Inta study guide by Institute of Research & Training on European Affairs

EUropa.S. 2018 March

30th

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 2nd | University of Piraeus

Organized by: Institute of Research & Training on European Affairs

Study Guide EUropa.S. 2018 European Parliament INTA Committee

Topic: Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Table of Contents Greeting of the Board .................................................................................................... 3 Introduction to INTA Committee ................................................................................... 4 Introduction of the Topic ............................................................................................... 5 Κey terms ............................................................................................................................... 6

Historical Background .................................................................................................... 6 Legal Background and Measures in place ...................................................................... 7 E-commerce........................................................................................................................... 7 Consumer Protection ............................................................................................................ 7 Parcel Delivery ....................................................................................................................... 8 Geo-blocking.......................................................................................................................... 8 Copyright ............................................................................................................................... 9

Challenges ...................................................................................................................... 9 What has been done so far? ........................................................................................ 10 EU Political Parties Position ......................................................................................... 11 Conclusions .................................................................................................................. 16 Questions raised .......................................................................................................... 16 Further Reading ........................................................................................................... 17

EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 2

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Greeting of the Board Distinguished Members of the European Parliament, We would like to cordially welcome you to the Committee on International Trade of EUropa.S 2018! It is a privilege to share this experience with you! International Trade has always been one of the most interesting yet challenging areas of political interest of the European Union, as the EU is in prime position when it comes to global trade. Despite the importance of the EU to international trade, the technological advances have created new opportunities and new challenges for the EU's trading policy. That is the reason why the topic of this year's INTA Committee has to do with e-commerce and the Digital Single Market. In an era of electronic commerce, the European Union has to quickly and efficiently adapt to the new challenges by making its Single Market fit for the digital age in order to make sure that the member states' economy, industry and employment take full advantage of what digitalization has to offer. We hope that this Study Guide will help you understand the basics of the agenda topic and motivate you to conduct your own further research. We wish that the committee proceedings would be full of excitement, lots of heated debates and professionalism. We are looking forward to meeting you all. Until then, for any inquiries please feel free to contact us. We will be more than glad to assist you. Welcome to the INTA Committee! The Board of the INTA Committee

EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 3

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Introduction to INTA Committee The committee on International Trade (INTA) is one of the committees of the European Parliament. INTA consists of 82 MEPs and, as every other parliamentary committee, it examines the directives and regulations proposed by the Council of the European Union and the European Commission and proposes amendments. The Committee is responsible for matters relating to the establishment, implementation and monitoring of the European Union’s common commercial policy and its external economic relations. More specifically, its responsibilities include: • • •

• •

financial, economic and trade relations with third countries and regional organisations; the common external tariff and trade facilitation as well as the external aspects of customs provisions and management; the opening, monitoring, conclusion and follow-up of bilateral, multilateral and plurilateral trade agreements governing economic, trade and investment relations with third countries and regional organisations; measures of technical harmonisation or standardisation in fields covered by instruments of international law; relations with the relevant international organisations and international fora on trade-related matters, and with organisations promoting regional economic and commercial integration outside the Union; relations with the World Trade Organization, including its parliamentary dimension. liaises with the relevant inter-parliamentary and ad hoc delegations for the economic and trade aspects of relations with third countries.1

Dr Grainger, A., 2015. Customs Issues Falling Under INTA's New Remit, Belgium: European Union. Available at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2015/534991/EXPO_STU(2015)534991_EN.p df [Accessed on 15/10/2017] EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 4

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Introduction of the Topic Our world is digital. More than 360 million Europeans use the internet everyday to study, work, shop and sell products. New technologies have offered great opportunities, but existing barriers online mean citizens miss out on goods and services, internet companies and start-ups have their horizons limited, and businesses and governments cannot fully benefit from digital tools.2 This is the reason why the European Commission, along with the European Parliament, is working to create a Digital Single Market. Some first concrete results have been achieved with the abolition of roaming charges among the member states. New technologies can only emerge and be widely used if Europe becomes a truly connected continent by tearing down regulatory walls and moving from 28 national digital markets to a single one. This could contribute €415 billion per year to the economy and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Εuropean Commission, n.d. Digital single market. [Online]. Available https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/digital-single-market_en [Accessed on 15/12/2017]

at:

EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 5

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Κey terms Before we proceed with the detailed analysis of the agenda, we believe that it is necessary to first define two key terms which are integral in order to understand the topic. Digital Single Market (DSM): is one in which the free movement of persons, services and capital is ensured and where the individuals and businesses can seamlessly access and exercise online activities under conditions of fair competition, and a high level of consumer and personal data protection, irrespective of their nationality or place of residence. The Digital Single Market aims to create the right environment and conditions for digital networks and services to flourish by providing high-speed, secure and trustworthy infrastructures and services supported by the right regulatory conditions.3 Electronic Commerce: Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is a type of business model, or segment of a larger business model, that enables a firm or individual to conduct business over an electronic network, typically the internet. Electronic commerce operates in all four of the major market segments: business to business, business to consumer, consumer to consumer and consumer to business.4

Historical Background In 2010, the European Council launched the Europe 2020 strategy. One of the Strategy’s flagship initiatives was the “Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE)” with the aim to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a Digital Single Market 5.The Digital Single Market Strategy was unveiled in May 2015 by the Juncker Commission in order to “expand markets and foster better services at better prices, offer more

European Commission, n.d. Shaping the Digital Single Market. [Online]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/shaping-digital-single-market [Accessed on 15/12/2017] 4 Investopedia, n.d. Electronic Commerce. [Online]. Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/ecommerce.asp [Accessed on 15/12/2017] 5 European Council, 2010. Europe 2020; A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. [Online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/pdf/COMPLET%20EN%20BARROSO%20%20%20007%20%20Europe%202020%20-%20EN%20version.pdf [Accessed on 15/10/2017] EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 6

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

choice and create new sources of employment”6. The creation of the DSM is one of the ten priorities of the Juncker Commission and it is based on three main pillars: a) improving access to digital goods and services, b) creating a secure environment for digital networks and services to flourish and c) ensuring that the member states make the most out of it7.

Legal Background and Measures in place Since the DSM is a complicated undertaking, its legislative framework is also very complex. We are going to elaborate upon this by discussing each of the core parts of the DSM.

E-commerce As it was mentioned above, one of the aims of the DSM is to define a sufficient ecommerce framework in order to ensure the seamless access of consumers and businesses to online goods and services within the EU. The legal framework for this is based mainly on the E-Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC). Its targets are to “remove obstacles to cross-border online services in the European Union and provide legal certainty to business and citizens in cross-border online transactions”8. The directive includes clauses about the internal market and about the basic rules of e-commerce.

Consumer Protection Another core part of the DSM Strategy is consumer protection since there were no EU rules to protect consumers against digital content, which was not in conformity with the legal framework. The Directives of the European Parliament and the European Council on “certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content” (Digital Content Directive) 9and on “on certain aspects concerning contracts

European Commission, 2015. A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe. [Online] Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?qid=1447773803386&uri=CELEX%3A52015DC0192 [Accessed on 15/12/2017] 7 European Commission, 2015. A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe. [Online] Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?qid=1447773803386&uri=CELEX%3A52015DC0192 [Accessed on 15/12/2017] 8 European Commission, n.d. e-Commerce Directive. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/e-commerce-directive [Accessed on 15/12/2017] 9 European Commission, 2015. Directive of The European Parliament and the European Council on on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content. Brussels, European Union. EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 7

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

for the online and other distance sales of goods” (Online Goods Directive) 10 aim to increase consumer trust by providing uniform rules with clear consumer rights. Moreover, the Regulation of the European Parliament and the European Council on “on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws” 11in order to ensure that the EU Consumer Protection directives are being efficiently implemented and the consumers’ rights are guaranteed.

Parcel Delivery In order to increase transparency and further and ensure affordable cross-border deliveries and returns the “Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services12” was proposed. Its clauses mainly include proposals on how to make markets work more effectively and on the increase of the transparency of tariffs online.

Geo-blocking Geo-blocking, online discrimination based on nationality or place of residence or establishment, is an important aspect of the DSM since it can hinder the process of creating a secure environment for digital networks and services to flourish. The general objective of the “Regulation on addressing geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market and amending Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 and Directive 2009/22/EC” is to “give customers better access to goods and services in the Single Market by preventing direct and indirect discrimination by traders artificially segmenting the market based on customers' residence. Customers experience such differences in treatment when purchasing online, but also when travelling to other Member States to buy goods or services”13.

