Speech by Vice-President Ansip at the Ministerial Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the Digital Economy

Met dank overgenomen van A. (Andrus) Ansip i, gepubliceerd op woensdag 22 juni 2016.

Speech by European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip i at the Ministerial Meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on the Digital Economy

Ladies and gentlemen - it is a pleasure to be here with you at this OECD ministerial meeting on the digital economy.

Digital issues are now firmly on the global political agenda.

I saw this at the G7 ICT meeting in Japan in April. This was after a gap of 20 years, so perhaps a little overdue. And similar discussions are ongoing in the G20 formation.

These are clear signs of their socio-economic importance and political relevance. ICT is the fastest growing sector in the world.

The whole world is going online.

But not everybody, and not everywhere - as the World Bank made clear in its Digital Dividends report from a few months ago.

There are many people in the world who are losing out on these new opportunities simply because they do not have access to digital technologies.

Around 4 billion people, or 60% of the world’s population, still lack access to the internet. If more than half the world is offline, we are clearly a long way from global connectivity.

In Japan, the G7 ministers agreed a plan for 1.5 billion more people to have internet access by 2020. It is a good start towards getting rid of digital divides and exclusion around the world.

Today, we live in a world where multibillion-dollar companies are created and become household names within one to three years.

In 2016, global internet traffic is due to exceed one zettabyte for the first time. This vast amount of data helps us to tackle epidemics, congestion and pollution.

We live in an age where access to broadband can have a greater effect on GDP than access to ports and railways.

These long-term shifts affect all parts of our societies and economies.

Just look at the explosive growth in the sharing and app economies - and in the global rise of online platforms and e-commerce.

The potential of the digital economy to create economic growth, employment and innovation cannot be underestimated.

Digital should be at the core of political priorities at all levels of government: international, national, regional and local.

But this is more than simply having an internet connection.

It is about making sure people know how to use technology, and learn from it. For full social and economic inclusion, having adequate digital skills is as important as being able to access technology.

It is good to see that digital skills are strongly recognised as basic skills, along with literacy and numeracy.

Since digital technology and the internet do not recognise borders, some issues need global solutions.

National or regional interests should not get in the way of overarching objectives: simplifying rules or creating predictable and stable market conditions for businesses, investors and consumers.

Open international cooperation and discussions are vital in areas such as net neutrality, the open internet, data protection, privacy and cybersecurity, as well as internet governance. They affect the whole of the world's digital community.

It is why our meeting today on broader policy objectives in the context of the OECD is so important.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Europe's response to these changes is to build a Digital Single Market.

We take a coherent approach across different sectors, with all EU policies supporting digital as a vehicle for innovation and sustainable growth.

A major problem to tackle is the splintered nature of EU digital markets into 28 different national regimes.

This goes against the concept of a digital and data-driven economy - where rapid growth and cross-border data flows are all-important.

Our plan will strengthen Europe's digital competitiveness, boost digital startups, small and medium-sized enterprises and European industry.

It will help consumers to get more out of the digital age by improving their online access and choice of services.

The idea is to remove barriers to the Digital Single Market as a way to open up its opportunities - for all people and businesses, not only European.

I said earlier that the digital economy is global and borderless by its nature.

I would like to conclude by returning to the G7 ICT meeting in Japan.

I find this quote from the Charter for the Digitally Connected World to be particularly relevant:

"We expect worldwide proliferation of ICT infrastructure and services to enable seamless global connectivity among people and things anytime and anywhere that enhances our quality of life."

Globally, we face many of the same challenges.

The main challenge now for all of us is to guarantee the secure and free flow of data, develop technical standards, and ensure interoperability.

I look forward to working together so that the global digital economy fulfils its enormous potential for enhancing fairness and social inclusion.

And also to bring us collective long-term prosperity. Thank you.

SPEECH/16/2294

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