1. A Digital Agenda for Europe
Ken Ducatel
Head of Unit
DG Information Society & Media
European Commission
Regions for Economic Change
21 May 2010

2. The 7 challenges of the Digital Agenda
Fragmented digital markets
Lack of interoperability
Rising cybercrime and low trust in networks
Lack of investment in networks
Insufficient research and innovation efforts
Lack of digital literacy and skills
Fragmented answers to societal challenges

3. Virtuous cycle of the digital economy

4. 1. Fragmented digital markets (i)

5. 1. Fragmented digital markets (ii)
Only 8% of online shoppers online buy from another country
60% of cross-border internet shopping orders fail due to technical or legal reasons
Online Purchasing
Cross-border Online Purchasing
Source: Eurostat, ICT surveys. Reference year: 2008
Estimated value of online transactions: more than 100 billion €
••• 5 5

6. 2. Lack of interoperability
Weaknesses in standard setting, public procurement and coordination between public authorities means that ICT products and services do not work together as they should.
Internet is the best example of the power of technical interoperability
Europe needs to catch up with fast-moving technology markets
Main findings:
OFE has monitored public procurement notices for computer software published on Tenders
Electronic Daily. 136 contact notices were scanned for trademarks in the period from February 1
to April 25, OFE's monitoring exercise shows that in 34 tender notices out of 136 (25
percent), trademarks were mentioned in procurement documents. In 17 cases (12.5 percent),
tender notices mentioned Microsoft or one of Microsoft’s products.

7. 3. Rising cybercrime and risk of low trust in networks
80 to 98 % of all circulating traffic are spam
Cyber attacks increasing and often motivated by financial or even political purposes
Europeans will not embrace technology they do not trust
Estonia, Lethonia, Georgia

8. 4. Lack of investment in networks
Figure 4: Fibre to the Home (FTTH) penetration in July 2009

9. 5. Insufficient research and innovation efforts
Total ICT R&D spending in billion € (2007)

10. Regular Internet use in EU regions (2009)

11. 6. Lack of digital literacy skills
1/3rd Europeans never used the internet
Income, age and education all play a role
While widespread broadband has stimulated an increasing use of the internet, 30% of EU population in 2009 has never used the internet. In particular, the old, the economically inactive and low educated remain to a large extent digitally excluded.
Income is not the only factor explaining barriers in broadband and internet take up. Younger and higher educated users are more likely to be frequent users.
The slide shows that the use of the internet decreases with age and, within age groups, internet users are those with higher education.
Skills in education and professional life are an important element of an inclusive information society.

12. Digital skills distribution in EU regions (2009)

13. 7. Missed opportunities in addressing societal challenges
Almost 20% of electricity consumption worldwide is used for lighting. About 70% of this (14% of total emissions) can be saved by using ICT-controlled low energy lighting
MS are adopting diverging and non interoperable e-Health solutions
Complexity in the licensing system hinders digitisation of Europe’s recent cultural heritage
In 2009, only 38% of EU citizens used the internet for accessing eGovernment services, compared to 72% of businesses.

14. The Digital Agenda and Regions
ICTs as a general platform for innnovation and economic development
ICTs for tackling societal issues - ageing, health care delivery, reducing carbon footprint
ICTs for inclusion and participation - based on digital literacy
ICTs for efficient and open government
Ultrafast broadband a key enabler of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

15. Economic Growth: A vibrant Digital Single Market:
Opening up access to content: by simplifying copyright clearance, management and licensing.
Making online and cross border transactions straightforward.
Building digital confidence: strengthen citizens' rights and enhance their digital awareness and confidence e.g. by
Issuing a digital code summarising the rights of citizens in the online world in a clear and accessible way.
Proposing an EU-wide online dispute resolution system for eCommerce transactions, so that consumers know where to go when things go wrong
Reinforcing the single market for telecommunications services

16. Interoperability for innovation, growth & open and efficient government services
Boost competitiveness and innovation by enhancing interoperability of devices, applications, data repositories, services and networks by ….
Promoting interoperability between e-administrations by adopting European Interoperability Strategy and Frameworks in 2010
Issuing guidance on the link between ICT standardisation and public procurement so as to promote efficiency and reduce technological lock-in.

17. ICT for enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion
Background or skills should not be a barrier to taking part in the Digital Society. But today, 30% of Europeans have never used the internet, while Europe could lack 700,000 IT jobs by 2015.
To tackle these problems, the Digital agenda will:
Propose digital literacy and competences as a priority of the European Social Fund.
Propose by 2012 an EU-wide certificate for e-skills, like the common “EUROPASS” CV classification,
Take measures to ensure that websites providing public services are accessible to all citizens, including the elderly and persons with disabilities.

18. 7. ICT-enabled benefits for EU society
Help Europe face challenges such as supporting an ageing society, climate change, improving transportation efficiency and mobility, empowering patients and ensuring the inclusion of persons with disabilities:
Ensure adoption by 2011 of a common methodology for the ICT sector to report its greenhouse gas emissions
Set-up wide-scale pilot actions to give Europeans secure online access to their medical health.
Define a minimum set of health information to increase safety and medical assistance to Europeans, for instance in an emergency abroad,.
Propose a sustainable financing model for the EU public digital library Europeana to improve online access to the European cultural heritage.
Make e-Government an everyday convenience for European citizens and businesses by establishing a list of common cross-border services that allow businesses and citizens to operate independently or live anywhere in the EU.

19. 4. Ultrafast broadband a key enabler of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth
The Europe 2020 initiative has set the target of bringing:
“basic broadband to all Europeans by 2013 and to ensure that, by 2020, (i) all Europeans have access to much higher internet speeds of above 30 Mbps and (ii) 50% or more of European households subscribe to internet connections above 100 Mbps.”
To get us on track for these targets the Commission will adopt a broadband package in 2010 to :
lay out a common framework for actions at EU and Member State level,
explore how to attract capital for investments through credit enhancement (backed by the EIB and EU funds),
open the way to stimulate wireless broadband in the EU through an ambitious European Spectrum Policy Programme for efficient radio spectrum management
encourage investment in competitive Next Generation Access networks by issuing clear regulatory guidance.
February 12, 2010

20. Key actions for Member States
Developing National Broadband Plans by 2012
Coverage, speed and take-up targets
Measures to facilitate broadband investments
Involving potential investors in civil engineering works
Clearing rights of way
Mapping of passive infrastructure
Better absorption of Structural and Rural Development Funds

21. Structural Funds in ICT
Rolling out broadband and exploiting ICT use in the public and business sectors - is slower than average with uneven performance
General absorption rate of structural funds: 27.1%
Absorption rate for broadband infrastructure: 18.1%
Marked differences exist between convergence and competitiveness regions, with 10% and 59% of the funds allocated to projects respectively,
Absorption rate for ICT applications and services: 22.1%
Differences between convergence and competitiveness regions: SI: 86%, BE: 73%, PT: 47%, PL: 26%