VIVIANE REDING
TOPICS: Leadership, Economics, FinTech,
EXPERTISE: European Union, FinTech, Data protection, Digital agenda and ICT, Economic and financial governance
International trade issues, Rule of Law, Gender equality and Women’s empowerment, Leadership
Former-Vice President of the European Commission 2010-2014
Viviane Reding is Former First Vice-President of the European Commission. She served as European Commissioner for 15 years, responsible for Justice, Industry, Telecommunications, Research in Technology, Education, Culture and Sports. She has been Member of National and European Parliaments since 1979.
Specialized in European affairs, geopolitics, digital developments and foreign trade, she holds a Ph.D. in Communication (Sorbonne University, Paris, France). She was a professional journalist in the field of political affairs for 20 years.
One of the most prominent personalities of Europe having completing three terms as Member of the European Government she is currently a Member of the European Parliament in charge of International Trade and Rapporteur for the TiSA agreement (Trade in Services agreement).
In 1999, having served for 10 years in the Luxembourg Parliament and for 10 years in the European Parliament, she became European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport. In her first term she pushed through the Erasmus World programme, expanding the co-operation between universities and the exchange of students worldwide. She also strengthened the MEDIA programme for the promotion of European films.
In 2004, she became EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, winning a major battle against telecom companies by capping mobile roaming charges by 70%. She was instrumental in the reform of the European telecom sector, opening the internal market to competition. In that period, she also reformed the European research area, reinforcing the technological research platforms.
In 2010, she became first Vice-President and EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. She put in place a true EU Justice policy, launching a series of ground-breaking proposals in the field of civil, commercial, consumer, and criminal law, creating thus the basis for a European area of justice. She initiated the chapter “Justice for growth”, enabling both businesses and consumers to benefit fully from their rights in the European single market. This chapter includes proposals in the field of consumer rights, cross border recovery of debts and recognition of documents, women on boards, a common European sales law, and the reform of the EU data protection rules.
Viviane Reding also created the basis for a “fundamental rights culture” across the European institutions and initiated a new EU framework to strengthen the rule of law. In order to reach out to the general public, she launched the Europe-wide “Citizen Dialogue” – series, ahead of the EU-Elections.
She was awarded numerous national, European and cultural awards as well as a number of “Doctor Honoris Causa” degrees by universities. She has published many articles, mainly on the reform of European Institutions, on the development of the European Union into a Federal Political Union, on data protection and the Digital Single Market as well as on economic and financial governance.
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