Vice-President Suica delivers a keynote speech via video message for the closing event of the Citizen Panel on AI of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU

VP Suica delivers a keynote speech via video message

Dear Prime Minister de Croo,
Dear Minister Lahbib,
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
And dear citizens,

It is a privilege for me to address you today. Firstly, I want to congratulate the Belgian Presidency, and Prime Minister De Croo and Minister Lahbib for truly innovating our democracy at the European level. The Belgian Presidency has set an important precedent. It should inspire all future presidencies of the European Union to organise their own citizens panel as part of their official programme. I hope that other Member States will learn from this example that you have set! It is clearly already implementing the Defence of Democracy Package and the recommendation on citizen engagement which the European Commission adopted last December!

As European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, it is an honour for me to congratulate all 60 Belgian citizens on the impressive amount of work you have done in this Panel. You are innovators who have proved yet again that deliberation with citizens works!

I hope that as a result of this panel, trust has been gained. That citizens trust politicians and institutions more. And very importantly, that we politicians learn to trust citizens a bit more too!

Secondly, I want to congratulate Belgium on making democracy a key part of your presidency programme. This citizen panel on Artificial Intelligence shows just how important it is for citizens to have a voice in our democracy. I am amazed at what citizens can achieve when given a safe and transparent space to engage in issues that are important to them. And artificial intelligence is not an easy subject to discuss. We are organising European Citizen Panels very similar to this presidency panel. We had one on Virtual Worlds last year which fed into the Artificial Intelligence Act.

Artificial Intelligence holds immense potential. Artificial Intelligence confronts us with novel challenges on data privacy, information integrity and economic fairness. It affects all aspects of our lives. From healthcare to farming, and many others. We need an AI that is trustworthy and puts people first.

But we also need to protect Europeans from the risks of unregulated AI.

That is why we have come forward with an Artificial Intelligence Act - the world's first comprehensive legal framework on how to avoid and mitigate risks from AI. While at the same time promoting trust and innovation.

The AI Act goes a long way to guaranteeing the safety and fundamental rights of people and businesses. This AI Act supports the human-centric, transparent, and responsible development, deployment and take-up of AI in the EU.

And my last words to you today are on the concrete report produced by this Belgian Presidency citizens panel.
All 60 citizens have put in a lot of work to presenting a vision that can inspire all levels of governance.

Your 9 clear messages show an ambitious, responsible approach. I take note of your desire to contribute in an active way to a just and fair European Union!
A Union that is built on prosperity for all and with a long-term view on the future.

Indeed, I agree with you, the citizens, that the European Union must remain an attractive place for investment and avoid a brain drain. And you are right that we should ensure that everyone who wants to stay, live and work in the European Union should be able to do so. That they have a real choice. I have also been working on this when looking at demographic change, brain drain and our communication on harnessing talents in Europe.

In your report, you call your vision a gift.
I share that view.
I thank you for this precious gift that you have given to the European Union and all 27 Member States.

Thank you.