Brussels, 07/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - Andrus Ansip, the candidate for the post of European Commission vice-president in charge of the digital single market, came through his hearing with members of the European Parliament in convincing manner on Monday evening 6 October. Patently very much in control of his brief, the former Estonian prime minister responded in detail to the questions put by the MEPs on the various aspects of his portfolio, following on from a very clear and complete exposition of his priorities. With the commissioners whose work he will oversee, Ansip will ensure that “we think digital in every proposal”, stating: “I hope to forge a brilliant digital future in Europe”. His candidacy was unanimously approved the following day, Tuesday 7 October, by the hearing committees - IMCO, LIBE and ITRE.
For Ansip, the bases of the digital economy should be the needs and rights of consumers, with great attention paid to data security, since the confidence of citizens is crucial to its operation. These are “the cornerstone of any digital economy. … There have to be the same freedoms and protection on- and off-line”, he said, stating that he would focus particularly on finalisation of data protection rules over the next six months, with the support of the commissioner-candidate for justice, consumers and gender equality, Vera Jourová. “I will do my best to find the right solution for citizens”, he declared, laying great emphasis on the confidence of citizens in the digital environment. He then detailed the key points of the operation of a real digital single market.
Cybersecurity and cybercrime. The member states alone cannot respond to the ever increasing and ever more serious threats to digital networks, Ansip underlined, quoting statistics to press home his point: in 2012, 76% of SMEs and 93% of large businesses suffered a breach of their digital environment. Between 2012 and 2013, cyber-attacks increased by 48%, corresponding to some 120,000 attacks per day in the EU. “I will strengthen Europe's ability to resist”, Ansip promised, adding that the NIS directive on network security has to be put in place.
Electronic commerce. If e-commerce made up 15% of retail sales, the EU would increase its annual growth by 1.7%; the current figure stands at 5%, stated Ansip, lamenting the barriers that still prevent consumers from online purchases outside their own member state because of differing existing laws and the lack of transparency in the rules. Adding that copyright was subject to similar questions, the commissioner-candidate stressed that he would ensure that “consumers have access to content cross-border”. Furthermore, for better, quicker, more transparent and less expensive resolution of online disputes, Ansip announced his intention of setting up an online dispute platform by 2016.
Roaming - 4G. “I will get rid of telephone roaming charges”, Ansip indicated. He also expressed criticism of the lack of 4G infrastructure in the EU, where only 25% of the total population and 4% of the rural population have access to 4G when, in the United States, it is over 90%. “The market has to be less fragmented to encourage demand and ensure that the private sector makes the necessary investment”, he said.
Digital employment. Demand for digital employment is growing by 4% per year: by 2020, the EU will have 900,000 job vacancies. “The effect of the digital economy on labour cannot be under-estimated”, said Ansip, hailing the successful European start-ups. “The EU has the ability. We can lead the way” but the market is fragmented and that affects competitiveness, he added.
E-government. Ansip would like to see a situation where public administrations are “paperless”, in order to reduce costs, to make life easier for citizens and to increase transparency. He said that the European Commission had to lead the way by accepting electronic tenders and invoices by 2015. Similarly, electronic signatures had to become current before the end of this term of office, he added.
Data protection was a matter of keen interest among MEPs, Marie-Christine Vergiat (GUE, France) in particular. Data protection is an absolute, it is THE priority, said Ansip, underlining how crucial this principle is in the e-health sector, for instance. Addressing the issue of the Safe Harbor agreement with the United States, Ansip opined that it was no longer a certainty. “If the US government does not make a clear statement, we will have to consider suspending it”, he threatened. When asked by Julia Reda (Greens/EFA, Germany): “What is your definition of net neutrality?” Ansip said that it was “essential. … Internet traffic must be governed in the same way and no one must be able to abuse his dominant position”. He added that he was in favour of including net neutrality in legislation (our translation throughout). (IL)