Digital agenda for Europe : rebooting Europe’s economy.
Date: 2014-09-18
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communication
Subjects: European Union, Internet, digital divide, digital literacy, digital technology, economic growth, impact of information technology, information policy, information society, information technology, information technology applications, information technology industry, information technology user, public awareness campaign, single market, telecommunications policy, web surfer

T H E   E U R O P E A N  
U N I O N  
E X P L A I N E D

Digital Agenda 
for Europe

Rebooting 
Europe’s 
Economy

T he  D ig ital   Agen da fo r   Eu ro pe  wil l 
he lp   E ur op e’s  c iti zen s  and  b u sin e s se s 
t o  g et   the  mo st   o ut  o f  d igi tal 
t ech no l o gies 

CONTENTS

Why we need a Digital Agenda  
for Europe   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . . 3

The digital single market  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . . 7

How digital can help in  
our daily lives   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 11

Digital research & innovation  .  .  .  .  . 14

Outlook  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16

Find out more  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16

The European Union explained: 
Digital Agenda for Europe

European Commission
Directorate-General for Communication
Publications
1049 Brussels
BELGIUM

Manuscript completed in July 2014

Cover and page 2 picture:  
© iStockphoto.com/Voon Nam Fook

16 pp. — 21 × 29.7 cm
ISBN 978-92-79-24445-2 
doi:10.2775/70618

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 
2014

© European Union, 2014
Reproduction is authorised. For any use or reproduction 
of individual photos, permission must be sought directly 
from the copyright holders.

THE EUROPEAN UNION 
EXPLAINED

This publication is a part of a series that explains  
what the EU does in different policy areas,  
why the EU is involved and what the results are.

You can see which ones are available to download at:

http://europa.eu/pol/index_en.htm

How the EU works
Europe 2020: Europe’s growth strategy
The founding fathers of the EU

Agriculture
Borders and security
Budget
Climate action
Competition
Consumers
Culture and audiovisual
Customs
Development and cooperation

Digital agenda 

Economic and monetary union and the euro
Education, training, youth and sport
Employment and social affairs
Energy
Enlargement
Enterprise
Environment
Fight against fraud
Food safety
Foreign affairs and security policy
Humanitarian aid and civil protection
Internal market
Justice, citizenship, fundamental rights
Maritime affairs and fisheries
Migration and asylum
Public health
Regional policy
Research and innovation
Taxation
Trade
Transport

3

Why we need a Digital Agenda for Europe

An efficient, inclusive and innovative digital economy 
can transform business and society and deliver better 
products and services using new and more effective 
processes facilitated by information and 
communications technologies (ICT). The digital economy 
is growing at seven times the rate of the rest of the 
economy, but this potential is currently held back by a 
patchy pan-European policy framework. Europe is 
lagging behind other countries when it comes to the 
fast, reliable and connected digital networks which 
underpin economies and every part of our business and 
private lives. When communicating between countries in 
Europe, citizens currently face varying charges for use, 
incompatible systems and irregular connectivity across 
the continent. That is harmful for every citizen, business 
and innovator in Europe.

‘enabler of economic growth, job creation, sustainability 
and social inclusion across borders and across all 
European Member States’.

Full implementation of the Digital Agenda would 
increase European gross domestic product (GDP) by 
5 %, or €1 500 per person, over the next 8 years, by 
increasing investment in ICT, improving digital and 
information technology skills levels in the labour force, 
enabling public sector innovation and reforming the 
framework conditions for the Internet economy. The 
Digital Agenda for Europe has already achieved 
progress on three main objectives:

•  delivering better, faster and more affordable 

communications;

The European Union’s (EU’s) Digital Agenda for Europe 
aims to reboot Europe’s economy and help Europe’s 
citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital 
technologies.

•  supporting strategic ICT research to boost EU industry;

•  boosting digital skills, jobs and entrepreneurship.

Launched in May 2010 as the first of seven flagship 
initiatives under the Europe 2020 growth strategy, the 
Digital Agenda aims to boost Europe’s economy by 
delivering sustainable economic and social benefits 
from a digital single market. The Digital Agenda for 
Europe has achieved significant progress on three main 
objectives, based on fast and ultra-fast Internet and 
interoperable applications. It promotes technology as an 

Digital technology is part of everyday life for most Europeans 
— but not all …yet!

Problems and challenges

250 million Europeans use the Internet daily — but 
there are still millions of European citizens that have 
never used the Internet at all! People living with 
disabilities face particular difficulties in enjoying the 
benefits of new electronic content and services. As ever 
more daily tasks are carried out online, everyone needs 
enhanced digital skills to participate fully in society. 
Jobs held by highly qualified people with ICT skills are 
expected to rise by 16 million by 2020, while those held 
by low-skilled workers will decline by 12 million. 90 % 
of jobs will require basic information technology skills 
by 2015. The Digital Agenda aims to tackle the digital 
divide (the gulf between those who have ready access 
to computers and the Internet, and those who do not).

