Brussels, 30/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - At their informal meeting in Riga on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 March, competitiveness ministers discussed how the European Union can best seize the opportunities offered by digital technologies to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. European Commission Vice-President with responsibility for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip, Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska and the chair of the European Parliament's IMCO committee, Vicky Ford (ECR, UK) also attended the meeting. “Europe must be competitive if we are to maintain long-term economic growth, the capacity to create new jobs and the standard of living in the EU”, stated Latvian Economy Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola. While citizens and businesses are already seizing the opportunities, “it is now up to decision-makers in Brussels and in EU capitals to act. We need to catch up with the digital economy leaders. We need to make our digital single market a reality - and seamlessly integrate it with our existing single market”, she argued.
Ministers spoke of the obstacles to electronic trade and to other forms of online trade and identified solutions that political decision-makers could apply to prevent and eliminate these obstacles. Four main initiatives were highlighted: 1) addressing regulatory fragmentation when it comes to rights and obligations for consumers and businesses; 2) removing territorial restrictions in online commerce and cross-border portability of purchased content; 3) ensuring fair and open access to the digital environment; 4) ensuring interoperability between digital products and services. Participants also exchanged views on the priorities for the digital transformation of traditional industry and the creation of an appropriate environment for digital entrepreneurship. Some concrete activities and initiatives were highlighted, including proper data protection as a basis for trust when doing business online, standards on systems interoperability and provision of digital training models to ensure a highly skilled workforce. Eurochambres Secretary General Amaldo Abruzzini, who also took part in the meeting, stressed that the principle of free movement that is applied to goods should also apply to the intangible goods that are central to the digital economy. He urged member states to make “a high level of political commitment” and to act swiftly “because the digital economy will not wait for politicians”. (Isabelle Lamberty)