Summary Lecture Series - Digital Media in Europe (22/23)
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Course
Brussels Talking: Europe, Media And Society
Institution
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Questions and extensive answers from the course Lecture Series - Digital Media in Europe (2022/2023), integrating notes from the guest lectures and documents.
Q1 - Morganti: What can we learn from the historical evolution of the policies related to “Digital
Europe”? Present a critical informed opinion
The historical evolution of policies related to "Digital Europe" provides us with insights into how
policymakers and society at large have understood and responded to the technological advances and
challenges of the digital age. These policies have evolved over time, reflecting the changing nature of
the digital landscape, the needs and priorities of different stakeholders, and the political and economic
context of the time.
One of the earliest policies related to digital Europe was the 1994 The White Paper on Growth,
Competitiveness and Employment (In the terminology of the Commission, the “white paper” are
papers without legal power but are made to analyze an issue and suggest policy solutions), a policy
document published by the European Commission in 1993. It was a response to the economic challenges
facing Europe at the time, including high unemployment, low economic growth, and increasing
competition from other regions of the world.
Another significant policy significant in the history of “Digital Europe” was the Action Plan "Europe
at the forefront of Global IS", a policy document published by the European Commission in 1996. It
aimed to promote the development and use of information systems (IS) and information technologies
(IT) in Europe, and to establish Europe as a global leader in these fields.
It aimed to:
• Improving the business environment:
1. Telecommunications liberation
2. Open network provision
3. Interconnection
• Investing in the future:
1. Trans-European Telecommunications Networks
2. Research and development in information technologies
3. Convergence
• People at the center:
1. Social and societal aspects of the information revolution
2. Living and working in the IS
3. Education and training
The Lisbon Strategy, also known as the Lisbon Agenda, was a 10-year plan launched by the European
Union in 2000 with the goal of making the EU "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based
economy in the world". The Strategy was named after the city of Lisbon, where the European Council
met in March 2000 and adopted the Strategy.
The Lisbon Strategy was considered the biggest failure in the history of the EU, because it failed to
reach to improve economic performances and competitiveness.
In the beginning of the 2000s, the eEurope initiative Information Society for growth and
employment (06/2005) came out as the main action of the EC in support of the Lisbon Strategy.
It aimed to:
• To get Europe connected
- Look for quick wins
- Set realistic short-term targets to focus efforts
- Unblock deadlock: e.g. fragmented online public services
• Key objectives:
- Bringing every citizen, home and school, every business and administration online
- Creating a digital literature Europe, supported by an entrepreneurial culture
- Ensuring that the whole process is socially inclusive, builds consumer trust, and strengthens
social cohesion
• 10 Priority Areas:
- European youth into the digital age
- Cheaper internet access
- Accelerating e-commerce
- Fast internet for researchers and students
- Smart cards for electronic access
- Risk capital for high-tech SMEs
- Participation for the disable
- Healthcare online
- Intelligent transport
- Government online
• Three lines of action:
- Cheaper, faster and secure internet
- Investing in people and skills
- Stimulate the use of the internet
• Work method:
- Creation of legal framework promoting e-europe
- Creation of new services and infrastructures in EU
- Collaboration and Benchmarkin
• Results:
- Internet penetration in European homes has doubled
- 90% of companies & schools connected
- Internet access prices fell
- Broadband connectivity rising
- Telecom framework in place
- eCommerce legal framework in place
- Europe has world’s fastest research backbone network: GEANT
- Security framework in place
,In 2010 it became e2010 and it aimed to promote accessibility and participation in the IS, trying to solve
the issues of guidance on e-accessibility & coverage of broadband; propose a EU initiative of e-
inclusion adopt an action plan on e-government & strategic communication.
The Europe 2020 strategy is the current strategic framework for the European Union's (EU) economic
and social policy. It was launched in 2010 and sets out a vision for the EU to become a smart,
sustainable, and inclusive economy by 2020. The strategy aims to promote growth and job creation in
the EU through a range of policy initiatives, including investments in research and innovation, education
and training, and the digital economy.
