Speeding up Europe: Towards a digital single market

Past event

Digital & Data Governance

25Mar2014

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Summary

In order to enhance its global competitiveness and respond to growing industry and consumer demands, the creation of a European digital single market is a necessary step forward for the EU.

“We need a single telecom market in Europe by the end of this year and have it as a key element of the overall strategy for the EU’s new mandate,” stressed Robert Madelin, European Commission Director General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology.

About

The creation of a genuine European digital single market by 2015 is a top priority for the European Union. It promises not only to be a boon for the telecoms industry and consumers, it will also improve productivity and contribute to increasing Europe’s medium to long term competitiveness. Crucially, it will also create jobs and, according to some estimates, lead to a 1% increase in Europe’s GDP per year. However, once regarded as a leader in ICT investments, mobile industry and broadband speed, Europe has now been left in the dust by the United States and Asia. A key problem is that Europe’s telecoms sector is very fragmented, with more than 100 operators in 28 countries, diverging national rules and broadband deployment, heterogeneous prices, network access fees and radio spectrum allocations.

Schedule

What are the main challenges facing the telecoms sector, will the decline in roaming-linked revenues for companies threaten their capacity to invest? What barriers still block integration of the market and further investments in ICT, networks and innovation, and what sort of regulatory framework is needed? How should the digital economy be taxed without hindering growth? Shall we safeguard net neutrality?

Speakers

Pilar del Castillo Vera

Member of the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)

Robert Madelin

European Commission Director General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology

Joe McNamee

Executive Director of European Digital Rights

Adrian Whitchurch

Vice President of European Affairs for BT

Moderator

Giles Merritt

Founder of Friends of Europe

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Speakers

In the European Parliament, Pilar del Castillo Vera co-chairs the Artificial Intelligence and Digital Intergroup and serves as a member of the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age. She has been the European Parliament’s rapporteur on a number of significant files – ranging from the Telecoms Single Market Regulation to the report on a Cloud Computing Strategy for Europe. Prior to being elected to the European Parliament, she was the Spanish minister of education and culture. Del Castillo is also the Chair of the European Internet Forum and Vice President of the European Energy Forum.

Robert Madelin is the Director General responsible for managing the European Commission’s digital agenda. The main task of DG Connect is to help harness information and communications technologies in order to create jobs and generate economic growth. His previous positions in the European Commission included Director General for Health and Consumer Policies and Director for Trade.

With a wide experience gained as a consultant to a variety of internet companies and organisations, McNamee is now Executive Director of European Digital Rights, a civil society organisation to promote, protect and uphold civil rights in the field of information and communication technology. His areas of expertise are copyright, data protection, data retention, net neutrality, web blocking and intermediary liability.

BT Group is a British multinational telecommunications services company, operating in around 170 countries and providing fixed-line services, broadband, mobile and TV products and services as well as networked IT services. Adrian Whitchurch heads the company’s Brussels Office, representing BT’s interests in ICT and Telecoms Policy. He was previously involved in the regulatory set-up of BT’s business operations across Europe.