EC press conference Digitising European Industry Package, Brussels

Berlaymontgebouw in Brussel
Kevin Bergenhenegouwen
date April 19, 2016 11:30 - 12:18
city Brussels, Belgium
location Berlaymont building (BERL) i Show location
station EbS
room Berlaymont building (BERL) i
attending G.H. (Günther) Oettinger i, A. (Andrus) Ansip i, C.M.F. (Carlos) Moedas i et al.
organisation European Commission (EC) i

The news:

Delivering on its Strategy to create a Digital Single Market, the Commission will unveil on 19 April its plans to help European industry, SMEs, researchers and public authorities make the most of new technologies.

The background:

While many parts of the economy have been quick to take up digital technologies and processes, European industry across sectors and regardless of a company's size must fully use digital opportunities if it is to be globally competitive. Traditional sectors and SMEs are particularly lagging behind in their digital transformation. Recent studies estimate that the digitisation of products and services will add more than €110 billion per year in revenue for European industry in the next five years.

The plans to be presented on 19 April will be the first industry-related package under the Digital Single Market strategy. They were announced by President Juncker in Paris in October 2015. Vice-President Ansip outlined the broad lines of the package in a speech on 5 April 2016.

This package follows a first set of proposals adopted in December 2015 on copyright (press release) and digital contracts (press release) as well as draft decision on spectrum coordination in February 2016 (press release). The Digital Single Market strategy includes 16 initiatives to be presented by the end of this year.

The event:

A press conference will be organised on 19 April 2016 at 12:00 CET in the press room of the Commission, in the Berlaymont building. It will be available on EbS.

A technical briefing for the accredited press will follow (at around 13:15 CET) the midday press briefing.

Press material will be available (press releases in all EU languages, set of questions and answers).

The sources:

Webpage on the Digital Single Market: https://ec.europa.eu/priorities/digital-single-market_en


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European Commission (EC)

The European Commission is the executive body of the EU and runs its day-to-day business. It is made up of the College of Commissioners, 27 European Commissioners, one for each member state, who are each responsible for one or several policy areas. In addition, the 'Commission' also refers to the entire administrative body that supports the Commissioners, consisting of the Directorates-General and the Services.

The European Commission is the sole EU body capable of proposing new legislation. The Commission also performs an oversight function, monitoring whether European legislation is properly implemented in the member states. In the event of non-compliance, the Commission can coerce a member state to comply by starting a legal procedure at the European Court of Justice.

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