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DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE 
Some facts and figures  

 — The Internet economy creates 5 jobs for 

every 2 ‘offline’ jobs lost. 

 — The EU digital economy is growing at 

12 % each year and is now bigger than 
the Belgian national economy. 

 — There are more mobile phone 

subscriptions in the EU than people. 

 — There are 7 million jobs in the ICT 

sector in Europe. 

4

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The Digital Agenda for Europe will make digital technology 
available for all.

 — It is estimated that half of productivity 
growth derives from investment in ICT.

Meeting the challenges: the virtuous 
circle

Jobs that require ICT skills are expected to rise by  
16 million by 2020. 

Guaranteeing fair and affordable access to services and 
products across the Union: telecommunications 
networks and services, whether landlines or mobile 
phones, are becoming the backbone of our society. 
Affordable access is key. 

Citizens are able to enjoy online commercial services 
and cultural entertainment across borders but EU online 
markets are still separated by barriers which hamper 
access to pan-European telecoms and digital services 
and content. Therefore the EU’s policy framework aims 
at improving competition, driving innovation and 
boosting consumer rights within the European single 
market in telecoms.

Digital technologies can also help address these 
challenges in many areas of our everyday lives and 
tackle social challenges: to reduce energy consumption, 
help ageing citizens, revolutionise health services or 
deliver better public services. ICT can also drive forward 
the digitisation of Europe’s cultural heritage, providing 
online access for all.

World-class infrastructure and adequate funding are 
needed to attract Europe’s best minds to research. The 
best research ideas must be turned into marketable 
products and services. Currently, EU investment in ICT 
research is still less than half the level of the United 
States. The Digital Agenda seeks to maintain Europe’s 
competitive edge through increased coordination and 
elimination of Europe’s fragmented efforts.

This great potential of ICT can be mobilised through the 
virtuous circle of the digital economy. Attractive content 
and services need to be made available in an 
interoperable and borderless Internet environment. This 
stimulates demand for higher speeds and capacity, 
which in turn creates the business case for investments 
in faster networks. The deployment and take-up of 
faster networks in turn opens the way for innovative 
services exploiting higher speeds.

VIRTUOUS CYCLE OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY

Creation of content and borderless services

Lack of investment
in networks

Rising cybercrime
and low trust

Lack of
interoperability

Fragmented
digital markets

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Insufficient R & D
(research and 
development)

ut of networks 

Lack of
skills

Fragmented answers
to societal challenges

                          Increase of service d

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
 
MEETING THE TARGETS
2014 data shows the European Commission, along with 
the Member States, on track to complete 95 of their 
101 digital actions by 2015, which represents good 

progress. EU citizens and businesses are going online 
more, shopping more and they have greater confidence 
and skills in ICT.

5

Broadband 

Basic broadband coverage for all 

Digital single market

Population buying online 

Cross-border e-commerce 

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) selling online 

Digital inclusion (social inclusion that ensures  
individuals and disadvantaged groups have access to,  
and skills to use, ICT)

Regular Internet use 

Regular Internet use by disadvantaged people 

Population never having used the Internet 

Public services

Citizens interacting online with public authorities 

Citizens returning filled-in forms to public authorities 
electronically

EU average

Target

100 % (2013)

50 % (2015)

20 % (2015)

33 % (2015)

75 % (2015)

60 % (2015)

15 % (2015)

50 % (2015)

25 % (2015)

2014

100 %

47 %

12 %

14 %

72 %

57 %

20 %

42 %

21 %

Summary of the Digital Agenda goals

7.  Difference between roaming and national tariffs to 

approach zero by 2015.

The Digital Agenda for Europe is not just about ticking 
off items from a long list, it is about using technologies 
to make a real difference in people’s lives. The 
Commission has set 13 specific goals.

8. 

Increase regular Internet usage from 60 % to 75 % 
by 2015, and from 41 % to 60 % among 
disadvantaged people.

1. 

2. 

The entire EU to be covered by broadband by 2013 
(achieved).

9.  Halve the proportion of the population that has 
never used the Internet from 30 % to 15 % by 
2015.

The entire EU to be covered by broadband above 
30 megabits per second by 2020.

3.  50 % of EU households to subscribe to broadband 

above 100 megabits per second by 2020.

4.  50 % of population shop online by 2015.

10.  15 % of citizens to use e-government by 2015, 
with more than half returning completed forms.

