The Digital Agenda presented by the European Commission forms one of the seven pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy which sets objectives for the growth of the European Union (EU) by 2020. The Digital Agenda proposes to better exploit the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in order to foster innovation, economic growth and progress.
The European Commission's Digital Agenda forms one of the seven pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy which sets objectives for the growth of the European Union (EU) by 2020.
The Digital Agenda's main objective is to develop a digital single market in order to generate smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in Europe, and it is made up of seven pillars.
Achieving the digital single market
More and more of us manage our lives online, and we need know that we are fully protected, and we are getting what we expect: high quality service throughout the EU. EU law gives us the right to travel, work or trade anywhere in the EU – whether we're going on holiday or setting up a business – but the Internet does not stop at the border. We should benefit from the best content, deals and services, wherever we are in the EU, without being geo-blocked. Businesses should be able to market and share their bright ideas across the EU. In May 2015 the European Commission will come forward with a Digital Single Market strategy.
Pillar I: Digital Single Market
Too many barriers still block the free flow of online services and entertainment across national borders. The Digital Agenda will update EU Single Market rules for the digital era. The aims are to boost the music download business, establish a single area for online payments, and further protect EU consumers in cyberspace.
Creating a connected digital single market is one of the ten priorities from the President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker. Its completion could generate up to EUR 250 billion of additional growth in Europe in the course of the mandate of the new Commission (2014-2019), thereby creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs, notably for young job-seekers, and a vibrant knowledge-based society. Andrus Ansip is the Vice-President for the Digital Single Market: read his mission letter.
List of Actions
• Action 1: Simplifying pan-European licensing for online works
• Action 2: Preserving orphan works and out of print works
• Action 3: Open up public data resources for re-use
• Action 4: Wide stakeholder debate on further measures to stimulate a European online content market
• Action 5: Simplifying the distribution of creative content
• Action 6: Protecting intellectual property rights online
• Action 7: Fix a date for migration to Single European Payment & eInvoicing
• Action 8: Revision of the eSignature directive
• Action 9: Updating the eCommerce Directive
• Action 10: Member States to implement laws to support the digital single market
• Action 11: Member States to transpose the VAT Directive
• Action 12: Review the EU data protection rules
• Action 13: Complementing the Consumer Rights Directive
• Action 14: Explore the possibilities for Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Action 15: Consult the stakeholders on collective redress
• Action 16: Code of EU online rights
• Action 17: Stakeholder platform for EU online trustmarks
• Action 18: Harmonisation of numbering regimes
• Action 19: Spectrum Policy plan
• Action 20: Investigate the cost of non-Europe in the telecoms market
• Action 101: Look for durable solutions for voice and data roaming by 2012.
• Action 102: Key Transformative Action 1: Copyright – the way forward
• Action 103: Adopt and implement the key digital single market proposals of the Digital Agenda
• Action 104: Follow up on eCommerce Action Plan, Green Paper on payments
• Action 105: Guidelines to correctly implement EU rules on consumer information requirements
• Action 106: VAT reform - align tax rates for digital content and similar physical goods
• Action 107: Proposals to strengthen the data industry in Europe
• Action 108: Green paper on a converged audiovisual world
Enhancing interoperability and standards
The EU must enhance the interoperability of devices, applications, data repositories, services and networks. In order to do this, it is essential that the Commission continues the review of its standard-setting policy. It must also promote appropriate rules for intellectual property rights.