Finland and France: Work on creating EU's Digital Single Market must be accelerated

The countries emphasise that Europe is in need of new sources of growth and argue that the creation of a fully functioning Digital Single Market by 2015 is central to these efforts. According to estimates, the potential of a well-functioning digital market in Europe could be over 4% of GDP by the year 2020 – this is hundreds of billions in euros.

The main idea behind the Digital Single Market is that, in terms of e-commerce, the EU should function as one market area. Currently, the Digital Single Market still faces a number of cross-border barriers relating to lack of trust, online payment systems, e-identification, fragmented administration of intellectual property rights and VAT systems. Several EU countries also have shortcomings in their high-speed internet infrastructures. The lack of a well-functioning Digital Single Market has resulted in American firms having a dominant position in the digital economy, mainly due to their large and strong home market.

Work on removing the barriers is under way and the Commission has put forward a number of good proposals which are now being negotiated by the Member States and the European Parliament. The joint statement underlines that, in order to ensure that the Digital Single Market will be up and running by 2015, the launched measures must be implemented without delay. The joint statement also explores ideas for additional measures in order to ensure a fully functional Digital Single Market by 2015.

Inquries: Pasi Rajala, Special Adviser, EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2055 or +358 400 464 393 and Mika Kukkonen, Counsellor, EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2154 or +358 40 129 1379, Prime Minister’s Office