11.  All key cross-border public services, to be agreed 
by Member States in 2011, to be available online 
by 2015.

5.  20 % of population buy cross-border by 2015.

12.  Double public investment in ICT research and 

development to €11 billion by 2020.

6.  33 % of small-to-medium-sized businesses make 

online sales by 2015.

13.  Reduce energy use for lighting by 20 % by 2020.

DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE6

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2014 facts and figures 

 — 54 % of EU citizens have broadband 
available at speeds greater than  
30 megabits per second. 

 — 36 % of EU citizens access the Internet 
via a portable computer or other mobile 
device. 

 — 4th generation mobile (long-term 

evolution — LTE) coverage tripled to 
26 % in 1 year. 

 — 70 % use the Internet regularly  

(at least once a week). 

 — 45 % of individuals use the Internet to 

buy goods and services.

But despite the considerable progress made in the last 
decade, there is still a need for continued action until 
everyone has access to high-speed broadband 
infrastructure. This is why an EU broadband strategy 
and policy is needed, defining the aims and targets of 
broadband development and serving as a point of 
reference for national broadband strategies and 
policies.

The European Commission aims to bolster the spread of 
high-speed broadband by:

•  setting out a pan-EU approach to telecoms rules in its 
Recommendation on Next Generation Access 
networks;

Every home and business in Europe will enjoy high speed 
broadband access.

Broadband: digital oxygen for all

Basic broadband is everywhere in Europe.  

The digital economy is growing at seven times the rate 
of the rest of the economy and without this growth the 
recession in Europe would have been far worse. Much 
of this growth has been fuelled by broadband Internet. 
The development of high-speed networks today is 
having the same revolutionary impact as the 
development of electricity and transportation networks 
had a century ago. European Commission Vice-President 
Neelie Kroes said: ‘Fast broadband is digital oxygen, and 
is essential for Europe’s prosperity’. The Digital Agenda 
aims to spread essential broadband networks 
throughout Europe, connecting every home and 
business. With the target of basic broadband connection 
for all EU citizens already achieved in 2013, the Digital 
Agenda has two other, more ambitious targets:

•  full broadband coverage above 30 megabits per 

second by 2020;

•  50 % of EU households to be subscribed to 

broadband above 100 megabits per second by 2020.

•  introducing a package of regulatory measures on 

Without fast broadband, essential innovative services 
such as cloud computing, e-health, smart cities, 
audiovisual services — and the benefits they bring — 
will simply not take off.

Progress has been made since the Digital Agenda for 
Europe was adopted in 2010. Improved basic 
broadband is everywhere in Europe and improved 
satellite performance now covers the 4.5 % of 
population not covered by fixed basic broadband. Since 
2010, fast broadband coverage has increased by 86 % 
and subscriptions by 420 %. Mobile broadband take-up 
has risen by 142 % since 2009.

consistent non-discrimination obligations and costing 
methodologies to promote competition and enhance 
the broadband investment environment;

•  introducing revised state aid guidelines for broadband;

•  introducing a proposal to complete the telecoms 

single market and deliver a #Connected Continent.

The overarching aim is to provide a stable legal 
framework that stimulates investments in an open and 
competitive environment. In parallel, the EU strives to 
develop an efficient spectrum policy and to facilitate 
use of the EU’s Structural Funds for the digital economy.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
 
7

The digital single market

A redesigned European telecoms sector

While successive waves of telecoms sector reform by 
the EU have helped to transform the way telecoms 
services are delivered in the EU, the EU telecoms 
market remains fragmented: with 28 distinct national 
markets, diverging implementation of EU rules and high 
barriers to entry. There is no single telecoms company 
that operates across the whole EU.

A genuine single telecom market is necessary to enable 
efficient telecoms companies to compete on a 
continental scale, thereby benefiting every European 
with more choice and seamless service. A single 
telecoms market will mean economies of scale in the 
telecoms sector, higher productivity in other economic 
sectors thanks to more efficient cross-border 
connectivity, affordable cross-border prices, more 

innovation and diversification in products and services 
— thus allowing Europe to be once again a global 
digital leader.

That is why the European Commission proposed in 
2013 a #Connected Continent package. This includes a 
proposed regulation to complement the existing 
regulatory framework with measures that focus on the 
essential elements needed to create a predictable, 
pro-competitive and pro-investment framework for the 
single telecoms market.

The main elements of the regulation ‘concerning the 
European single market for electronic communications 
and to achieve a Connected Continent’ are: open 
Internet, reinforced consumer rights, no extra charges 
for roaming in the EU, coordinated spectrum 
assignment and certainty for investors.

Telecoms regulatory reform through the years

1984: EU telecoms policy — common 
standards and specifications.

1987: First commission green paper on 
telecoms single market.

