Maltese MEP Alfred Sant together with three other MEPs from Germany, France and Finland have called on the European Commission to clarify its position on the European Digital Strategy and transparency on the work of the EU Observatory. Alfred Sant together with Jakob von Weizsäcker, German MEP (S&D), Pervenche Berès, French MEP (S&D) and Sirpa Pietikäinen, Finish MEP (EPP) have addressed a joint letter to European Commissioner in charge of Digital Economy and Society Ms Mariya Gabriel and to the European Commissioner for Digital Single Market and Vice President of the European Commission, Mr Andrus Ansip.
Sant’s initiative supports the Maltese Government’s policy to implement a framework regarding cryptocurrencies, blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) marking it as one of the first jurisdictions in the world to pass specific legislation in this area.
The four MEPs asked the EC for more information on the regulatory priorities and its intentions to keep its strategy always up to date to the digital/technological developments. The MEPs want the Commission ensure that its digital expertise is on par with the expertise available in the tech sector and asked for more information on the appropriate financial resources allocated to the digital society. They also asked for more clarity and transparency on the work of the EU Observatory and noted that the European Parliament should be updated on all work/activities carried out by the EU Blockchain observant.
The EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum is expected to play an active role in helping Europe to seize new opportunities offered by blockchain, build expertise and show leadership in the field. It will be gathering information, monitoring and analysing trends, addressing challenges and exploring blockchains' socio-economic potential. It will enable cross border cooperation on practical use cases, bringing Europe's best experts together and promoting an open forum for blockchain technologists, innovators, citizens, industry stakeholders, public authorities, regulators and supervisors, to discuss and develop new ideas in order to learn, engage and contribute in an open way.
Letter