During the 177th meeting of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) bureau, which took place in Tallin on Friday 1 September, the new CoR president, Karl-Heinz Lambertz, announced the launch of a broadband platform on 12 October.
This platform launch is expected to be attended by Mariya Gabriel, the new commissioner for the digital economy and society. It aims to enhance cooperation between public and private actors who invest in broadband, as well as measure more effectively the action undertaken at national level in an attempt to reduce regional disparities.
The initiative was warmly welcomed by Lambertz, who said that “digital Europe” represents a real social change and that “the European digital divide” has to be reabsorbed. He further explained that “the Union must invest if it is to ensure that no local organisation is left out, and guarantee that everyone has access to broadband internet as a means of minimising the digital divide”.
It should be pointed out that the Commission announced the launch of this platform in September 2016 as part of a range of initiatives (see EUROPE 11624). The platform was initially expected to be launched last February but was postponed following the departure of the former digital commissioner, Günther Oettinger. Platform management is expected to be shared between the Commission and the CoR.
Digital issues have been included in all political agendas since Estonia took up the reins of the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU. It was quick to request an opinion last spring from the CoR on a question of digital innovation in the public sector. The opinion is expected to be adopted at the end of the month at the social policy, education, employment, research and culture committee (SEDEC) at the CoR. It will then be put to vote during the December plenary. (Original version in French Pascal Hansens)