1990: Frame directive — Open network 
provision; EU funds GSM standard, now a 
€250 billion-a-year industry.

1998: Full opening of markets — 
monopoly to competition; directive on 
inter-connection and licensing.

2007: Eurotariff — capped maximum 
roaming prices; retail price reduction in 
calls, SMS and data over 80 % since 2007.

2011: New rights for customers

 — Changing operators in one day 
without changing number.
 — Clarity about services offered.
 — Better protection of personal data 

online.

 — Strengthened EC and Body of 

European Regulators for Electronic 
Communications (BEREC) oversight.

2000: Local loop unbundling — alternative 
telecom companies access ‘the last mile’.

2012: Data roaming up to 91% cheaper 
compared to 2007.

2003: Regulatory framework extended to 
all electronic communication including 
broadcast networks.

2014 (summer): Consumers get to choose 
a separate roaming contract. 

DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE 
8

However, roaming charges still push many EU citizens 
to switch off their smart devices when they are abroad 
and are a major impediment to the development of 
machine-to-machine communications and the success 
of connected cars in Europe. The #Connected Continent 
regulation aims to ensure that customers throughout 
the Union are able to use their phones and smartphones 
at domestic rates while travelling throughout the EU 
(‘roam like at home’). Currently the European Parliament 
would like to end roaming charges by December 2015. 
Discussions are ongoing within the Council which 
represents Member States and the European Parliament 
to find an agreement.

Coordinated spectrum assignment

Mobile operators will be able to develop more efficient 
and cross-border investment plans, thanks to stronger 
coordination of timing, duration and other conditions of 
assignment of spectrum. Member States will remain in 
charge of spectrum assignment, while operating within 
a more coherent framework. Such a framework will 
ensure that Europeans get more 4G mobile access and 
Wi-Fi, while expanding the market for advanced 
telecoms equipment.

Harmonised European virtual broadband 
access products

Standard virtual access products will enable electronic 
communications service providers to expand their 
operations across Member States, thus providing better 
and more competitive choices for business-end 
customers, who need seamless communications in the 
single market regardless of where their sites and 
employees are located — contributing to job creation 
and growth of the European economy.

Simpler rules for telecoms operators

More alignment in authorisation conditions and in 
conditions for withdrawal of authorisation will allow 
reducing red tape for telecoms operators.

Open Internet (net neutrality)

The blocking and throttling of Internet content should 
be banned, giving users access to the full and open 
Internet regardless of the type of their Internet 
subscription. In addition, companies could provide 
‘specialised services’ with assured quality (such as 
Internet protocol television, video on-demand, apps 
including high-resolution medical imaging and 
business-critical data-intensive cloud applications) as 
long as the quality of the open Internet is not impaired. 
These rules are not only for the benefit of the 
consumers but will also underpin new innovative 
companies which will be able to launch services without 
fear of their being blocked or throttled, and to design 
new services requiring a guaranteed quality of service.

Stronger consumer rights across the EU

New rights include the right to plain language contracts 
with more comparable information, greater rights to 
change provider or contract, the right to a 12-month 
contract for consumers who do not wish for a longer 
contract, the right to walk away from the contract if 
promised Internet speeds are not delivered and the 
right to have e-mails forwarded to a new e-mail 
address after changing Internet provider.

Roaming

Thanks to the EU’s action on roaming, consumers and 
businesses already enjoy cheaper communications. 
Roaming costs are down by 50 % for voice and by 93 % 
for data since 2007.

The EU plans to end roaming charges by the end of 2015.

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THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
 
9

Certainty for investors

The adoption of the recommendation on costing 
methodologies and non-discrimination provides 
Europe’s national regulators with an integrated set of 
pro-competitive rules giving market players the stability 
and legal certainty for long-term planning and 
investment. This is achieved first by further harmonising 
and stabilising costs that incumbent operators may 
charge for giving others access to their existing copper 
networks; and, second, ensuring that access seekers 
have truly equivalent access to networks. Where 
competitive constraints and non-discrimination are 
ensured, the prices for wholesale access to ‘next 
generation’ broadband should be determined by the 
market rather than by regulators, meaning less red tape 
for operators.

Easier and cheaper deployment  
of high-speed networks

In addition to the regulatory improvements, the 
Commission has also addressed the fact that the 
roll-out of high-speed networks is still too costly and 
slow. Civil engineering works, such as the digging up  
of roads to lay down fibre broadband, accounts for up 
to 80 % of the cost of deploying high-speed networks.  
A patchwork of rules and administrative practices  
at national and sub-national level also complicate  
the process.

towers and other supporting constructions), bottlenecks 
related to coordination of civil works, inefficiencies 
regarding administrative permit granting, and, finally, 
bottlenecks concerning in-building infrastructure.