European Commission, 2015. Directive of the European Parliament and the European Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the online and other distance sales of goods. Brussels, European Union. 11 European Commission, 2016. Regulation of the European Parliament and the European Council on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws. Brussels, European Union. 12 European Commission, 2016. Proposal for a Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services. Brussels, European Union. 13 European Commission, 2016. Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on addressing geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market. Brussels, European Union. EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 8

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Copyright The establishment of the Digital Single Market creates new challenges concerning the legality of types of copyright use in digital and cross-border commerce. The adoption of the “Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on copyright in the Digital Single Market”14 aims to ensure that all types of copyright are respected and thus, to create a DSM which is going to be fair and copyright based.

Challenges Despite the extended and complicated legal framework concerning the Digital Single Market, no one can deny that the Strategy is still facing some challenges. First of all, geo-blocking, keeps the DSM from fully integrating since the territoriality of copyright still exists. This means that content providers may not hold the rights to offer content across the whole EU but only in one or several member states. Moreover, there is the issue of data protection. The Digital Single Market will be able to flourish only if consumers and businesses trust it. Besides the already existing legal framework about consumers’ protection, there is still a high chance that sensible information can sometimes be lost, stolen or legally accessed. This danger is interconnected with cyber security as the need for additional measures on cyber security standards and certification persists. The mid-term review of the Digital Single Market Strategy 15has mapped out the challenges in two more areas; data economy and online platforms. Concerning data economy, the need to ensure the seamless and unhindered process of the flow of data between consumers and businesses but also between businesses and businesses and states is vital so as to develop the DSM to its full potential. Moving on to online platforms, according to the Commission unfair contractual clauses and transparency issues in online platforms exist and the legal framework needs to adapt in a more efficient way to these challenges.

European Commission, 2016. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on copyright in the Digital Single Market”. Brussels, European Union. 15 European Commission, 2017. Digital Single Market: Commission calls for swift adoption of key proposals and maps out challenges ahead. [Online] Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1232_en.htm [Accessed on 15/12/2017] EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 9

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Furthermore, a need to facilitate card, electronic and mobile payments has been recognized in order to increase trust in online shopping. Another challenge that the EU currently faces is how to open more service sectors for competition and create opportunities for small and medium sized enterprises to prosper via the DSM. Last but not least, the digital shift in the economy is combined with the need for digital skills training in the labor market so as to ensure a future-proof market economy.

What has been done so far? According to the Mid-term review of the Digital Single Market Strategy many steps have been taken so far for the correct implementation of the DSM and as the graph below shows, these steps have helped to increase online orders. More specifically, in 2017, the EU’s Cyber Security Strategy and the mandate of ENISA have been reviewed in order to cope with today’s elaborate digital threats and ensure data protection. Furthermore, in June 2017 all roaming charges have been abolished across the EU and strong net neutrality laws have been implemented. In addition, following the need of a further harmonization of the legal framework concerning data flows between the member states, the European Commission has begun a detailed exchange with the member states concerning the establishment of a free flow of data cooperation framework. Moreover, the EU has actively promoted removal mechanisms for illegal content by the above mentioned regulations and directives.

EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 10

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

EU Political Parties Position European People’s Party The European People’s Party is the party of the center and the centre right. For them, the internet is very important for economic growth and innovation and represents a new age that comes with enormous potential for the European society and economy to develop further. They believe in the immediate creation of a fully integrated Digital Single Market (DSM) in order to remain competitive. Creating the DSM, according to them would benefit European citizens in the form of better competition, more much-needed growth, more jobs and a more flexible labour market. The digital economy as a source of sustainable growth will maintain its strength in the future if the DSM is implemented, since productivity growth will be determined to a large extent by the continued horizontal and vertical spread of the Internet. At least one-fifth of economic growth in the past five years in mature markets has come from the digital technology sector and its positive spillover effects on the economy as a whole. The EU’s digital economy is, according to the EPP, expected to grow seven times faster than the overall EU GDP in the years to come, therefore they believe that it is very important to make sure that the right regulations are in place for that to become a reality. Further digitalisation will have an effect on every aspect of citizens’ lives, therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the EU adopt a holistic approach to the Digital Agenda. There are two billion Internet users worldwide, which makes it possible for start-ups, small and growing enterprises to gain access to potential clients in every corner of the earth. Thus, creating a European Digital Single Market would benefit citizens, consumers, employees and businesses alike.

