Brussels, 10/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU Commissioner for the Information Society and the Media Viviane Reding considers that, on digital policy, it is high time that Europe lends a more attentive ear to the younger generation and envisages a less technocratic, more subtle strategy which takes account of the aspirations of tomorrow's consumers.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Lisbon Council on Thursday 9 July, Reding set out her desired European strategy, in the short and medium terms, on telecommunications and new information and communication technologies (ICT). “Our policy target is clear: we would like to have internet broadband for all Europeans by 2010. And high-speed internet broadband for all Europeans by 2013,” she said. She sees four steps to be taken over the next few months: 1) bring into force the telecoms package which is currently stopped as a result of the European Parliament veto (see EUROPE 9896). Experts estimate that the present regulatory fragmentation in telecoms costs Europe's businesses €20 billion per year - “a cost factor that, in view of the present crisis, we should eliminate as soon as possible by bringing the reforms into force”; 2) encourage effective competition and sustainable investment in Next Generation Networks, in particular, in fibre networks. The Commission recently published guidelines on this (see EUROPE 9922); 3) make third generation (3G) mobile phones services more attractive in Europe and pave the way for Long Term Evolution (LTE); 4) accelerate the ongoing switchover from analogue to digital TV in Europe in order to free up as quickly as possible part so the spectrum essential for new wireless applications. Highlighting the immense advantages that the European Union would derive from this switchover (between €150 and €200 billion plus €50 million extra if European countries were to coordinate their policies in this area) and the fact that the United States has already made the switch, Reding called on European governments not to await the deadline of 2012 to make the change and announced that there would be a public consultation exercise to determine who best to cooperate on this issue.
Over the coming years, Reding, who hopes to continue as the Telecommunications Commissioner, several sources have indicated, is ambitious. “Europe cannot simply tread water, by simply ensuring sufficient spectrum and modern infrastructures. Would you take a high speed train that isn't going to an exciting destination?” she asked. With the public consultation exercise opening in August in mind, Reding presented the four priority areas she intends to work on over the next five years: 1) making make it easier and more attractive to access digital content. Raising the delicate matter of copyright and free internet access, the Commissioner regretted that the parties had dug themselves in their positions, without any signs of opening from either side. Eurostat figures show that 60% of them have downloaded audiovisual content from the internet in the past months without paying, and 28% state that they would not be willing to pay. These figures, she said, revealed the serious deficiencies of the present system. Unequivocally defending copyright, she nevertheless felt that the current system should take account of the aspirations of young internet users and called on political decision-makers to give consideration to this matter. Two areas were worthy of exploration: a single licence system covering the whole of the EU and drafting rules that encourage the digitisation of books. Drafting rules that would allow authors of books no longer available on the market (90% of books on Europe's national libraries are no longer commercially available) to receive remuneration when their book is consulted online would mean that these authors to be properly remunerated thanks to a digital Europe and would give consumers unique learning material. “If we do not reform our European copyright rules on orphan works and libraries swiftly, digitisation and the development of attractive content offers will not take place in Europe, but on the other side of the Atlantic,” she warned; 2) preparing for a safe and consumer-friendly European space for mobile payments, in order to put in place the safety measures necessary for a form of payment that will become increasing widespread; 3) opening up Europe's digital economy to small businesses by creating a “cloud computing” system, similar to the US system (which allows small businesses to download commercial software at low monthly rates rather than having to buy the software and have it regularly updated); 4) making better use of innovative ICT solutions to meet our objectives of a low-carbon economy for example, by encouraging business people to hold video conferences rather than using air transport to travel to meetings, or further improving the environmental performance of cars. “In view of the economic crisis, wait and see is certainly not an option for Europe. … A generation of high-tech Europeans … can be just around the corner - if we focus our policies on the right priorities. I believe the time for this is now,” she said in conclusion. (I.L./transl.rt)