Stronger government and private sector push need to deliver a single digital market

The European Council is cutting the EU budget for 2014-2020, with digital services taking a particularly strong hit. Here, in response to questions posed by Science|Business, Pilar del Castillo Vera, the MEP behind the Parliament's Digital Agenda proposal explains why this happened and what needs to change for Europe to make the most of digital opportunities

Q. What effect will the Council's decision on the Multi-annual Financial Framework have on the Connecting Europe Facility?

A. There was an overall reduction in the budget, but telecommunications suffered a bigger loss than other areas. The decision on telecommunications was very disappointing, as it saw a cut from €9.2 billion to €1 billion.

Q. Why did telecommunications see such a huge cut?

A. While telecommunications and digital services received very strong support from both the Parliament and the Commission, this was not echoed by the Council. Other policies, for example transport and rural development, were seen as more important than telecommunications. There was no pressure from the private sector to secure the telecommunications budget. Private companies did not want to be pushed into providing broadband services to rural areas.

Q.  Why is the issue of broadband so important?

A. The question of broadband is an issue in some EU countries more so than others. Broadband is available to most homes in most EU Member States but speed can be a problem. It is not just a question of access to broadband but access to high-speed broadband, which is necessary for effective communication.

Q. Is this an issue of equality of access or of EU competitiveness?

It is a question of both. Everyone should have internet access at a convenient speed for both personal and business use and in this way it is a matter of equality. It is also a matter of job and business growth. High-speed broadband could create more job opportunities in rural areas.

Q. Is the goal of access for every EU household to broadband internet at a competitive price by 2013 still achievable?

A. It is still achievable, but it will be more difficult in light of the budget cuts.

Q. How will ICT in Europe move on from here?

Connect Europe is its own package, which did not received strong support at Council level. The trilogue negotiations on Connect Europe have not yet started but I do not expect any change in the budget.

A crucial aspect is the switchover to digital within the public administration. Public administration still has a very strong impact in Europe, it is a driving force for the economy. If the EU public administration, and the public administration in each member state, made the digital switchover a priority, that would have a tremendous impact. I think that the EU should make the switchover to digital a concrete goal.

When the European Council met in March, it asked the Commission to issue guidelines on how to achieve the Digital Single Market and to begin working on establishing the single market in ICT. The Council will meet again in October to discuss the digital sector, and the Commission's guidelines should be ready by then.

DG Connect and DG INCO have pushed for a digital single market. This would be a development post-2014, as it will need to be developed with the new Parliament and Commission after the elections.