As our societies navigate difficult instances and endure widespread digital transformation, fostering progress in our homegrown tech companies has by no means been extra crucial to reaching the broader objectives of the European venture.
The European Tech Alliance (EUTA) represents main tech firms born and bred in Europe. We imagine that with the correct circumstances, EU tech firms can improve Europe’s resilience, enhance our technological autonomy, shield and empower shoppers, and promote European values comparable to transparency, the rule of regulation and innovation to the remainder of the world.
The European Fee’s bold targets for 2030 within the Digital Decade program signify a imaginative and prescient for a sustainable and extra affluent digital future. Nevertheless, extra is required if we’re to attain our objectives.
Europe should enhance its tech competitiveness over the subsequent 5 years. To unlock European tech management each at residence and past, we have to have an bold EU tech technique to beat progress obstacles, to make a political dedication to clear, focused and risk-based guidelines, and to pursue constant enforcement to match the globalized market we’re in.
An EU technique for European tech
We’d like a technique for European tech that empowers digital firms to develop and use new innovation instruments to ship one of the best providers and merchandise, together with customized experiences, to their customers. European tech firms are useful belongings for Europe. They should be nurtured and supported.
Europe should enhance its tech competitiveness over the subsequent 5 years.
In follow, this might tackle a number of kinds. For example, we have to unlock the ability of knowledge as a key lever for innovation whereas respecting client privateness. Privateness-enhancing applied sciences and pseudonymization ought to be additional promoted by lawmakers and regulators to empower European firms to make use of knowledge, develop and stay aggressive.
A European technique for expertise to reinforce European firms’ attractiveness may be pursued. Builders ought to be pushing the boundaries of innovation, utilizing their imaginations to enhance the providers and merchandise from European firms, moderately than focusing their distinctive abilities on compliance duties.
Lastly, EU tech firms ought to have a seat on the desk when proposed guidelines have an effect on their capability to put money into Europe and to offer good providers, merchandise and experiences. Bringing in experience from the bottom up would facilitate the expansion of European champions at international, nationwide and regional stage.
Sensible guidelines for a stronger Europe
The digital world is a fully-regulated sector with a variety of new and up to date guidelines. It’s important to provide these guidelines time to play out earlier than assessing their effectivity and influence on EU tech firms.
For example, the EU’s client safety framework was lately up to date with the ‘Omnibus Directive’. These new guidelines began making use of from Might 2022 onward solely, but they have been up for one more partial revision lower than a yr later. Companies want time to place guidelines into follow, and lawmakers want time to investigate their results in the true world, earlier than amending the rulebook as soon as once more.
European, nationwide and regional measures ought to complement one another, not conflict or duplicate efforts. The ink of the Digital Companies Act (DSA) was not even dry when some EU nations added additional layers of regulation at nationwide stage, such because the French regulation for on-line influencers and the proposed invoice to safe and regulate the digital house. There have to be a robust concentrate on avoiding nationwide fragmentation the place EU legal guidelines exist. In any other case we’re shifting additional away from a really single market that’s the cornerstone of European competitiveness.
The place EU guidelines are wanted, lawmakers ought to concentrate on concrete issues and be aware of various tech enterprise fashions, for instance, retailers vs. marketplaces; new vs. second-hand items, streaming vs. social media. Guidelines ought to handle issues with particular enterprise fashions as an alternative of a one-size-fits-all strategy or dictating particular product designs. Any proposed resolution must also be proportionate to the issue recognized.
Higher enforcement for fairer competitors
One of many massive issues we face in Europe is making certain a stage enjoying subject for all companies, to attain honest competitors. The EU has enshrined these values within the Digital Markets Act (DMA). We should not lose sight of this ambition as we flip to the all-important activity of enforcement of the DMA.
European, nationwide and regional measures ought to complement one another, not conflict or duplicate efforts.
Higher cooperation ought to be inspired between regulatory authorities at nationwide stage (for instance, client, competitors and knowledge safety) but in addition amongst European nations and with the EU to make sure coherent utility.
Now that the European Fee takes on the brand new position of rule enforcer, it’s of paramount significance to put a robust concentrate on independence, separate from political pursuits. This may guarantee a strong and neutral enforcement mechanism that upholds the integrity of the regulatory framework.
What’s subsequent?
European tech firms within the EUTA imagine the EU can take two essential steps for our competitiveness, so we are able to proceed to put money into Europe’s technological innovation and European shoppers.
First, the EU digital single market is incomplete, we have to keep away from 27 totally different interpretations of the identical EU guidelines. A robust harmonization push is required for EU firms to develop sooner throughout the Continent.
Second, we glance towards the EU, nationwide governments and authorities to convey financial competitiveness and innovation to the core of regulation, after which to implement these guidelines pretty and equally.
EUTA members are firms born and bred in Europe. The EU is an important market and we’re deeply dedicated to European residents and European values. With our EUTA manifesto, we suggest a imaginative and prescient so Europe can succeed, and our personal European champions can develop and develop into international leaders.
