Digital Agenda: Commission outlines action plan to boost Europe's prosperity and well-being
2010. May 20.
Implementing the ambitious Digital Agenda for Europe unveiled today by the European Commission would contribute significantly to the EU's economic growth and spread the benefits of the digital era to all sections of society. Half of European productivity growth over the past 15 years was already driven by information and communications technologies (see IP/10/571) and this trend is likely to accelerate. The Agenda outlines seven priority areas for action: creating a digital Single Market, greater interoperability, boosting internet trust and security, much faster internet access, more investment in research and development, enhancing digital literacy skills and inclusion, and applying information and communications technologies to address challenges facing society like climate change and the ageing population. Examples of benefits include easier electronic payments and invoicing, rapid deployment of telemedicine and energy efficient lighting. In these seven areas, the Digital Agenda foresees some 100 follow-up actions, of which 31 would be legislative. The Digital Agenda is the first of seven flagship initiatives under the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth (see IP/10/225).
"We must put the interests of Europe's citizens and businesses
at the forefront of the digital revolution and so maximise
the potential of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs)
to advance job creation, sustainability and social
inclusion", said Commission Vice-President for the Digital
Agenda Neelie Kroes. "The ambitious strategy set out today shows
clearly where we need to focus our efforts in the years to come. To
fully realise the potential of Europe's digital future we need the
full commitment of Member States, the ICT sector and other vital
economic players."
Seven goals
A new Single Market to deliver the benefits of the
digital era
Citizens should be able to enjoy commercial services and
cultural entertainment across borders. But EU online markets are
still separated by barriers which hamper access to
pan-European telecoms services, digital services and content. Today
there are four times as many music downloads in the US as in the EU
because of the lack of legal offers and fragmented markets. The
Commission intends to open up access to legal online content by
simplifying copyright clearance, management and cross-border
licensing. Other actions include making electronic payments and
invoicing easier and simplifying online dispute resolution.
Improve ICT standard-setting and
interoperability
To allow people to create, combine and innovate we need
ICT products and services to be open and interoperable.
Enhance trust and security
Europeans will not embrace technology they do not trust -
they need to feel confident and safe online. A better
coordinated European response to cyber-attacks and reinforced rules
on personal data protection are part of the solution. Actions could
also potentially oblige website operators to inform their users
about security breaches affecting their personal data.
Increase Europeans' access to fast and ultra fast
internet
The 2020 target is internet speeds of
30 Mbps or above for all European citizens, with half
European households subscribing to connections of 100Mbps or
higher. Today only 1% of Europeans have a fast fibre-based internet
connection, compared to 12% of Japanese and 15% of South Koreans
(see table below). Very fast internet is essential for the economy
to grow strongly, to create jobs and prosperity, and to ensure
citizens can access the content and services they want. The
Commission will inter alia explore how to
attract investment in broadband through credit enhancement
mechanisms and will give guidance on how to encourage investments
in fibre-based networks.
Boost cutting-edge research and innovation in
ICT
Europe must invest more in R&D and ensure our best ideas
reach the market. The Agenda aims to inter alia
leverage private investments with European regional funding and
increasing EU research funding to ensure that Europe keeps up with
and even surpasses its competition. EU investment in ICT research
is less than half US levels (€37 billion compared to €88 billion in
2007).
Empower all Europeans with digital skills and accessible
online services
Over half of Europeans (250 million) use the internet every day,
but another 30% have never used it. Everyone, young and old,
irrespective of social background, is entitled to the knowledge and
skills they need to be part of the digital era since commerce,
public, social and health services, learning and political life is
increasingly moving online.
Unleash the potential of ICT to benefit
society
We need to invest in smart use of technology and
the exploitation of information to seek solutions to
reduce energy consumption, support ageing citizens, empower
patients and improve online access for people with disabilities.
One aim would be that by 2015 patients could have access to their
online medical records wherever they were in the EU. The Agenda
will also boost energy saving ICT technologies like Solid State
Lighting technology (SSL) that use 70% less energy than standard
lighting systems.
Delivering the Digital Strategy for Europe
The toughest challenge is to ensure rapid adoption and
implementation of the measures necessary to meet the above
objectives. A wide range of Commissioners
will work together with the EU's institutions and
stakeholders to make the Digital Agenda a reality.
Source:
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/581&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en