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats In today's times of crisis, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has set as a priority to fight unemployment and ensure that our societies and markets become fairer. They want to give people back trust in the EU and hope for their future. For them, a truly progressive trade policy must strive to build a more transparent, democratic global trade system which benefits the many and not the EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 11

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

few. Trade agreements can risk lowering standards, but with the right approach they can instead be an opportunity to protect and strengthen our high labour and environmental standards and our way of life for the future. S&D MPs have welcomed the VAT rules proposed by the European Commission to make life easier for ecommerce and online businesses in the EU, and called on EU member states to support them.Evelyne Gebhardt, the S&D Spokesperson for the internal market and consumer protection, said:“We welcome these proposals from the Commission and look forward to working on them over the coming months. Removing obstacles to the digital single market is a key priority for the S&D Group. We are pleased with the proposals to tackle unjustified geo-blocking – it is unacceptable that customers end up paying different prices or paying twice for the same service in different member states. The proposals should prevent content providers from using geo-blocking as a way of limiting choice or pushing up prices. The proposal must nonetheless ensure protection for cultural diversity, making sure that choice does not come at the expense of local cultural voices. Ever more purchases are being made online, therefore ensuring rapid and cost-efficient delivery of parcels across borders is a priority for the group. However, we must not lose sight of the social dimension and effects on the labour market. We also welcome new rules to ensure that consumers’ rights are protected and can be enforced across the Single Market.” Furthermore, Josef Weidenholzer, S&D vicepresident and spokesperson for the digital union, said: “We are finally beginning to really make progress on the path to a fully digital union. Our priority is that this union is based on fairness and inclusion. We also welcome the first ideas on online platforms. For us it is important that all platforms operate fairly across borders. It is essential that they respect competition, support future rules on consumer, e-commerce and copyright, are transparent in how they operate, respect data protection rules, and abide by the laws covering their offline equivalents. We also urge the Commission to put forward a clear and ambitious strategy on digital skills as soon as possible. This is needed to ensure that no European is left behind and all can take advantage of this developing European digital market place.”

European Conservatives and Conformists The European Conservatives and Conformists strongly believe that free markets and free trade form the basis of global wealth creation and provide an essential framework for enterprise, opportunity and prosperity. With many European EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 12

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Member State economies still trying to overcome the effects of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and facing significant challenges to return to solid and consistent growth, they believe trade is key to the EU's recovery and it’s ability to compete in the global marketplace. On the topic of e-commerce and the digital single market, Malcolm Harbour, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Single market and Consumer Protection Committee, believes that customers’ fears about the cost and reliability of delivery services were one of the key barriers holding back the growth of e-commerce across the European Union. The West Midlands MEP said: “Internet shopping and trading is a key growth area in the economy, but it is largely done within national boundaries. For the single market to work effectively, cross border e-commerce must start to thrive too. It should be growing exponentially and should become a key driver in Europe’s recovery; but at the moment it is held back. Nearly half of consumers worry about receiving their goods safely and promptly when they buy online from traders in another EU country. An even higher proportion of online retailers think the reliability of cross-border deliveries is a barrier to trade. We welcome the Commission’s initiative to adopt a Green Paper consultation on the delivery of parcels, with special emphasis on crossborder issues and e-commerce needs with the priorities of improving convenience of delivery services for consumers and small businesses, ensuring more cost-effective delivery and better prices, and improved interoperability between delivery companies in different countries, and between operators and online retailers. I hope it will now progress this matter quickly because a true single market in e-commerce depends on reliable and efficient fulfilment of orders. Delivering that could be one of the biggest catalysts there is for reviving the UK and Europe’s economy.”

