Arianna, just following up on the issue of the digital regulation that we discussed on Tuesday, have you reached out to your US counterparts to discuss this issue,

the threat that Donald Trump published on social media, to know what it means,

and how could it be applied, and if you are the target of this threat? Thank you. Thanks, Jorge.

We're constantly in touch with the US and with the US administration and with US counterparts, not only in the framework of the investigations, but generally speaking, I mean,

I can recall also at the end of July Jim Jordan came here to visit EP Virkkunen where

we exchanged on all these points that were raised by President Trump in his social media posts. So yes, exchanges are ongoing constantly.

Traveled the director general because we're speaking about director generals, director general of TG Connect also traveled to the US. These exchanges are constantly taking place.

We are explaining to our US counterparts what are the tricky points that they're referring to, but again,

let's work hand in hand with the US and I can confirm that exchanges are constantly taking place.

Other questions on this matter for Thomas, go ahead. Hello. Hi, Eliza from Politico.

So there was also an announcement yesterday that there will be a hearing and that Mr. Breton is invited.

Do you have anything to say on that?

Anything we can expect him to say? Are you in touch with Mr.

Breton about the meeting and has the US House Judiciary Committee

contacted anyone else at the commission to appear at this hearing? Thank you.

And I have a trade question as well. Should I ask it now?

Perhaps let's, let's go with that answer, and then I will revert to you before going back to. Thanks Elisa.

Let's maybe start with the first question, more general question on, on, on the public hearing.

I have no comment to make on the, on the, generally speaking on the public hearing.

I mean, again, the censorship allegations are, nonsense.

They are completely unfounded, and they're completely wrong, Do you guys feel censored in the EU? I guess not.

We all know it's very easy for a social media platform to just take your content, to remove it,

or to downgrade the visibility of your content, of our citizens, of journalists, of influencers.

This is not taking place in the EU. Why? Because we have the DSA.

And let me give you maybe one figure in this regard. Let's take two social media platforms.

Let's take TikTok and let's take meta.

In the second half of 2024,

160 million content removal decisions of these two platforms have been challenged by our citizens in the EU.

Thanks to the DSA because the DSA precisely provides a mechanism to fight back against these decisions. What was the success rate?

35% of these content removal decisions by these two platforms were actually unjustified and were restored,

so.

Let's focus on real things that are happening in the online world. We have children harming themselves. We have children committing suicide. We have child sexual abuse material.

We have terrorist content, and I can go on and go on and go on.

These are the real things that we need to tackle hand in

hand with the US and not to have unnecessary debate on unfounded claims.

Now on Commissioner Bruton, we are of course aware of the invitation that was addressed to Commissioner.

Former commissioners do not represent the EU,

and questions regarding EU law should be raised via the appropriate diplomatic channels.

In according with Article 339 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

former commissioners are required not to disclose information covered by the obligation of professional secrecy.

For this reason, Former Commissioners cannot give any testimony regarding their

former work as Commissioner without prior authorization from the European Commission.

Other questions for on this matter specifically. David is on this, go ahead.

Yes, has has former commissioner Breton asked for the permission. And if yes.

And what, what, what was your answer to that?

We have not been in touch with former Commissionerton.

Other questions for Thomas on this, yes, go ahead, Lisa.

So, the latter part of my question, have they contacted anyone else at the commission to appear at the hearing?

We're not aware of any contacts with Commission officials in in in the context of the specific hearing you are referring to,

of course it's for the US administration to confirm who they have reached out to.

What Thomas has said already is that we are in constant contact with our partners. He has recalled, also meetings.

I don't remember with who from the US administration.

With EVP Virkkunen, so there are multiple occasions of discussions at the appropriate

diplomatic level and political level with the US also on the digital matters. Other questions for Thomas on this. Jorge, go ahead. I will come to you.

Yes, but given that Breton is not authorized to speak and does not represent the EU as former Commissioner,

don't you think it would be more suitable for Commissioner Virkkunen to offer herself to participate

in this hearing and set the record straight as you do here every day at midday? Thanks Jorge.

