Brussels, 18/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 18 December, Neelie Kroes, the Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, presented the new digital priorities for 2013-2014, as a means of attaining the targets set out in the “EUROPE 2020” digital agenda. Increasing investment in broadband and maximising the contribution of the digital sector to Europe's economic recovery will also be two essential areas of action. Kroes immediately pointed out that, “2013 will be the busiest year yet for the Digital Agenda.” She also emphasised how achieving the objectives set out was important to Europe's growth, as well as to its citizens and particularly its young people. The Commissioner emphasised that we cannot be complacent. If we stay where we are, we die; Europe has no time to lose. She underlined the extraordinary speed of growth in the digital sector, which was seven times faster than in other sectors. She was also highly critical of the lack of any pan-European policy framework, which prevented using this potential to the full.
The priorities adopted follow a thorough re-examination of policy implemented in 2010 as a means of developing the most innovative aspects. Comprehensive integration of this updated digital agenda would lead to a 5% rise in European GDP or €1,500 for every citizen over the next eight years. It would also help improve the level of workers' digital skills by promoting innovation in the public sector and reforming the general conditions underpinning the economy of the internet. The seven priorities for achieving this objective are as follows:
1) Create a new and stable broadband regulatory environment: more private investment is needed in high speed fixed and mobile broadband networks. The Commission's top digital priority for 2013 is therefore finalising a new and stable broadband regulatory environment. Significant disparities persist between member states. A package of ten actions in 2013 will include: Recommendations on stronger non-discriminatory network access and new costing methodology for wholesale access to broadband networks; net neutrality; universal service; and mechanisms for reducing the civil engineering costs of broadband roll-out. This will build on new Broadband State Aid Guidelines and the proposed Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) loans.
2) New public digital service infrastructures through Connecting Europe Facility: the Commission will fast-track the roll-out of digital services (especially their cross border interoperability) in eIDs and eSignatures, business mobility, eJustice, electronic health records and cultural platforms such as Europeana.
3) Launch Grand Coalition on Digital Skills and Jobs: practical steps should be taken to avoid the millions of ICT jobs going unfilled because of lack of skilled personnel. The Commission will coordinate public and private sector actions to: increase IT training placements, create more direct education-business links, etc. The Commission will also deliver an action plan to support web entrepreneurs and make Europe more “start-up friendly”.
4) Propose EU cyber-security strategy and Directive: in order to be able to deliver the world's safest online environments, valuing user freedom and privacy, the Commission will deliver a strategy and proposed Directive to establish a common minimum level of preparedness at national level, including an online platform to prevent and counter cross-border cyber incidents, and incident reporting requirements.
5) Update EU's Copyright Framework: modernising copyright is key to achieving the digital single market. Therefore the Commission will seek a solution to copyright-related issues where rapid progress is needed via a structured stakeholder dialogue. The Commission will also complete its on-going effort to review and modernise the EU copyright legislative framework, with a view to a decision in 2014 on whether to table resulting legislative reform proposals.
6) Accelerate cloud computing through public sector buying power: the Commission will launch pilot actions in the European Cloud Partnership, which harnesses public buying power to help create the world's largest cloud-enabled ICT market. The objective is to dismantle current national fortresses and negative consumer perceptions.
7) Launch new electronics industrial strategy: the Commission will propose an industrial strategy for micro- and nano-electronics, to increase Europe's attractiveness for investment in this domain. (IL/trans: .fl)