This directive will save companies 20–30 % of the 
overall cost of infrastructure deployments, a staggering 
€40–60 billion, and will lead to less digging thanks to 
synergies across the sectors, in particular between 
telecom operators and utility companies.

Opening access to online

The digital single market aims to offer every European 
the chance to access online content and services 
throughout the EU, and gives businesses of all sizes the 
opportunity to reach more than 500 million consumers. 
It also means increased economies of scale for 
telecoms operators. Online platforms are an easy way 
to distribute and exchange all kind of content: music, 
films, pictures and more. Consumers have high 
expectations — they want to be able to enjoy the 
content of their choice at any time and on a range of 
devices. But this is not always possible. It can be 
difficult for example, for a Maltese consumer to 
download from a German website. Often, difficulties 
with accessing content online are due to licensing 
issues. Efficient collective rights management within 
the Digital Agenda will enable innovative and 
consumer-friendly content distribution across Europe.

In April 2010 the European Parliament and Council 
approved a new EU directive which overcomes problems 
such as: inefficiencies or bottlenecks concerning the use 
of existing physical infrastructure (for example ducts, 
conduits, manholes, cabinets, poles, masts, antennas, 

Once completed, the digital single market aims to 
simplify copyright clearance, management and cross-
border licensing by enhancing the governance, 
transparency and multi-territory licensing for (online) 
collective rights management.

New regulations will make it easier and cheaper to install  
and maintain high-speed networks.

Meanwhile, the introduction and EU-wide roll-out of 
electronic identification and electronic trust services 
(like electronic signatures, electronic seals, time stamp, 
electronic delivery service and website authentication) 
will allow people and businesses to act with confidence 
within a borderless digital single market, connecting 
consumers and providers from all over Europe.

The audiovisual media services directive brings EU-wide 
coordination of national legislation on all audiovisual 
media. It updates the 1989 television without frontiers 
directive for the digital age in areas like advertising 
rules, advertising ‘unhealthy’ foods and beverages in 
children’s programmes, and promotes areas including 
media literacy, co- and self-regulation, and access for 
persons with a hearing or visual impairment.

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DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE 
10

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EU initiatives create a fertile business environment  
for web and information communications technology 
entrepreneurs.

Replacing paper invoices by e-invoices across the EU 
could lead to roughly €240 billion in savings over a 
6-year period, according to studies. The intention is that 
e-invoicing will become the predominant method of 
invoicing in Europe by 2020. The public sector could 
save up to €1 billion per year if all invoices were 
submitted in electronic format.

The Internet is a great example of numerous devices 
and applications working together anywhere in the 
world. Therefore the EU seeks to ensure that new 
information technology devices, applications, data 
repositories and services interact seamlessly anywhere 
— just like the Internet. The Digital Agenda identifies 
improved standard-setting procedures and increased 
interoperability as the keys to success.

A consumer-friendly digital single 
market

Tech start-ups are booming in Europe, creating millions 
of jobs and earning billions in revenues.

The EU application (app) economy is worth €17.5 billion 
in revenue, representing 1.8 million jobs today and 
nearly 5 million by 2018.

The European Commission’s StartUpEurope action plan 
aims at strengthening the business environment for 
web and information communications technology 
entrepreneurs in Europe, helping entrepreneurs to get 
the resources they need and contributing to innovation, 
growth and jobs.

At this time, e-commerce remains insufficiently 
developed in the EU. Consumers have difficulties 
accessing online shops and businesses find it hard to 
offer their services in other EU countries.

In 2013, 47 % of EU citizens had purchased goods or 
services online, but only 12 % from another EU country. 
Just over 14 % of EU businesses were selling online. 
The Digital Agenda aims are that:

•  50 % of the population should be buying online by 

2015;

•  20 % should buy goods online across borders;

•  33 % of small-to-medium-sized businesses should be 

making online purchases by this date.

The Digital Agenda for Europe will modernise EU rules 
on the digital single market to make e-commerce 
easier. The Commission’s 2012 e-commerce action plan 
aims to double the volume of e-commerce in Europe by 
2015 with initiatives to streamline postal delivery; 
facilitate card, electronic and mobile payments, and 
increase trust in online shopping through a strategy to 
improve on Internet security in Europe and better 
protect against cyberattacks.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
How digital can help in our daily lives

11

The Digital Agenda’s aim is not only to get every 
European online, but to help people find their way  
in the digital world and make the digital world work for 
a better society. Computers, mobile phones and digital 
technologies are a central part of our daily lives, and 
can address many of the challenges that we face: from 
car safety to ageing well; from better public services to 
a sustainable environment, etc.