The Europe 2020 strategy includes several flagship initiatives, one of which is the Digital Agenda for
Europe. The Digital Agenda is a comprehensive policy framework aimed at promoting the development
and uptake of digital technologies in the EU. It sets out a range of policy measures in areas such as
broadband connectivity, digital skills, e-commerce, e-government, and cybersecurity.
A Europe fit for the Digital Age 2020 is one latest initiative from the EC. It’s based on three main
pillars:
• Technology that works for the people
1. Invest in digital skills for all Europeans
2. Protect people from cyber threats
3. Ensure artificial intelligence is developed in ways that respect people’s rights and earn their
trust
4. Accelerate the roll-out of ultra -fast broadband for homes, schools and hospitals throughout
the EU
• A fair competitive digital market
1. Enable a vibrant community of innovative and fast-growing start up
2. Make sure rules of EU fit for digital economy
• An open, democratic and sustainable society
1. Use technology to help Europe become climate-neutral by 2050
2. Reduce the digital sector’s carbon emissions
3. Give citizens more control and protection of their data
"A Europe fit for Digital Age" policy initiative also includes two other important legislative proposals:
the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
The DSA aims to update the EU's legal framework for digital services, including social media platforms,
online marketplaces, and other online intermediaries. The proposal includes new rules to promote the
safety and accountability of online platforms, including measures to combat illegal content, protect user
data, and improve transparency.
The DMA, on the other hand, aims to promote competition and fair trading practices in the digital
economy. The proposal includes new rules to regulate the behavior of large digital platforms, such as
Google and Facebook, and prevent them from engaging in anti-competitive practices. The DMA also
includes measures to promote interoperability and data sharing between digital platforms.
Some critics argue that EU policies related to a digital Europe have placed too much emphasis on
deregulation and promoting competition, without sufficient consideration for issues such as privacy,
security, and digital rights. This has led to concerns about the concentration of power among a small
number of tech giants and the impact of their business practices on consumers and society more broadly:
the policies regarding a “Digital Europe” that have been implemented have tried to keep up with the
, constant developments of these tech giants, which have an immense power on the market, hence the
regulation of those companies has been complicated and not always effective. One example is the recent
implementation of the DMA.
Q2 - Morganti: Why is the EU Competition policy framework important to understand the
evolution and the current state of the art of the Europe Digital Agenda?
The EU Competition policy framework is important to understand the evolution and current state of the
Europe Digital Agenda because it plays a crucial role in shaping the digital economy in the EU. The
competition policy framework aims to ensure fair competition, prevent anti-competitive practices, and
promote innovation and consumer welfare.
The EU Competition policy framework has evolved over time to address these challenges. For example,
the European Commission has used its powers under EU competition law to investigate and sanction
companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook for anti-competitive practices. The EU has also proposed
new legislation, such as the Digital Markets Act, to address the challenges posed by large digital
platforms and promote fair competition in the digital economy.
The legal context of the EU Competition policy framework is grounded in the EU Treaties, which set
out the fundamental principles and objectives of the EU. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European
Union (TFEU) provides the legal basis for EU competition law.
Under the TFEU, the EU has exclusive competence in the area of competition policy. This means that
the EU is responsible for enforcing competition law across the EU, and that national competition
authorities must apply EU competition law in a consistent manner.
A legal basis for the EU competition framework can be identified in the following points:
• Articles: 101-109 TFEU
- The merger regulation and its implementing rules
• Actors:
- European Commission: enforces competition rules through its power of investigating and
sanction
- Court of Justice: Competition cases can be taken to the general court with appeals
- The EU Parliament: usually involved in competition matters through the consultation
procedure
- Council of Europe
• Areas of Action:
- Antitrust and cartels
- Prohibition of anti-competitive agreements between undertakings and abuse of market
position by dominant undertakings. EU antitrust prohibits: the agreement between two or
more independent market operators if they restrict competition and abuse of dominant
market position by one or more undertakings
- Merger examination: The commission also monitors planned mergers and acquisitions of
companies if their combine businesses exceed specified revenue thresholds AND if they
would result in a restriction of competition -> prevention
- State aid: State aid to undertakings or products is prohibited when it leads to distortions of
competition but can be authorized in specific cases. Member states are required to notify the
commission of any plan to grant or alter state aid unless it is of a type covered by the general
block exemption regulation
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