A new start for Europe: a connected Digital Single Market

On 15 July 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker was elected President of the European Commission by a strong majority of votes in the European Parliament plenary session. Juncker was elected on the presentation of his political guidelines for the next European Commission set out in the document titled: A New Start for Europe: My Agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change. Juncker focusses on delivering concrete results in ten key policy areas, a primary one of which is a connected Digital Single Market for Europe.

Juncker plans to take “ambitious legislative steps towards a connected digital single market” by breaking down national silos in the areas of telecoms regulation, copyright, data protection, spectrum management and in the application of competition law. He has boldly indicated that, within the next six months, he will take the following steps to achieve this aim:

1. Conclude negotiations on common European data protection rules;

2. Reform telecoms regulation, including with respect to eliminating mobile phone roaming charges within Europe;

3. Update copyright regulation in light of changed consumer behaviour, including with respect to accessing digital content on electronic devices irrespective of borders within Europe; and

4. Simplify consumer regulation for online and digital purchases.

If his aim is achieved, Juncker predicts Europe will benefit from €250 billion of additional growth under his mandate, with the prospects of increased employment and a boost in the creation of innovative start-ups.

The proposed reforms are by no means new concepts being brought to the negotiating tables; they were prefigured in the Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe which was originally launched in May 2010 and reviewed in December 2012. Achieving all of the goals of the Digital Agenda is aspirational at present, but Juncker has committed to attaining a considerable sub-set of these. Six months is a long time in the technology world, but a very short time in the world of legislative reform. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how many of these shiny new toys Juncker will deliver to the European people in time for Christmas.