Brussels, 27/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On 27 September, the European Commission unveiled a new strategy aimed at exploiting cloud computing potential in Europe, which comes within the creation of a single digital market. The strategy comprises a series of measures to promote the expansion of cloud computing, which will allow 2.5 million jobs to be created in Europe and contribute up to €160 billion annually to the European Union's GDP (about 1%), by 2020. Commissioner Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda, said Europe welcomes cloud computing but is not sufficiently active in this field to adopt it on a large scale. She added: “Without EU action, we will stay stuck in national fortresses and miss out on billions in economic gains. We must achieve critical mass and a single set of rules across Europe. We must tackle the perceived risks of cloud computing head-on”.
Cloud computing refers to the storage of data (such as text files, pictures and video) and software on remote computers, which users access over the internet on the device of their choice. This is “faster, cheaper, more flexible and potentially more secure than on-site IT solutions”. Advantages are particularly marked for small businesses which have neither the means nor the capacity to set up adequate services. Many popular services such as Facebook, Spotify and web-based email use cloud computing technologies but the real economic benefits will only come through widespread use of cloud solutions by businesses and the public sector, which is not yet the case. The absence of common norms and precise contracts frighten potential users who do not yet dare to selection cloud computing solutions. According to the Commission, 80% of organisations that chose this solution currently reduce their costs by at least 10%-20%.
Key actions of the strategy include:
Cutting through the jungle of technical standards so that cloud users get interoperability, data portability and reversibility; necessary standards should be identified by 2013. It is not a question of creating new rules, but of choosing an adequate body of rules from those that already exist, the Commission stresses.
Support for EU-wide certification schemes for trustworthy cloud providers.
Development of model “safe and fair” contract terms for cloud computing contracts including service level agreements.
A European cloud partnership with member states and industry to harness the public sector's buying power (20% of all IT spending) to shape the European cloud market, boost the chances for European cloud providers to grow to achieve a competitive scale and deliver cheaper and better e-government..
The communication adopted by the Commission is in keeping with the proposal on data protection and will be followed by a European strategy on cyber-security, to be put forward in coming months.
At European Parliament, EPP has favourable reaction
MEPs of the EPP Group, Amalia Sartori (Italy) and Pilar del Castillo Vera (Spain) welcomed the Commission's strategy. “The proposed cloud strategy is certainly a good starting point towards the targets Europe wants to reach, especially if we want to compete on a level playing field with other countries”,, said Sartori. Del Castillo Vera, on the other hand, said “there is a clear link between the cloud computing strategy and the completion of the digital single market; a market which represents today the heart of the single market but which still needs to eliminate all the existing barriers in areas such as consumer protection, intellectual property rights, data protection, specific product regulations and payment transactions”. (IL/transl.jl)