Safety on roads

Human error is involved in around 95 % of all traffic 
accidents on Europe’s roads, in which more than 30 000 
people are killed and some 1.5 million injured every 
year. E-safety ‘smart’ technologies, based on the powers 
of computers and telecoms, can make a major 
difference to these figures.

The EU’s eCall system saves lives by having the car 
automatically dial 112 — Europe’s single emergency 
number — in case of a serious accident, dramatically 
accelerating the arrival of emergency rescue teams. The 
eCall system is to be introduced in all new models of 
passenger cars and light-duty vehicles, and will be 
supported across the EU as well as Iceland, Norway and 
Switzerland by 2015.

The eCall system speeds up emergency service 
response times. Times go down to 50 % in the 
countryside and 60 % in built-up areas. The quicker 
response will save thousands of lives in the EU every 
year. The severity of injuries will be considerably 
reduced in tens of thousands of cases. It is also 
possible to make an eCall by pushing a button inside 
the car. As eCall normally ‘sleeps’, it does not allow 
vehicle tracking outside emergencies.

Smart cities

A smart city is a place where the traditional networks 
and services are made more efficient with the use of 
digital and telecommunication technologies for the 
benefit of its inhabitants and businesses. The EU is 
investing in research and innovation in the information 
communications technology sector and developing 
policies to improve the quality of life of citizens and 
make cities more sustainable in view of Europe’s  
2020 targets.

To speed up the deployment of these solutions, the 
European Commission has launched the European 
Innovation Partnership on smart cities and 
communities that brings together city leaders, 
businesses and community representatives and 
provides these actors with a forum in which they can 
identify, develop and deploy innovative solutions and 
make them a reality. The European Innovation 
Partnership on smart cities and communities focuses on 
sustainable urban mobility, sustainable districts and 
built environment and integrated infrastructures and 
processes across energy, information communications 
technologies and transport. The smart city concept goes 
beyond the use of information communications 
technologies for better resource use and less emissions. 
It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded 
water supply and waste disposal facilities, and more 
efficient ways to light and heat buildings. And it also 

Digital and telecommunication technologies  
can make traditional networks and services used  
in cities more efficient.

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DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE 
encompasses a more interactive and responsive city 
administration, safer public spaces and meeting the 
needs of an ageing population.

The Commission made available approximately 
€200 million for smart cities and communities in the 
2014–15 budgets of the Horizon 2020 research and 
innovation programme, to accelerate progress and 
enlarge the scale of the roll-out of smart cities 
solutions. There will also be possibilities to access the 
European Structural and Investment Funds.

Climate change

Technology can positively affect efforts to reduce 
carbon emissions and make Europe greener. Initiatives 
such as smart cities, the intelligent transport system, air 
traffic management solutions for the single European 
sky and European rail traffic management solutions all 
employ information communications technology 
know-how to provide cleaner energy, produce less waste 
and make our environment — its water, air and 
surroundings — safer.

While information communications technologies can 
help to reduce pollution and wasted energy, the 
information communications technology sector itself is 
responsible for carbon emissions which are rapidly 
growing and initiatives in the Digital Agenda for Europe 
are included to address this situation and help 
information communications technologies to minimise 
their own environmental impact.

Security online

Many Europeans have concerns about digital security. 
Only 12 % of European web users feel completely safe 
making online transactions. Threats such as malicious 
software and online fraud unsettle consumers and dog 
efforts to promote the online economy. The Digital 
Agenda proposes a number of practical solutions, 
including a coordinated European response to 
cyberattacks and reinforced rules on personal data 
protection.

A high level of network and information security across 
the EU is essential to ensure consumer confidence and 
to keep the online economy running. A vital element of 
this is establishing a cybersecurity strategy for the EU 
and the Commission proposal for a directive on network 
and information security. Both involve legal measures 
and incentives to make the EU’s online environment the 
most secure in the world.

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The Digital Agenda for Europe offers practical solutions  
to make online actions more secure.

As network and information systems are globally 
interconnected, cybersecurity has a global dimension 
too. The EU is active in an EU–United States working 
group on cybersecurity and cybercrime. Cybersecurity is 
also discussed in wider Internet-related issues in 
multilateral forums, such as the Organisation for 
Economic Cooperation and Development, the United 
Nations General Assembly, the International 
Telecommunication Union, the Organisation for Security 
and Cooperation in Europe, the World Summit on the 
Information Society and the Internet Governance Forum.

These activities on network and information security are 
supported by the European Network and Information 
Security Agency, as well as by the Computer Emergency 
Response Team for the EU institutions.

