Brussels, 23/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 23 October, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, repeated his message to MEPs that the digital sector was vital to the European economy. He called for barriers preventing the single digital market from working to be scrapped and for an appropriate framework to be introduced that would attract investment into the telecommunications sector. The digital single market will not, however, be exempt from current tax rules in force and the Commission president announced the setting up on 22 October of a group of experts charged with assessing the most appropriate fiscal measures for the digital economy. This group will produce a report by the summer next year. The digital single market will also be subject to European values on fundamental rights and the framework will have to be devised in a way that promotes data protection and the protection of privacy, explained Barroso. The leader of the S&D at the EP, Hannes Swoboda from Austria, said that it was nonsense that, on the one hand ,the European Council said that it wanted to support the digital economy but that, on the other, it was drastically reducing the budget planned for the connecting Europe facility. The latter is supposed to help fund new generation infrastructure networks in the telecoms sector (see EUROPE 10784). Swoboda emphasised that “innovation must be a key priority of European funding, but we need action and not just words from heads of state and government. Innovation and the digital economy are essential for our overall economy: this is where the most new jobs can be created”. In his letter of invitation, the president of the Council, Herman Van Rompuy, asserted that “a truly single digital market would make a considerable contribution to growth and job creation in our countries and will be vital for Europe to regain a global lead in these sectors”. He called for firm commitment on three key points: promoting new investment, developing a consumer- and enterprise-friendly market and improving digital skills. (IL/transl.fl)