European Commission Outlines Digital Agenda

May 19, 2010 World Screen
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BRUSSELS: The European Commission has unveiled its Digital Agenda to drive the use of new technologies, with plans to simplify copyright clearance and cross-border licensing and foster investment into high-speed Internet networks.

"We must put the interests of Europe’s citizens and businesses at the forefront of the digital revolution and so maximize the potential of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to advance job creation, sustainability and social inclusion," said Neelie Kroes, the Commission’s VP for the Digital Agenda. "The ambitious strategy set out today shows clearly where we need to focus our efforts in the years to come. To fully realize the potential of Europe’s digital future we need the full commitment of Member States, the ICT sector and other vital economic players."

The Agenda identifies seven goals. Among them is the creation of a single EU online market—at present, the Commission says, access is being hampered to pan-European telecoms services, digital services and content. "Today there are four times as many music downloads in the U.S. as in the EU because of the lack of legal offers and fragmented markets.” The Agenda continues: “A pan-European online music and video store would have to negotiate rights individually with different rights management bodies for each of the 27 Member States.” With no legal route to access content in some markets, the Agenda adds, “pirated content circulates much more freely.”

The Commission intends to open up access to legal online content by simplifying copyright clearance, management and cross-border licensing.

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The Agenda also sets a 2020 target for all European citizen to be able to access Internet speeds of 30 Mbps or faster; with half having access to Internet speeds of 100 Mbps or faster. Today only 1 percent of Europeans have a fast fibre-based Internet connection, while some 30 percent of Europeans have never used the Internet.

Philippe Delusinne, the president of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT), and the CEO of RTL Belgium, welcomed the Digital Agenda, calling it an "ambitious roadmap for action in the mid- and long-term." He added: "Europe’s broadcasters are already embracing the challenges of innovation and investment in legal offers, with no fewer than 720 on-demand services now offering audiovisual content in Europe alongside a total of 7,200 European television channels at the end of 2009. In other words, we are responding to the fast pace of technological change and a challenging economic environment. Above all, we need to be clear that this debate is not about the pipes, it is rather about the content which flows down the pipes –it is great content, not great software engineering, which makes the Digital Agenda attractive to European consumers."