EUBrasil now has 16 members of the European Parliament.
Representative of Luxembourg and a member of the Committee of the European Parliament for International Trade, Ms Reding wants to actively participate in the activities and initiatives of EUBrasil within her areas of expertise.
“The EU and Brazil have a strategic partnership. We need to strengthen the regulatory framework between our two blocs to take it further. The on-going negotiations for a free trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur are the perfect occasion to reinforce our ties”, says Ms Reding.
“We share another common cause. We are fighting for the Internet to remain free and open, thereby placing the individual at its heart. The EU’s data protection rules will restore trust in the internet in the EU by adapting individuals’ rights to the digital revolution and putting them back in control of their online activities. If Brazil was to move in the same direction, it would lead to better cooperation and greater data exchanges between the EU and Brazil. Together we are stronger! And we will be empowered to enshrine the fundamental right to privacy in international law“, she added.
For the president of EUBrasil, Luigi Gambardella, the addition of Ms Reding is just another indicator that the association is getting stronger and stronger everyday.
“Ms Reding’s personality and political experience are exceptional and widely known worldwide. It is for this reason that I welcome with great satisfaction her decision to join our Association as a parliamentary member. I am convinced that the former Vice-President of the European Commission will use all her knowledge to guarantee the strengthening of relations between Brazil and the European Union in her new responsibilities in the European Parliament”, said Gambardella.
Viviane Reding is one of the most prominent personalities of Europe, completing 3 terms as member of the European Government, currently Member of the European Parliament. In 1999, having served 10 years in the Luxembourg Parliament and 10 years in the European Parliament, she became European Commissioner for Education, Culture and pushed through the “Erasmus World” Programme. In 2004, she remained EU Commissioner and took command of the Information Society and Media portfolio, winning a major battle against telecom companies by capping mobile roaming charges by 70%.
In 2010, she became first Vice-President and EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. She put in place a truly EU Justice Policy, including major proposals in the field of consumer rights, women on boards and the reform of the EU data protection rules.
After the May 2014 elections, EUBrasil’s group of Members of the European Parliament was strengthened by the presence of the MEPs who maintained their terms and by the addition of new members: Ana Gomes, Jan Huitema, Hans van Baalen, Ivo Belet, Pilar Del Castillo Vera, Sergio G. Cofferati, Viorica Dăncilă, José Manuel Fernandes, Christofer Fjellner, Nathalie Griesbeck, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Nuno Melo, Gianni Pittella, Helmut Scholz and Renate Weber.
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