Alliance for Liberals and Democrats for Europe The Alliance for Liberals and Democrats for Europe finds the completion of the EU's digital single market very important. The European Parliament has adopted a report, co-drafted by an ALDE MEP Kaja Kallas, calling for ambitious, targeted actions to complete Europe's digital single market. Liberal and Democrat MEPs strongly supported the report, which calls on the EU and Member States to embrace digital innovation, by supporting the digital transformation of traditional industries and increasing the take up of e-services by public administrations, while removing barriers for innovative companies to start and scale up. It has been estimated that completing the digital single market once and for all could create €340bn in additional growth across the EU.

EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 13

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Commenting on this report, the European Parliament's co-rapporteur Kaja Kallas said: "I am delighted my report was today adopted by a large majority. This report is entirely pro-innovation, especially for online platforms. We say no to overregulation, and no to regulating based on vested interests, but yes to removing the artificial barriers in Europe which are hindering the growth of the digital economy. Europe has already missed two waves of innovation; first with social networks, then with the sharing economy. If we don't want to miss the next wave, we have to look towards the Internet of Things, big data and machine to machine communication. They can radically transform our economy and our society for the better and our legislation needs to reflect that. Companies are often advised that in order to be innovative, they have to let go of their old products to free space for new ones. This also applies to legislation. If laws are no longer fit for purpose, they need to be reviewed. “Data Charanzova MEP and ALDE Co-ordinator on the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee said: "Platforms are the future engine of economic growth in the European Union. E-government, e-health and e-society are vital tools to lowering bureaucracy and making our daily lives better and less stressful. E-commerce is opening a world of empowerment and choice for consumers. We should embrace each of these and this wider digital revolution without fear. This digital revolution is the new industrial revolution. Just as the industrial revolution once made us leaders in the world, the Digital Single Market can help create more growth and jobs again. This is not the time for digital protectionism, between Member States or globally. Whether we succeed or fail is up to us. Only if we act quickly now can we ensure that Europeans will be the leaders and not the followers in the economy of the 21st century.” Thus, the ALDE party is a big supporter of digital innovation. The ALDE group has also long advocated a nondiscriminatory principle regarding online sales of goods and services, while ensuring that businesses will not be forced to deliver to other Member States.

Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left The Confederal Group of the European United Left - Nordic Green Left has as its prime objective to transform the European Union and make it more human, more transparent and more tangible. They want more direct democracy and active participation by citizens. The European Union, according to them must become a project of its people and cannot remain a project of the elites. Their main goals are equal rights for women and men, civil rights and liberties and the enforcement of EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 14

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

human rights. Anti-Fascism and anti-racism are also a strong part of the tradition of left movements in Europe. In response to the European Commission's proposal for the Digital Single Market that was released, GUE/NGL MEPs are calling for a more holistic approach for workers, consumers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Dutch MEP, Dennis de Jong, highlighted some of the problems he found in the proposal for SMEs and consumers: "For SMEs it is often very difficult to make themselves visible in the results coming out of search engines. The consumer also doesn't get a proper view of all the suppliers that are on the market. The European Commission first wants to study whether the digital market will regulate itself to resolve such problems. But meanwhile, SMEs are losing a lot of potential earnings because they do not appear on Google.” De Jong also called on the European Commission to resolve problems with online ticket purchasing: "Another example of the problems faced by consumers is with buying tickets online for concerts and events. There are companies selling tickets online for the same events at different prices. There is not enough transparency.” Spanish MEP, Paloma López Bermejo, reminded the European Commission that "the majority of European citizens are workers as well as consumers. We must view the single market as a whole, including a range of different sectors. If you don't do that, you will end up seeing the destructive effect of digitalisation on labour. What worries me is that we are going to continue treating digital platforms as though they are offering new services, when in reality they are offering old services in a different format. A driver ought to have same rights whether he or she is working in a taxi or for Uber. The same thing is true for other sectors, whether it is telecommunications or the hotel trade. It's important that the digital services operate in exactly the same regulatory framework as traditional industry, with the same obligations. This is the proposal we want to see from the European Commission.” Czech MEP, Jiří Maštálka, added: "We should also make sure that there is free access to the internet throughout the EU. We would like to draw attention to some problems that must be overcome. For instance, data protection - protection for consumers when they are buying things in the single market or dealing with institutions through e-government. There is also an issue regarding the digital single market for people working from home whose rights must be respected. The digital single market must have a social dimension.” GUE/NGL Shadow Rapporteur on the report for the Industry Research and Energy Committee, Cornelia Ernst, raised additional issues: “As far as I can see, the European Commission's plans are still not sufficient to guarantee equal access for all to the digital single market.”16 16

