- eco congratulates the new German Minister of Digitalisation, Karsten Wildberger
- Top five agenda for a Digital Germany 2030
- Ministry of Digitalisation needs clear responsibilities, leadership for key digital policy areas, and its own digital budget
eco – Association of the Internet Industry congratulates the designated Minister of Digitalisation and State Modernisation, Dr. Karsten Wildberger. The German government’s announcement that it will create an independent “Ministry of Digitalisation and State Modernisation” is an important political signal for the digital transformation of Germany as a business location, according to eco Association. However, the key to change will be the concrete design of the new ministry in terms of responsibilities, competencies and budget. From the eco Association’s point of view, a fundamental prerequisite for the impact of a new Ministry of Digitalisation is that it must be able to take the lead in shaping digital policy. eco has formulated five core tasks that the Ministry of Digitalisation should tackle as a matter of priority in the new legislative period.
“I wish the designated Minister of Digitalisation every success in his new position. He faces the major task of positioning Germany as a sovereign and competitive digital location,” says eco Chair of the Board, Oliver Süme. The first step now is to equip the new ministry with the necessary powers and resources to act effectively. “The new Ministry of Digitalisation has the potential to give the digital transformation and the Internet economy in Germany a tremendous boost. But what matters is not the label, but the mandate. The Ministry of Digitalisation needs clear responsibilities, leadership for key digital policy initiatives and a relevant digital budget,” Süme goes on to say. Anything less would be mere symbolic politics that would not move Germany’s digital landscape forward. It is unfortunate that the coalition agreement presented by the CDU/CSU and SPD remains unclear on this issue, as it does on many other fundamental digital policy issues, Süme continues. The new Ministry of Digitalisation must quickly clarify these gaps.
eco: Top five agenda for the new Ministry of Digitalisation
Based on the coalition agreement, eco has drawn up a list of five digital policy tasks for the new Ministry of Digitalisation:
- Present an ambitious digital strategy: In order to make the Ministry of Digitalisation successful and results-oriented, an interdepartmental strategic vision for “Digital Germany 2030” is needed, based on the coalition agreement and validated through dialogue with society and the economy. This vision centrally defines important content priorities and milestones in various digital policy aspects for politicians and administrators, setting measurable benchmarks.
- Modernise digital administration: The plans announced in the coalition agreement for modernising administration sound promising. However, no new initiatives for the field of digital administration have been announced. Nor are any concrete indications given as to when the modernisation of registers will be completed or when digital-only implementation is to take place. The digital execution of administrative services must become standard, but clear targets and the necessary financial and human resources are still missing. The use of AI can also help to speed up processes. However, the proposed measures must be backed up by binding goals and the necessary financial and human resources. In addition, eco believes that the binding nature of digital administration must be strengthened by a legal right to digital administration.
- Enhance cybersecurity: The focus should primarily be on implementing existing EU regulations. A clear division of roles and responsibilities in cybersecurity issues is welcome, as is the strengthening of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the planned expansion of the BSI into a central office for information and cybersecurity. The Ministry of Digitalisation must now define what this will look like in concrete terms.
- Strengthen resilient AI location in Germany: The Ministry of Digitalisation must ensure that the AI Act is implemented in an innovation-friendly manner, reduce burdens for companies, and specifically provide targeted support for SMEs and start-ups. This includes expanding a resilient ecosystem for digital infrastructures, competitive location conditions for data centres, and the targeted promotion of AI training capacities. From the perspective of the Internet Industry, additional liability regulations for AI should not be introduced.
- Ensure legal certainty in data and digital legislation – prevent data retention: The Ministry of Digitalisation should fundamentally advocate for a reliable legal framework in data and digital legislation. A good approach could be the planned Data Code. Excessive surveillance measures such as indiscriminate data retention undermine trust and security on the Internet. Instead, the Ministry of Digitalisation should work to strengthen law enforcement agencies through better technical equipment and more personnel.
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