Brussels, 18/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - Ten business leaders from large European companies in the telecommunications, internet, television and music sector (Thomson, O2, Tiscali, Tele2, EMI Music, Vivendi Universal, Fastweb, France Telecom Home Entertainment, BBC, BT Group) met in London on 9 July, together with the European Commission, the British EU Council Presidency and representatives of the forthcoming Austrian and Finnish Presidencies, in order to reflect on ways to give fresh impetus to the emerging “digital economy” in Europe, whose development is a potential source of growth and jobs. Together they decided to collaborate on the basis of an “agenda for unlocking Europe's Digital Economy”. This agenda mainly includes: - (1) promotion of media content markets through effective rights protection, licensing arrangements and encouraging legitimate use of content; for this, the industry will seek to agree on a European Charter “Content Online & IPR” by May 2006; - (2) an appropriate and proportionate modernisation of single market rules on audio visual content; - (3) stimulation of investments in new broadband networks (fixed and mobile), advanced applications and content-rich services and promotion of competition through a full and effective implementation of the EU electronic communications regulatory framework; - (4) greater efficiency and policy coordination on the use of and trade with radio spectrum in Europe; - (5) easy access for users to content and services through secure and interoperable software and services; - and (6) investing in private and prioritising public research and development on ICT.
In a joint declaration, the business leaders welcomed the European Commission's response to these challenges given in its new initiative 'i2010 - a European Information Society for Growth and Jobs”. “If we want the growth that this sector can deliver we have to create a single European information economy, with a consistent, light-touch legal framework that is free from artificial barriers to competition and the provision of services”, Commissioner Viviane Reding said. According to the British minister responsible for industry and the regions, Alun Michael: “If people are to benefit from the potential the digital economy offers, we need to ensure we are in a position to exploit that potential in terms of growth and jobs”. The next initiatives to be proposed by the Commission in its “i2010” roadmap will, in September, be a strategy for making the use of spectrum more efficient, including by means of radio spectrum trading and, in December, a proposal for a directive on a modern and flexible framework for the provision of audiovisual content services in Europe.