I'm pretty sure that on this one I can speak on behalf of the Virkkunen. She is the new tech chief.

She's in charge of the DSA of the DMA, of the Act,

and all the others, and she will fight back against all unfounded claims.

She's open and ready to exchange with her American counterparts. She has done it.

She will continue to do it because we will protect again.

Our independent and sovereign right to legislate in the digital sector. Other questions for Thomas on this. Go ahead.

Yeah, you go ahead and then David but already gave the floor several times.

I still have one question on trade to take and then Hungary, and we will need to close in 5, 10 minutes, so just flagging that time is running. From a few follow up questions.

Firstly, can we expect a response from EVP Virkkunen regarding

the post by President Trump that was issued on Tuesday.

Secondly, Thomas, you mentioned that DG Connex's directorate,

Roberto Viola, will be traveling to Washington.

Is this something to expect in the future?

And would EP Verkunon also be traveling?

And lastly, can we expect some kind of agreement also

on tech regulations with the US in the upcoming Talks, thanks. Thank you.

Maybe you misunderstood or I was not that good when I talked about the travel plans. The travel plans took place.

I was saying that EVP Virkkunen and the director general already traveled to the US

in the past where they met most of the CEOs of these major American tech companies.

Exchange views and hence also potentially why Virkkunen was not vocal so far on this topic precisely because she has been very vocal in the past

and she has already said everything she had to say to her American counterparts, but she will continue doing it and she will continue enforcing the legislation.

And as I said, we're firmly convinced we do not discriminate towards US companies,

so we stand by that and therefore are not concerned by other considerations, David.

Yes, to, to question the first one on, on, on the new tech chief apologies, Thomas, but I mean the some hours after Trump posted in through his message with,

which is quite threatening toward you, the new tech chief posted on, on Instagram, I guess. A message on dogs.

Happy International Day dogs with a big smile.

So is, Vice President Virkkunen also in, in charge of animal welfare or the dogs and so on, more serious, but it's, it's a serious,

serious question because, I mean, she is the tech chief of the European Union,

so somebody could expect a different reaction from her.

A question to you, Arianna,

when the legislative proposal to put in place the joint declaration would be proposed. Thank you.

Thanks, I think on our furry friends we all like dogs or many of us do.

The president, I believe, had a post on Instagram herself.

It does not mean that they don't follow, and they don't intervene, on, on other matters.

I believe the president proves time and.

Time again that she does and still had a moment to think about our furry friends because they do improve the lives of,

of many in our part of our, of our families.

So once a year just joyful thought can be allowed on this and then I will reverse on the second question.

Yes, on this stuff it, I mean, You can decide to talk a lot and to act very little,

or you can be silent sometimes, especially when certain claims are completely unfounded.

I said it, censorship allegations are completely unfounded.

You can find yourself a lot of public indexes available online that show you how

great we do when it comes to freedom of expression and freedom on the internet.

I don't think this is a debate we need to engage on.

We are doing it, sorry, but I don't think we should be doing that.

Or you're a bit silent and you act when you need to act, and this is precisely what EVP Virkkunen is doing.

She took a decision against American platforms under the DMA.

She will continue to take these decisions. Thanks Thomas.

On the second question, I don't have much to add to what we have been saying in the past days,

as the Commissioner, Commissioner Šefčovič has said in this press room.

The Commission remains committed to table the legislative proposal before the end of the month.

I think Marcos was saying prior for another matter that we're not at the end of the month yet.

There's still a couple of days, so this is still the aim we're working towards,

and of course when we will have developments to share with you, we will do so in a very timely manner.

Since we need to close, and I promised two questions.

Go ahead, first on trade and then on Hungary, and then we bring this to an end as we have the technical briefing.

When are the proposals on the US industrial tariffs being removed?

Unless I completely misunderstood, it's the same question as David just asked, and I just answered on, on that. So apologies. OK, good.

So as we said, we're working towards tabling them before the end of the month.

We still have a few days left.

That's the aim of our current work and internal procedures when we will have some news, we will let you know.

Hungary, you had a question I think for Markus.