Digital Single Market: Commission calls for swift adoption of key proposals and maps out challenges ahead

Having reached the middle of its mandate, the Commission published today the mid-term review of its Digital Single Market strategy. It takes stock of the progress made and calls on co-legislators to swiftly act on all proposals already presented. The focus is now on obtaining political agreements with the European Parliament and the Council on all proposals, above all the updated EU telecoms rules which will boost investments in high-speed and quality networks, which are indispensable for the full deployment of the digital economy and society. The Commission has also identified three main areas where further EU action is needed: (1) to develop the European Data Economy to its full potential, (2) to protect Europe’s assets by tackling cybersecurity challenges, and (3) to promote the online platforms as responsible players of a fair internet ecosystem. Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market said: “The Commission has lived up to its promise and presented all main initiatives for building a Digital Single Market. Now, the European Parliament and Member States need to adopt these proposals as soon as possible, for new jobs, business and innovation to take off across Europe. Two years on, we propose to update our strategy to reflect new challenges and technologies. We need cyber-secure infrastructure across all parts of the EU so that everyone – everywhere – can enjoy high-speed connectivity safely. We have already agreed on strong EU rules for personal data protection; we now need to make sure that non-personal data can flow freely to assist connected cars and eHealth services. We need high-performance computing along with a digitally skilled workforce to make the most out of the data economy. All these areas are essential for Europe’s digital future.” More details can be found in the press release and MEMO.