With the ‘European Digital Agenda’ to be put in place over the next five years, the Belgian Presidency of the EU already has plenty of work to do in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector. During a presentation of the Belgian programme of activities to members of the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA), on 1 June, the Vice-Director of the Belgian Ministry of Economics, Anne Everard, did not mention any dossiers that have not already been announced or planned.

Among those to be dealt with are the European Commission recommendation on competition and investment in new high-speed internet networks, a European code of rights for subscribers, two legislative proposals - one to liberalise the management of radio frequencies in the EU and the other to reform the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) - and two non-legislative strategies (one on high-speed internet and the other on online administration).

ROAMING DOUBTS

There is still a doubt about a possible proposal on ‘roaming’ mobile internet tariffs, ie from one EU country to another, given that the tariffs for roaming mobile calls have already been regulated since 2007 and those on SMS messages since 2009. Since 1 March 2010, European consumers who download data or surf on the internet via their mobile phone when they travel in the EU can tell their operator the maximum they want to spend. This is the last part of the roaming legislation to deal with the problem of tariffs that had been regarded as being too high outside national borders. However, the Digital Agenda Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, has thrown cold water on the idea by saying that she is reluctant to propose a third piece of legislation on roaming relating to downloadable data.

It should be “up to the market to do that work,” she said, without ruling out binding legislation. Kroes called for “patience” with regard to the ambition that was foisted on her to create a single market in telecoms services where the difference in tariffs between calls from abroad and those from one’s own country should move towards zero by 2015.

2013 AND 2020 OBJECTIVES

Overwhelmingly backed by the EU’s 27 telecoms ministers, at the end of May, over the next five years the Digital Agenda envisages the adoption of thirty or so pieces of binding legislation and various strategies to boost the use of online services in the EU and widespread access to the web.

The Commission has set two objectives: its plan is, in particular, for all European citizens to have access to high-speed internet by 2013 and to very high-speed internet by 2020. Currently, only 1% of Europeans have a fibre optic high-speed internet connection, as against 12% of Japanese and 15% of South Koreans. “We really need very fast internet so that the economy can grow a lot, to create jobs and prosperity and to make sure that Europeans can access the content and services that they want,” stressed Kroes during the presentation of her strategy, on 19 May. While over half of 500 million Europeans go on the internet on a daily basis, 30% have never used it. \“All Europeans, whatever their age and social origin, must be able to have the necessary knowledge and skills to enter the digital era,” said Kroes. The aim is that, by 2015, only 15% of Europeans will have never used the internet. Her plan also advocates EU regulation to make online commerce safe so that 50% of the population will buy online by 2015 and 20% do so across borders.