The EU works across a range of areas to make the 
Internet safer, including against cybercrime. An EU 
directive has been adopted to fight large-scale attacks 
on information systems, along with an overarching 
cybersecurity strategy of the EU. In parallel, at Europol 
headquarters in the Hague, the European Cybercrime 
Centre has been set up, dedicated to strengthening the 
EU’s defences against online organised crime — fraud, 
theft of credit card details, extortion through virus 
attacks and similar crimes.

To ensure a safer Internet for kids, the Commission has 
adopted a number of initiatives including a European 
Strategy for a Better Internet for Children. The European 
Commission supports the Insafe/Inhope network of 
safer Internet centres across all Member States which 
helps to empower children and young people to use the 
Internet, as well as other online and mobile 
technologies, positively, safely and effectively. It also 
convened the CEO coalition, under which 31 top tech 
companies completed a series of changes and 
introduced tools for better consumer protection.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
13

advanced research and development and ensuring 
that electronic health record systems are compatible 
internationally. It also provides a roadmap to empower 
patients and healthcare workers, to link up devices and 
technologies, and to invest in research towards the 
personalised medicine of the future. This means 
providing smarter, safer and patient-centred health 
services. Given the fast and growing uptake of tablets 
and smartphones, the action plan also includes a special 
focus on mobile health: patient information, advice, 
access to health professionals available on a mobile 
device through specialist applications (mHealth). 

Some facts and figures

 — Home telemonitoring of heart patients 
can improve survival rates by 15 %, 
reduce hospital days (the number of 
days spent in hospital as an inpatient) 
by 26 % and save 10 % in nursing 
costs. 

 — ePrescriptions can reduce errors in 

drugs dosage by 15 %.

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The European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children aims 
to make the web safer for kids.

A directive has also been adopted to tackle the sexual 
exploitation of children, covering the prosecution of 
offenders, protection of victims and prevention 
measures. Furthermore, in December 2012, ministers  
of justice and representatives from 52 countries met  
in Brussels to form a global alliance against child  
sexual abuse online. The alliance has committed to 
strengthening the resources to identify more of  
the victims appearing in child abuse photos and  
videos online.

Health

eHealth will be critical to keep healthcare affordable and 
accessible to all in the ageing societies of Europe.

Europeans live longer than ever, and because of new 
and expensive treatments, the costs of health and 
social care will rise substantially to about 9 % of EU 
GDP in 2050. Information communications technologies 
can contribute by providing European citizens with 
better, cheaper and higher quality services for health, 
social care and ageing well. The introduction of 
information communications technologies and 
telemedicine alone is estimated to improve efficiency of 
healthcare by 20 %. Moreover, information 
communications technologies empower users of every 
age to better manage their health.

eHealth will be critical to keep healthcare affordable 
and accessible to all in the ageing societies of Europe. 
The intention is to provide Europeans with secure 
access to their online medical health records not just at 
home but also when they are travelling anywhere in the 
EU. This would facilitate the work of doctors and enable 
patients to get the best help if they are seeing a doctor 
at home or in another EU country.

The EU eHealth action plan covers areas as diverse as 
patient rights in cross-border healthcare, funding 

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DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE 
 
14

Digital research,  
development and innovation

Digital research and innovation will drive Europe’s 
future prosperity and quality of life. As a whole, the 
information and communication technology sector 
represents 4.8 % of the EU economy. It generates 25 % 
of total business expenditure in research and 
development. Investments in information 
communications technologies account for 50 % of all 
European productivity growth. Research and innovation 
are at the heart of the EU’s Digital Agenda, where 
programmes fund research projects bringing together 
Europe’s best scientists and engineers.

and employing 220 000 people in Europe. Industry 
plans to invest €100 billion by 2020, creating 
250 000 EU jobs. The EU’s electronics initiative will 
leverage €6 billion of investment in microelectronics 
production.

•  Emerging technologies: encouraging new ideas and 
long-term research, exploring solutions in areas as 
diverse as personalised medicine, disease prevention, 
autonomous smart devices for everyday life and 
machines capable of human interaction.

The current  information communications 
technology research programme focuses on, among 
other areas of research:

•  Language technologies: supporting research into 
language and digital content to open up Europe’s 
digital single market to all Europeans.

•  Robotics: making the most of this growing market 
through a public–private partnership between public 
authorities, industry and academia. It will improve EU 
industrial competitiveness through robotic 
technologies, provide robots and robotic services to 
help solve some of the EU’s societal challenges, such 
as ageing, address ethical and legal issues, and 
develop strategic goals.

•  Components and systems: funding key technologies 
essential for tomorrow’s products and services. This 
includes support for electronics, cyber–physical 
systems, advanced computing, smart manufacturing, 
future lightning, photonics and more.

•  Electronics: The global electronics market is worth 
approximately €218 billion, increasing 5 % annually 

The Digital Agenda for Europe will help drive research and 
innovation in Europe for years to come.