Guengl.eu. (2017). Digital single market proposal must benefit all, not just big companies - GUE/NGL - Another Europe is possible. [online] Available at: http://www.guengl.eu/news/article/digital-singlemarket-proposal-must-benefit-all-not-just-big-companies [Accessed 26 Jan. 2018]. EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 15

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

Conclusions The issue of the establishment and development of a Digital Single Market is highly technical and therefore very challenging. Measures have been taken so far in order to ensure the smooth integration of the Digital Single Market but there are still many barriers that need to be removed in order for the EU and its member states to fully adapt to the era of electronic commerce and also for the citizens to trust the DSM. To conclude, this Study guide includes only some of the key aspects of the agenda topic and aims to work as a motivation for further research. By all means, it is not an exhaustive analysis of the issue therefore, further research is highly encouraged.

Questions raised •

• • • •

Which other aspects of the Digital Single Market Strategy need to be prioritized in the short term in order to make the process of the Digital Single Market’s integration move faster and more efficiently? How can the EU ensure that its digital economy is competitive globally? Should the EU aim to a higher level of harmonization between the member states concerning aspects of the DSM like copyright infringements? What further measures should be taken in order to enhance cyber security concerning the Digital Single Market and ensure data protection? What further measures should be taken in order to eliminate territoriality of copyright?

Bibliography Dr Grainger, A., 2015. Customs Issues Falling Under INTA's New Remit, Belgium: European Union. European Commission, 2015. A Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe. [Online] Available at: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?qid=1447773803386&uri=CELEX%3A52015DC0192 European Commission, 2015. Directive of the European Parliament and the European Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the online and other distance sales of goods. Brussels, European Union. European Commission, 2015. Directive of The European Parliament and the European Council on on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content. Brussels, European Union. EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 16

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

European Commission, 2016. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on copyright in the Digital Single Market”. Brussels, European Union. European Commission, 2016. Proposal for a Regulation on cross-border parcel delivery services. Brussels, European Union. European Commission, 2016. Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on addressing geo-blocking and other forms of discrimination based on customers' nationality, place of residence or place of establishment within the internal market. Brussels, European Union. European Commission, 2016. Regulation of the European Parliament and the European Council on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws. Brussels, European Union. European Commission, 2017. Digital Single Market: Commission calls for swift adoption of key proposals and maps out challenges ahead. [Online] Available at: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-1232_en.htm European Commission, n.d. e-Commerce Directive. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/e-commerce-directive [Accessed 11 2017]. European Commission, n.d. Shaping the Digital Single Market. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/shaping-digitalsingle-market [Accessed 12 2017]. European Council, 2010. Europe 2020; A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. [Online] Available at: http://ec.europa.eu/eu2020/pdf/COMPLET%20EN%20BARROSO%20%20%20007%2 0-%20Europe%202020%20-%20EN%20version.pdf Investopedia, n.d. Electronic Commerce. [Online] Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/ecommerce.asp [Accessed 12 2017]. Εuropean Commission, n.d. Digital single market. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/digital-single-market_en [Accessed 12 2017].

Further Reading Engels, B., 2017. Detours on the Path to a European Big Data Economy. Leibniz Information Center for Economics, pp. 213-217. EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 17

ΙΝΤΑ Committee, “Digital Single Market: How can the EU continue to remove barriers and encourage free movement of goods and services in the era of electronic commerce?” Study Guide

European Commission, 2017. The Digital Single Market; State of Play. [Online] Available at: file:///C:/Users/%CE%9A%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%B1 /Downloads/MakingthemostofDigitalOpportunitiesinEurope.pdf European Commission, n.d. e-Commerce Directive. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/e-commerce-directive Herber, Z., 2016. A legal framework for a data economy in the European Digital Single Market; rights to use data. Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, 00(0). Renda, A., 2017. Will the DSM Strategy Spur Innovation? Leibniz Information Center for Economics, pp. 197-201.

EUropa.S. 2018, March 30th – April 2nd, Athens, Greece europas.irtea@gmail.com | www.europas.irtea.gr Page 18