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Commissioner von der Leyen: "Alliance is needed for the digital world"
Photo: POOL / REUTERS
Ursula von der Leyen wants to work much more closely with the USA under its future President Joe Biden.
This is reported by the dpa news agency, citing a speech by der Leyens to EU ambassadors.
"That should cover everything from security to sustainability, from rules for technology to trade, from an equalization of global competitive conditions to strengthening global institutions," said von der Leyen accordingly.
She named overcoming the corona pandemic and climate protection as specific points for cooperation.
International organizations such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) should also be strengthened and reformed.
"Our international system has been held hostage for too many years"
EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen
"Our international system has been held hostage for too many years," said von der Leyen.
"The time has come to reverse this trend."
The previous President Donald Trump had made the United States' exit from the WHO and the Paris Climate Agreement official during his term of office.
In any case, it will be some time before Joe Biden can take steps to reverse the withdrawals.
Biden will not be sworn in as president until January 20, 2021.
Biden had announced in the past that he would re-enter the climate agreement and want to make the USA climate neutral by 2050.
Common rules for online networks
The head of the EU Commission said it was now a matter of revitalizing important multilateral agreements and forging new alliances.
"Such an alliance is needed for the digital world".
Von der Leyen related this to rules for online platforms, for example in the fight against hate and terror propaganda.
The EU Commission will propose a broad reform here, the so-called Digital Service Act.
Other points are data protection and fair taxation of large digital corporations.
The aim remains for the time being to reach a consensus within the framework of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
But: "The new deadline until mid-2021 must be the last," said von der Leyen.
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fek / dpa