Main achievements during the 8th parliamentary legislature

AuthorHocepied, Christian; Streel, Alexandre de
Pages19-45
Contribution to Growth: European Digital Single Market
PE 638.395 19
3. MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE 8TH PARLIAMENTARY
LEGISLATURE
KEY FINDINGS
During the 8th legislature, the European Parliament and the other EU institutions have been very active
in the digital field. To review the numerous achievement, we present the DSM measures into si x
building blocks. The two first blocks relate to the digital applications used by European consumers
and citizens: the e-commerce and online platforms and the e-government services. The three
successive blocks are horizontal and necessary to ensure the development of and the trust in private
and public digital services; they relate to data and AI, security and the specific consumer protection for
the digital era. Finally, the last block relates to the infrastructures on which the digital applications are
provided: the electronic communications networks and services. Most of policy actions during the 8th
legislature took place for e-commerce and online platforms as well for data and AI.
For each building block, we analyse, as summarised in Table 1 below, how the specific DSM initiatives
and measures (i) directly facilitate cross-border trade by removing specific barriers to the single
market, (ii) unify or harmonise the national substantive rules which indirectly ease cross-border
operations and create specific rights and obligations and (iii) unify or harmonise the enforcement of
those rules and establish legal institutions and procedures which also indirectly ease cross-border
operations.
Regarding e-commerce and online platforms, some of the main impediments to cross-border trade
have been removed or reduced with the cross-border portability of some digital content, the
prohibition of unjustified geo-blocking, the simplification of VAT declaration, the collection and the
improvement of eu. Top Level Domain and the new copyright rules facilitating access to online TV and
radio content across borders. Moreover, several national rules on the operations of online platforms
have been harmonised, in particular for platforms offering audio-visual media services and
intermediation services as well as platforms hosting illegal or harmful online content. To ensure
effective and harmonised enforcement of those rules, ERGA - the network of national media regulators
-has been strengthened.
Regarding e-government, which remains a national competence, the EU institutions can merely
stimulate the adoption and the diffusion of best practice s across the Member States as well as facilitate
the interoperability between the different national public services, as for example by the setting up a
single digital gateway. The EU is also leading by example by digitizing its own public services.
Regarding data and AI, data location requirements have been limited. Moreover, several national rules
on the governance of data have been harmonised in order to ease cross-border data businesses and
the movement of data across the EU while ensuring strict privacy protection and respecting EU values
and fundamental rights. This is the case for personal data with the now famous General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR), for public data with the new Open Data and Public Sector Information Directive
and for non-personal and non-public data where best practices for data sharing have been established.
To ensure effective and harmonised enforcement of data protection rules, a new European Data
Protection Board (EDBP) has been established between the national data protection authorities. In
addition, a plan to stimulate AI in Europe has been coordinated between the EU and the Member States
and new EU funds are being made available.
IPOL | Policy Department for Economic, Scientifi c and Quality of Life Policies
20 PE 638.395
Regarding security, an EU cyber-security culture is emerging. New cooperation between cybersecurity
agencies have been set up, ENISA will become an EU level Cybersecurity agency, a new EU Competence
Centre has been set up and EU funds have been made available to strengthen network security.
Regarding consumer protect ion, an adaptation of the existing consume r acquis to the characteristics
of the digital sector, in particular the lack of monetary prices and the difficulties to understand the
functioning of algorithms, has been adopted. A strengthening of the cooperation between national
consumer protection authorities has also been agreed.
Regarding electronic communications networks and services, rules were adopted to deal with
specific cross-borders issues such as international roaming calls or international calls. EU harmonised
rules were reviewed in order to ease entry and spectrum use, thereby stimulating private investment
and to protect consumers. The cooperation between national regulatory authorities was slightly
strengthened with the reform of BEREC. More EU funds were made available to support the
deployment of new fibre and 5G infrastructures.
During the 8th legislature, digital policy has been a key priority and the EU institutions proposed,
agreed or adopted many regulatory and non-regulatory actions in several policy fields to build the
digital single market. The most ambitious reforms have been achieved in the field of e-commerce and
online platforms to stimulate the digital economy while protecting consumers as well as in the field of
data and AI to ensure that data become a fifth internal market freedom. Then, some important reforms
have been agreed in the field of security and trust and an EU cyber-security culture begins to emerge
and other important reforms are being negotiated to adapt the consumer protection rules to the digital
environment. Some reforms have been agreed to adapt the EU rules on electronic communications
networks and services to the increasing needs of connectivity. Finally, the EU continues to stimulate the
deployment of e-government in the Member States.

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