Tomorrow, EU President Ursula von der Leyen is set to present her new European Commission. In anticipation of this, eco – Association of the Internet Industry is calling for a stronger focus on digital policy and the expansion of Europe’s digital infrastructure. For Oliver Süme, eco Chair of the Board, a strong European digital single market is crucial to ensure the global competitiveness of Germany and Europe: “In the coming years, European digital policy must be consistently strengthened to secure Europe’s global competitiveness,” says Süme. He calls for clear political framework conditions that promote innovation and create a unified legal framework: Only in this way can digitalisation be sustainably driven forward across all economic sectors.
Consistently apply European regulation
The transposition of existing European laws, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), is now pending in the Member States, while the AI Act and the Data Act will only be applied in the next 6 to 36 months. eco emphasises that the impact of these fundamental regulations at the national level must first be closely examined before additional new measures are taken. “Companies need a stable and reliable legal framework and not a constant stream of new regulations that create uncertainties and hinder innovation,” says Süme. Continuously new legislative initiatives would place an additional burden on companies and restrict their ability to act. For the Internet industry, it is crucial that Europe provides clarity and consistency in this area.
Expand European infrastructure and technological sovereignty
In addition to a stable regulatory framework, the expansion of digital infrastructures is also essential for Europe’s future. From eco’s perspective, interoperable data spaces, gigabit networks, secure cloud solutions and powerful data centres are crucial to remaining competitive in key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). “Europe must not risk falling behind in future technologies. Only with strong infrastructures can Europe secure its digital sovereignty,” Süme goes on to say.
Understanding the digital single market as the key to competitiveness
For the Internet industry, the digital single market is the key to the successful digitalisation across all EU Member States. This is not only about competition and the market, but also about addressing global challenges such as climate change. The new EU Commission must act decisively here and reduce bureaucracy, as well as effectively driving forward digitalisation.
