Digital Economy and Society Index highlights enabling role of Internet Sector in European economy

The European Internet Service Providers Association (EuroISPA) has welcomed the results of the European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index, a study which further highlights the enabling role of the Internet sector across many areas of the European economy.

The report shows that 75% of Europeans used the Internet on a regular basis in 2014, and that a growing number of citizens are using the Internet to access services traditionally confined to the offline world. Moreover, a growing number of European enterprises are opting to conduct business over the Internet, with increases in e-commerce (+1%), e-invoicing (+1%) and related web-based enterprise activities.

Indeed, the figures highlight how European citizens expect accessible content in the online sphere. In that context, EuroISPA welcomes Commissioner Ansip’s commitment in launching the Index to make it easier for Europeans to access digital content online. Geoblocking and an outdated copyright directive serve as barriers which need to be overcome to improve citizens’ online experience and enhance “digital Europe”.

Oliver Süme, EuroISPA President said “The Digital Economy and Society Index illustrates how the European economy has all the fundamentals to unlock immense digitally-driven growth in the coming years. The Internet sector has played, and will continue to play a key role in enabling various sectors of the European economy to exploit the benefits of digitalisation. With a growing number of Europeans using the Internet to conduct everything from banking to grocery shopping, the report’s figures point to the Internet sector’s role in facilitating Europe’s transition from a digital economy to an economy that has become digital”.

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The Digital Economy and Society Index