He was not the first Commissioner who would talk about European Patent law, he was, however, determined to be the last Commissioner, said Barnier in his introductory words. In December last year, the Council of Ministers approved the Community Patent Regulation. This Regulation shall make it possible that inventions, as soon as they are patented, enjoy EU-wide legal protection. Nevertheless, there are still two problems, which Barnier wants to solve. First the question of the official version and secondly of jurisdiction.

In connection with corporate law, Barnier spoke about the importance of having more women in leadership positions. In order to achieve this, Barnier intends to introduce a Green Paper in May to create so-called corporate governance. At the same time, he addressed the remuneration of managers and demanded that only long-term performances should be rewarded.

The MEPs responded to Barnier’s argument, who voiced his opinion that online piracy would cause job losses. They agreed in principle, pointed out, however, that this would not be the only problem. Barnier also mentioned the failure to implement the EU Services Directive and announced a review. The MEPs were visibly impressed by the experienced politician Barnier, not least because Barnier had been able to answer almost all questions satisfactorily.