Conservatives in the European Parliament
Ford: Digital must be integral part of single market
18-Sep-2014 @ 12:0
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Digital technology needs to be at the centre all European
trade – not marginalised as a separate corner of the overall economy.
That is the message to MEPs from Vicky Ford, Conservative
chairman of the European Parliament's Single Market Committee.
In a speech on the digital single market to the House in
Strasbourg she warned: "The digital
economy is no longer a subset of economic activity. Today every market has
digital elements and Europe's single market must not be left behind.
"Unlocking the opportunities of our digital world is
key to delivering jobs and growth."
She pointed out that in the G20 the internet economy is
forecast to grow by 8% every year for the next five, while E-commerce alone
could save our consumers more than €150 billion (£120b) a year.
Burdens on new businesses must be lifted, payment costs cut
and barriers removed to the delivery of goods ordered online.
She stressed consumer confidence and said : "Fraud
prevention, licences, copyright and logistics all need to be addressed. Laws
must prevent abuse by market-dominators but also get the right balance between
traditional operators and over-the-top players.
"If we want to get the best out of e-government,
e-health, e-procurement then we need ICT systems which can talk to each
other.
"Remember, Big Data can bring big benefits. Not only
economically but also to society in sectors like personalised medicines and
health. We do need a data protection package but it needs to be one that is not
only pro-individuals, but also pro-business and pro innovation
"However, to be able to share our data we also need to
have confidence that it won't be misused. Hence, the work we are doing on
Network Security."
Crucially, she said, the benefits of the digital market must
be available to all: "As we race to
embrace the digital world we mustn’t leave rural communities behind.
Infrastructure is essential, both to reach remote areas and to provide deep
coverage in cities."
End