Agenda Setters 2007

Viviane Reding, Euro Commissioner

Position: 10    Last year: Not ranked

Why? Cheaper mobile roaming

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It's not often a politician makes it into the top 50, but according to the panel Viviane Reding wields plenty of power over the technology agenda - and not just in Europe.

As European commissioner for information society and media, the Luxembourger has a hand in pretty much every decision about technology legislation that takes place in Europe, whether it's to do with mobile TV standards, RFID regulation, opening up frequencies for wireless broadband or pushing electronic safety systems for cars.

This summer - to the joy of mobile users across Europe - she won her battle to force mobile operators to cut the charges for users roaming abroad - with SMS and data rates likely to be next in the firing line.

And it's not just the price cuts in Europe that have made her an Agenda Setter - the panel predicts that her victory could have a global impact. Access to broadband is another area where her decisions could have major consequences.

Not every decision is welcomed of course - for example, Reding earned the disapproval of ISPs earlier this year because of the way the dot-eu domain name registration was handled.

Most recently she weighed in on the tech skills crisis - warning that Europe is missing out on billions in investment because its workers lack IT skills.

And the panel was impressed by the way she has driven the e-inclusion agenda across Europe."I think people are now taking her and that agenda really quite seriously," said one panel member.