Brussels, 07/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - The Digital Strategy has provoked huge interest among all the different actors concerned. The European institutions, consumers, industry and the lobbies are scrutinising the substance of the proposals presented by the European Commission on Wednesday (see EUROPE 11309). The European Parliament warmly welcomed the strategy and described it as a “necessary” project that would help build trust in the online world, stimulate growth and protect the rights of citizens, creators and enterprise. The Chairpersons of the three committees that will be working hard on the proposal replied using the following terms:
Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland), the chair of the ITRE Committee, said that Europe had to become a world leader again in the ICT field. He also said that it was necessary to update the rules applicable to the telecommunications sector and to do everything possible to manage the transition towards the 4.0. industry. He also explained that provisions for strengthening cyber security were also crucial. Vicky Ford (ECR, United Kingdom), the chairperson of the IMCO Committee, said that the Commission was going in the right direction to break down the barriers and the unnecessary administrative burden. Nonetheless, she believes that it could have gone further towards helping facilitate trade. She is also calling for new legislation to be carefully devised, as well is in the details. Pavel Svoboda (EPP, Czech Republic), the chair of the JURI Committee, highlighted the need to revise copyright. He explained that the Parliamentary committee had already discussed certain specific questions (regarding the draft report by Julia Reda, Greens/EFA, Germany). Svoboda would also like a balanced update of the framework to satisfy the expectations of both consumers and creators.
The EU Committee of the Regions (CoR) regrets “That the proposals ignore the importance of local and regional governments in delivering broadband infrastructure as well as their role in e-government and boosting big data to improve public and private services”. The CoR believes that there is not enough ambition to tackle the regulatory fragmentation between the member states. It is also calling for more concrete action regarding new investment.
France has been particularly active in defending copyright in the strategy but Fleur Pellerin, the French minister for culture and communication, also “welcomes the progress” made on certain aspects in the debate, particularly clarification of the status of technical intermediaries and greater respect for copyright. She also welcomes the determination to tackle the problem caused by the disparity in VAT rates for material and digital books and modernising European audiovisual policy. On the other hand, she would like to have seen greater ambition shown regarding the development of the cultural industries and is hoping that with regard to the investigation announced for the platforms, “the regulatory approach will be sufficient to the task”.
Telecom operators want adapted concrete measures
Network operators represented by Etno have welcomed a strategy that prioritises digital networks and investment. They are calling for swift and urgent action by way of a thoroughgoing reform of the telecommunications framework, greater regulatory harmonisation and the removal of barriers to investments in the networks. In the field of spectrum radio, Etno is calling for concrete results in coordination and access areas for mobile communications and the necessary frequencies for them. In this perspective, Etno is also calling for concrete proposals to introduce 700 MHZ frequencies in a coordinated way for cordless broadband services. Mobile operators represented by the GSMA are also calling for concrete and modern measures to encourage investment in the mobile networks and a recalibration of the regulatory measures with the same rules applied to the services provided, irrespective of the technology used. GSMA is also encouraging a co-ordinated spectrum policy for mobile services. Other operators represented by ECTA are highlighting the fact that competition is the best way of “providing affordable services, innovation and choice”. They are calling on the Commission to maintain the regulation necessary to enable alternative operators to compete on a level playing field with incumbent network operators, together with zero tolerance for monopoly or duopoly situations in the new networks. ECTA emphasises that regulatory reform must focus on the removal of obsolete and inefficient rules by strengthening pro-competitive principles.
The cable operators represented by Cable Europe are calling for action that acknowledges the cluster of different technologies and which therefore maintains a technologically neutral approach, without hindering innovation and investment. One of the essential challenges facing the sector is creating a legislative framework that satisfies new customers by promoting new services. This framework should be able to guarantee the portability of content, whilst protecting the current model of remuneration in the creative industries.
Net industry and free Internet activists recommend optimum caution
Openforum Europe defends free website access and believes that certain proposals could have been more ambitious to ensure that consumers and enterprise are able to optimise their benefits from a genuinely digital single market. They believe that the copyright framework should be more flexible and neutrality rules should guarantee an open Internet ecosystem. DigitalEurope defends the interests of the European digital industry and considers that the Commission has correctly identified the challenges that need to be met in the transition to the digital economy, such as the essential role played by Big Data, the cross-border circulation of data and a coordinated spectrum policy. According to those working in the digital field, it is necessary to improve technological capacity in Europe, without veering towards protectionism and resisting the temptation to regulate in areas where more flexible approaches are possible, whilst maintaining the ultimate strategy objective in sight, namely promoting growth and job creation. The European Committee for Interoperable Systems (ECIS) is involved in promoting an interoperable ICT solutions friendly environment and welcomes an Internet based on the free cross-border movement of data that promotes competitiveness. This organisation is also requesting a cautious approach in the adoption of new regulations that can limit the freedom to innovate. Finally, EDIMA, which represents online platforms, is also calling for maximum caution when it comes to regulating the online arena, which it describes as a particularly shifting and fragile ecosystem. It argues that any change should be made in favour of users and enterprise.
Consumers expect their needs to be promoted
The European Consumers Organisation (BEUC) has welcomed the Commission's goal to put consumers at the heart of its project because this reform affects key questions related to their interests. It has significant expectations to ensure that the future digital single market genuinely ensures that consumers' needs are a priority.
Monique Goyens, the director of BEUC, stated, “we welcome this ambitious strategy that seeks to boost consumers' confidence when making online purchases by improving access to goods, services and digital content in the four corners of the EU. This strategy will only bear fruit if the market becomes more competitive and that there is strong consumer protection. When these projects are implemented, consumers' needs will be promoted”.
To achieve this aim, Beuc is seeking: - a ban on discrimination against consumers that want to make purchases in countries other than their own and the removal of geo-blocking, which is “the antithesis of the single market concept”; -that Europe tackles the problem of fees for private copy by urgently harmonising copyright laws in an effort to modernise content use; -the creation of a single telecommunications market, without which a digital single market cannot exist. Goyens stressed that “more measures are necessary to introduce net neutrality in Europe, abolish roaming costs and stimulate competition between network providers”; - guaranteeing consumer rights when making online purchases. In this connection, Beuc is pleased that the strategy seeks to harmonise certain digital consumer laws and similarly to E-commerce Europe, considers that “harmonisation is the best solution”.
Interoperability standards required. ANEC represents consumers in the field of European standardisation and welcomes the emphasis on interoperability in the future digital market but regrets that determination was lacking when it came to increasing the cross border protection of consumers through better standards. ANEC Secretary-General, Stephen Russell, said: “In our view, if the DSM is to bring added value for consumers, there is need for standards that address issues such as safety, data protection & security, interoperability and - above all - accessibility for all. It is equally vital that standards elaborated for ICT products and services take the consumer view into account”. His organisation is demanding that the EU strikes the right balance between patents and standards. (Isabelle Lamberty and Aminata Niang)