Computer & Communication Industry Association
PublishedSeptember 25, 2017

Industry Groups Urge European Leaders To Reevaluate Direction of EU Digital Proposals

Brussels, BELGIUM — Industry groups have sent their strongest criticism to date of the EU’s “Digital Single Market proposals” in a joint letter to European leaders ahead of the Tallinn Digital Summit on September 29.  The letter from major industry groups, representing telecoms, mobile, internet and startup companies expresses concern that the DSM proposals have drifted off course and now threaten Europe’s digital economy.  Industry groups are particularly worried about EU proposals on the e-Privacy directive, the electronic communications code, audiovisual, and copyright. The letter said the proposed copyright regulations must not put “a disproportionate burden on companies, should be consistent with the overall EU regulatory framework and with the European Charter of Human Rights.”

The letter concludes that: “Europe will only achieve a thriving Digital Single Market if new EU legislation will promote rather than hamper digitisation, create one single legal framework rather than 28 and favour market-led, bottom-up innovative solutions as opposed to top-down overregulation.”

The following can be attributed to the head of CCIA’s Brussels office, Vice President Christian Borggreen:

“Hopefully European leaders will take note when telecoms providers, startups and tech companies all warn that the EU’s digital proposals are running dangerously off course.”

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