European leaders are calling for a European strategy to complete the single digital market but many of them are unaware that it is their own respective ministers who are blocking adoption of the most recent proposals.
This is how, on Tuesday 15 May, Vice President Jyrki Katainen presented the European Commission's contribution to the informal dinner of heads of state and government on Wednesday 16 May in Sofia (see other article), which will partly focus on the theme of research and innovation.
The “Completing a trusted Digital Single Market for all” document puts the emphasis on data protection. The Cambridge Analytica scandal makes this a prerequisite.
In an epigraph, the text highlights article 7 and 8 from the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and an extract from the speech on the state of the union made by the President of European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, in September 2017 (see EUROPE 11861). The Commission has cast itself in the role of the great protector of private life and is delighted with the entry into application of its general regulation on data protection in 10 days' time, although it recognises that few member states are prepared (see other separate article).
12 out of 29 legislative initiatives
On 25 April, the European Commission presented the final chapter of its single digital market strategy.
Since the initial presentation of the strategy in 2015, 29 legislative proposals have been put on the table but only 12 of them have so far been adopted.
The Commission explains that “Step by step, the single digital market is extending its advantages to citizens and EU companies”. It adds that “an additional effort is needed to conclude the negotiations on the proposals still pending and respond to the European Council’s objective of concluding the single digital market strategy by the end of 2018”.
In this context, the Commission is calling on the Council to reach an agreement as soon as possible on the regulation on the confidentiality of electronic communications “so that the negotiations with Parliament can begin in June 2018” (see EUROPE 12016). It is also calling on the leaders to provide strategic orientations on: investment requirements for artificial intelligence, 5G and high-performance computing; digital skills; proposals on the free flow of data and the electronic communications code (see EUROPE 12013, 11978). The proposals still pending - such as the SatCab and copyright reform - were due to be adopted before the end of 2017 (see EUROPE 12004, 12011).
The discussion by the heads of state and government will take place during a dinner in Sofia organised by the President of the Council, Donald Tusk, ahead of the EU/Western Balkans Summit (see other article). The subjects on the dinner agenda include digital policy and innovation, even though the EU28 are also expected to tackle the issue of the Iranian nuclear agreement and trade with the US.
For further information: https://bit.ly/2rFS380 (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)