A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe (Tracking European Commission priority initiatives in 2015 – No.3)

The European Commission has proposed a new strategy to create a fully integrated Digital Single Market (DSM), in order to gradually bring down the remaining obstacles and move from 28 national markets to a single one. The strategy comprises a mix of legislative and non-legislative initiatives to be tabled by the end of 2016. It is centred on three pillars: improving access to digital goods and services for consumers and businesses, creating the conditions for digital networks and services to prosper, and maximising the growth potential of the digital economy.

The European Parliament has been a long-standing advocate of ending the current fragmentation of the European market and utilising the full potential of an integrated digital market which would create jobs and growth in the EU. Implementation of the new strategy will require a number of new pieces of EU legislation to be adopted by the European Parliament and Council under the ordinary legislative procedure.

Experts, digital industry, businesses and consumers have generally welcomed the strategy, but some argued that it needs more clarity and that it does not sufficiently cover all obstacles to the fully integrated DSM. Many stakeholders are also expecting difficult negotiations among the Member States.

Written by Marcin Szczepański.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: A Digital Single Market for Europe: Commission sets out 16 initiatives to make it happen http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-a-digital-single-market-for-europe-commission-sets-out-16-initiatives-to-make-it-happen/

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