Trade for all - DIGITALEUROPE comments

KEY MESSAGES

DIGITALEUROPE’s vision is of a European Union (EU) that nurtures and supports digital technology across all industries, and that prospers from the jobs we provide, the innovation and economic and social benefits we generate and the societal challenges we solve.

DIGITALEUROPE applauds the European Commission (EC) for making digital a top priority in its new Trade Strategy and is committed to ensure its implementation. We pledge our support in advocating the benefits and importance of digital trade for European citizens and business alike. The digital trade principles in the strategy build on the recommendations of the EC Digital Single Market Strategy (DSM) which highlighted the importance of the “international dimension” for the European digital economy. As recognised in the new trade strategy, the Internet and digital technologies are transforming our world beyond the barriers of geography and distance. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has become more than a specific sector, it is now a key driver for innovation, growth and job creation in almost all sectors of the economy, and an enabler for societal wellbeing and individual empowerment. It’s indispensable for the EU’s future trade agreements to lay the future rules of the road which is online.

We know that an ambitious and offensive approach to digital trade in implementing this new trade strategy will help the European Union to become a frontrunner again on the international scene. This can be achieved through trade agreements that promote the free flow of data, oppose forced localisation, eliminate tariffs for ICT products and remove non-tariff barriers in the ICT sector. We need a global web for online global markets.