Jun 17, 2011

Europe must be Connected, Communicating, Computerised and Clicking

Science Minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsens speech at the European Union's Digital Agenda Assembly in Brussels 17 June 2011.

Check against delivery.

Technology contributes to Europe's development

Ladies and Gentlemen. Let us take a quick trip back in the time machine.

Every generation has been given its own unique identity. The baby boomers of the 50s and generation X born in the 60s and 70s. The generation born in the 90s was named Generation C.

C stands for Connected, Communicating, Computerised and Clicking. Generation C was raised on computers, mobile phones and the internet. And these "digital natives" have the upper hand!

If we want to reap the benefits of bits and bytes, all of us have to seize the opportunities offered by the digital age. Actually, we do not have a choice, if economic recession is to be overcome by new sources of growth. The message is not new but cannot be repeated enough!

We must explore the digital world with curiosity and dare to risk, embracing technology just like the digital natives. I am not preaching the use of technology for technology's sake. No, the digital world offers much promise for policy makers if we can master it.

There is definitely room for improvement in highlighting positive examples of digital innovation. And documenting their effectiveness with data. Because there are clear advantages in utilising ICTs:

Access to knowledge.
Better and more flexible services.
Greater productivity.

And we must utilise these advantages if Europe is to be competitive in the global economy. Like Generation C, we must seriously embrace technology.

ICT contributes to growth

ICTs have an enormous potential to drive economic growth and societal change. The ICT sector is directly responsible for 5 percent of European GDP. That is 660 billion euro annually. Quite a sum!

But more importantly, the ICT sector contributes far more to the overall productivity growth in Europe. In fact, 20 percent of our productivity growth derives directly from the ICT sector. And 30 percent is derived from investments in ICTs in general.

We should take full advantage of this potential! ICTs should not only interest those who work with these issues on a daily basis. There should be a cross-sector focus on ICT. An approach the Commission has stressed with the Digital Agenda.

American businesses are investing much more in new technology than we do in Europe and are better at putting the new technology in use. That is one of the reasons why the US is more productive than Europe. We have to change that! We owe it to the next generation at least to try a bit harder. This is why the Digital Agenda for Europe is so important for us.

The Agenda has – at the highest political level across Europe – set a focus on ICTs as a driver for our economic growth. We must deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a truly digital single market. But we are still too far from achieving this – barriers and challenges have to be detected and reduced. The Digital Scoreboard is an excellent tool for identifying problem areas. But also provides a nuanced image of positive digital innovations.

We must ensure there is a well-functioning single market for digital products and services. We cannot continue with a de facto division across 27 national markets. It should be easier to do business online across our national borders – for consumers as well as for companies. And it should be much easier for companies to develop new innovative online services.

In other words: We have to move our European regulation from the analogue age to the digital age.

The Danish priorities

Reports show that Europe's GDP could increase by as much as 4 percent if we succeed in creating a well-functioning digital single market. We can not afford to let that potential slip away. This is why the digital single market will be a priority for the Danish Presidency in the first half of 2012.

On the 3rd of February 2012, the Danish government plans to host an Informal Competiveness Council meeting for the Ministers in charge of single market issues to discuss how to proceed with the digital single market.

And on the 27th and 28th of February we plan to host a broader High Level Conference, which will focus more deeply on a number of important topics related to the digital single market. Both events should help us revitalise discussions on achieving a truly digital single market by 2015.

In the Council, Denmark hopes to realise good results – especially on the revised roaming regulation and the revision of the Public Sector information directive. These matters illustrate only too well where we can do better. It is simply not acceptable that market failure in the roaming market discourages consumers from using data roaming with phones.

Turning off your mobile phone will help no one achieve growth, innovation and the exchange of ideas! It is also highly problematic that reuse of public sector information is not more widespread in Europe.

We must be more ambitious in our approach to stimulate new innovative European services. Not through too heavy-handed regulation. But by providing relevant incentives for businesses and the public sector.

Those will be our primary priorities in the ICT field to further boost the digital single market. Thus, Denmark welcomes the Commission's ambitious cross-sectoral approach to the European Digital Agenda.

The objective of revitalising the digital single market was agreed upon by Heads of State and Government when they met at the European Council in June 2010. Denmark will resolutely work with this in mind during our Presidency in first half of 2012. We look forward to cooperating with all European partners in the Council, Parliament and the Commission.