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•  Digital futures: To reflect on ICT policies beyond 
2020, and create long-term visions for policies for 
2040–50.

Some facts and figures on robotics

 — The global robotics market is worth 

€15.5 billion a year; €3 billion a year in 
the EU.  

 — The EU has a 25 % share of the global 
industrial robotics market and 50 % of 
the professional service robotics sector. 

 — The number of people over 65 years old 

in the EU will rise to over 30 % by 
2060. ‘Eldercare social robots’ can help 
to perform daily tasks such as lifting or 
cooking, or set off an alarm if an 
in-built camera registers that a person 
has fallen.  

 — A new robotics public private 

partnership will receive €700 million of 
EU funding, leveraging €2 billion in 
private investment.

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED 
 
15

Cloud computing

Over the last 7 years, the EU has invested €340 million 
into research into cloud computing (the practice of 
using a network of remote servers hosted on the 
Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than 
a local server or a personal computer), offering EU 
businesses privileged access to this market which, 
under the European Cloud strategy, could create 
2.5 million jobs and boost GDP by €160 billion by 2020.

•  more adequately address many of the challenges 

that face our societies;

•  improve research and speed up innovation;

•  achieve cost reductions through more personalised 

services;

•  increase efficiency in the public sector.

However, obstacles exist and the EU’s three-pronged 
cloud computing strategy aims to:

Relevant EU activities

•  cut through the jungle of different standards;

•  Elements of a data value chain strategy.

•  Funding research and innovation activities in the field 
of ‘big data’ and ‘open data’ (data that can be freely 
used, reused and redistributed by anyone).

•  The policy on open data, in particular:

•  legislation on reuse of public sector information, 
such as the public sector information directive 
(Directive 2003/98/EC), the national implementing 
rules as well as rules on reuse of the Commission’s 
own data;

•  non-legislative measures supporting the opening 

up of public sector information;

•  open data portals.

•  Facilitating the use and reuse of publications and 

data resulting from scientific research experiments 
funded at least partially from public funds — 
commonly referred to as open access.

Some facts and figures

 — Opening up public data will be worth 
€10 billion per year until 2020.  

 — The economic gains from opening up 

public data could amount to €40 billion 
a year in the EU.

•  identify safe and fair contract terms and conditions;

•  establish a European Cloud Partnership, with 
public authorities and industry, to stimulate the 
take-up and effective use of cloud computing, 
particularly by Europe’s public sector.

Cloud computing can only work at EU-scale or greater, 
and demand for it will drive further investments in 
better networks. The cloud is an important tool in 
regard to superfast broadband. The #Connected 
Continent package could boost the cloud computing 
market in Europe, as, among others, it aims at 
improving the quality of service that new services (such 
as cloud computing, video-conferencing and 3D 
printing) can offer.

Big and open data

Data have become a key asset for the economy and our 
societies, as much as human and financial resources. 
Whether it is geographical information, statistics, 
weather data, research data, transport data, energy 
consumption data or health data, the need to make 
sense of ‘big data’ (data sets that are too large and 
complex to manipulate or interrogate with standard 
methods or tools) is driving innovations in technology, 
the development of new tools and new skills.

Good use of data can bring opportunities to more 
traditional sectors such as transport, health or 
manufacturing. Improved analytics and data processing, 
especially big data, will make it possible to:

•  transform Europe’s service industries by generating a 
wide range of innovative information products and 
services;

•  increase the productivity of all sectors of the 

economy through improved business intelligence;

DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPEOutlook

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Digital Agenda for Europe will contribute significantly to the 
EU's economic growth and spread the benefits of the digital 
era to all sections of society.

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The digital economy is here to stay. It will continue to 
bring Europeans opportunities and challenges and help 
Europe to prosper and grow.  The Commission will 
continue to promote policies that connect citizens via 
high speed and affordable Internet broadband. As ICT 
will become part of every business and policy decision 
we make, the European Commission will strive to be 
part of the technological revolution. It will seek to 
develop incentives for new digital business models, 
encourage digital jobs and start-ups and will be ready 
to future-proof all digital-related activities. Finally, it 
will guarantee that, with the support of its Member 
States, Europeans will have access to an open, inclusive 
and trusted Internet. 

Find out more

 X European Commission, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology:  

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/connect/en/content/dg-connect

 X Digital Agenda for Europe: http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en
 X Horizon 2020: http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm
 X Digital Futures: http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/digital-futures
 X Questions about the European Union? Europe Direct can help: 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 —  

http://europedirect.europa.eu

ISBN 978-92-79-24445-2 
doi:10.2775/70618

THE EUROPEAN UNION EXPLAINED