CERRE Breakfast: Closing the EU’s Digital Enforcement Gap

Rita Wezenbeek is Director of Platforms Policy and Enforcement in DG CONNECT. The Platforms Directorate is in charge of policies and regulations applicable to online intermediary services, including the supervision of the implementation and enforcement of the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act (the latter jointly with DG COMP). These two new Regulations establish strong rules to ensure a safe, fair and open platform economy for European citizens and businesses, and give the Commission significant regulatory powers over “gatekeepers” and very large platforms and search engines.

Rita joined the European Commission in 2002. Before moving to DG CONNECT in December 2020, she was the head of the units dealing with Anti-Trust and Telecommunications (2017-2020) and Retail Financial Services and Payment Systems (2010-2017) in DG Competition.

Before joining the Commission, Rita worked for sixteen years as a private lawyer, specialized in European and corporate law, in a Dutch/ Belgian law firm. She also was a Member of the Commission on European Integration, an independent advisory body on foreign policy to the Dutch government and Parliament.

Kai Zenner is Head of Office and Digital Policy Advisor to MEP Axel Voss (European People’s Party) in the European Parliament. While his main focus lies on AI and data policy, he also advocates for a values-based EU digital strategy and the adherence to Good Governance principles. Zenner is a ‘Fellow of Practice’ at the TUM Think Tank, a member of the ‘OECD.AI Network of Experts’ and part of the World Economic Forum’s ‘AI Governance Alliance’. In 2023, he was named Best Assistant in the European Parliament and ranked 13th in Politico’s “Power 40” class. In 2024, he received the European AI Award from EAIF, and in 2025, Euronews listed him among the “14 Movers and Shakers to Watch in Tech Policy”.