Digital Single Market: status of actions

Published on 10th May 2016

To mark the one year anniversary of the European Commission’s formal announcement of the Digital Single Market on 6 May 2015, here is the status of the 16 actions listed in the announcement’s Annex (Roadmap for completing the Digital Single Market):

Action Consultation
– status
Legislation
– status
Pillar
1 – Better access for consumers and businesses to digital goods and services
across Europe
Legislative proposals for simple and
effective cross-border contract rules for consumers and businesses.
Closed on 03/09/2015.

Results not yet available. Click here
for details.

On 09/12/2015 the Commission
submitted two proposals to the European Parliament and Council:
  1. the draft Directive on certain
    aspects concerning contracts for the online and other distance sales of
    goods (see here);
    and
  2. the draft Directive on certain
    aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content published
    (see here).

Click here
for the relevant Implementation Appraisal, which outlines the existing EU law
to be amended by these proposals.

Review of the
Regulation on Consumer Protection Cooperation
No consultation planned. The Inception Impact Assessment is
available here.
The Commission launched an EU-wide online dispute resolution platform on 15
February 2016 (see here for
details).
Measures in the area of parcel
delivery.
Closed on 29/06/2015.

Click here
for the results.  More analysis is
available here

The Commission will launch measures
and promote action by industry in the first half of 2016 to improve price
transparency and enhanced regulatory oversight of parcel delivery.
A wide ranging review to prepare
legislative proposals to tackle unjustified Geo-blocking.
Closed on 28/12/2015.

Click here
for the summary report.

Click here
for the Commission’s full report. Legislative proposals are expected to be published
in May 2016.
Competition sector inquiry into
e-commerce, relating to the online trade of goods and the provision of online
services
No consultation planned. Click here for
the announcement of the inquiry. The Commission published its preliminary
report on 18 March 2016 (see here).
The final report is expected mid 2016.
Review of the
Satellite and Cable Directive
.
Closed on 16/11/2015.

Click here
for the summary report.

Click here
for the Commission’s full report, which will contribute to the evaluation of
the Directive and to assessing options to enhance cross-border distribution
of TV and radio programmes online.
Legislative proposals for a reform of
the copyright regime
Consultation on the Enforcement
Directive
closed on 15/04/2016. Click here
for details.

Consultation on the role of
publishers in the copyright value chain and the ‘panorama exception’ open
until 15/06/2016. Click here
to respond.

Click here
for the Commission’s plan for copyright reform.

Click here
for a draft Regulation on ensuring the cross-border portability of online
content services in the internal market.

Legislative proposals to reduce the
administrative burden on business arising from different VAT regimes.
Closed 18/12/2015.

Click here
for the results.

The Commission is expected to make
legislative proposals by the end of 2016 (click here for
its “Action Plan on VAT”).
Pillar
2 – Creating the right conditions for digital networks and services to
flourish
Legislative proposals to reform the
current telecoms rules.
Closed on 7/12/2015.

Click here
for the summary report and here
for the full synopsis.

The full synopsis will feed into the
review of the regulatory framework for telecommunications (a summary of which
can be found here)
and is likely to form the basis of a legislative proposal later this year.
Review of the
Audiovisual Media Services Directive
.
Closed on 30/09/2015.

Click here
for the summary report.

The Commission is expected to publish
a full synopsis. The results will feed into the REFIT
Evaluation and Impact Assessment
accompanying the legislative proposal later
this year.
Comprehensive analysis of the role of
the platforms in the market including illegal content on the Internet.
Closed on 06/01/2016.

Click here
for the summary report.

The Commission has launched 3
external studies analysing the consultation’s replies. A full report is
expected to be published shortly and is likely to form the basis of a
legislative proposal later this year.
Review of the e-Privacy Directive Open until 05/07/2016.

Click here to
respond.

A legislative proposal to reform the
e-Privacy directive is expected to be published by the end of 2016.
Establishment of a Cybersecurity
contractual Public-Private Partnership.
Closed on 11/03/2016.

Results not yet available. Click here
for details.

Andrus Ansip is reported (here)
to have said that the partnership will be launched in early 2017.
Pillar
3 – Maximising the growth potential of the Digital Economy
Initiatives on data ownership, free
flow of data (e.g. between cloud providers) and on a European Cloud.
Relevant questions included in the
Platforms Consultation at 11.
An Inception Impact Assessment on the
Free Flow of Data initiative was discussed at an Inter-service Steering Group
meeting on 15/01/2016 and is expected to be published shortly.

Click here
for details of the Commission’s plan to implement a European Cloud between now
and 2020.

A consultation workshop on the Free
Flow of Data will take place on 18 May 2016 in Brussels (click here
to register).

Adoption of a Priority ICT Standards
Plan and extending the European Interoperability Framework for public
services.
Closed on 04/01/2016.

Click here
for the summary report and here
for the full synopsis report.

Click here
for the Commission’s Communication on ICT Standardisation Priorities for the
Digital Single Market.
New e-Government Action Plan
including an initiative on the ‘Once-Only’ principle and an initiative on
building up the interconnection of business registers.
Closed on 22/01/0216.

Click here
for the summary report.

Click here
for the Commission’s Communication on the EU eGovernment Action Plan 2016 –
2020.
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