Over the last two days, the European Tech Alliance convened in Madrid, Spain, to discuss strategies for unlocking European tech leadership both domestically and internationally, and ensuring Europe’s sustained competitiveness in the global market.
We met with the Presidency, the Ministry for Digitalisation, Economy, Internal Market, and Foreign Affairs, as well as members of the Spanish Parliament and the Councillor for Digitalisation of the Regional Government of Madrid. Additionally, we engaged with the vibrant Spanish tech community.
Here is an overview of our key focus areas:
1. Complete the Single Market and Strengthen EU’s Harmonisation
- Assess Overlapping and Conflicting Rules: The European Commission should meticulously identify and address regulatory overlaps. Our goal is to create a regulatory framework that fits together seamlessly, like a well-constructed puzzle.
- Ensure Coherent Enforcement: A unified set of rules, a single interpretation, and consistent enforcement across the EU are paramount to achieving harmonisation.
- Enhance Cooperation: We advocate for improved collaboration among authorities within and across Member States to ensure regulatory coherence and efficiency.
2. Develop a Strategy for EU Tech
- Develop a Strong Data Economy: Establishing a robust data economy where data can be re-used while safeguarding user privacy and consumer protection rights is critical.
- Talent Development: A concerted effort is needed to attract, develop, and retain top talent within the EU to drive innovation and growth.
- Support Unicorns: We need to address the specific needs of unicorns and balance the focus between big tech companies and startups to foster a diverse and dynamic tech ecosystem.
3. Enforce the Rules
- Universal Application: Ensuring that EU rules are applied uniformly to all entities, regardless of their headquarters’ location, is essential for fair competition.
- Resource Allocation: Equipping regulatory authorities with adequate resources and enhancing their cooperation will lead to more effective enforcement.
- Better Enforcement: Addressing gaps in enforcement through improvements to existing mechanisms rather than creating new rules will streamline compliance and accountability.
4. Adopt Tailored Rules Where Needed
- Engage with Industry: Understanding the diverse business models within the tech sector is crucial. We advocate for continuous engagement with industry stakeholders to ensure that regulations are appropriately tailored.
- Targeted Regulation: Avoiding over-regulation of the entire sector due to non-compliance by a few, and focusing on enforcing existing rules more effectively, will promote a healthier regulatory environment.
Find out more about EUTA’s vision for Europe’s 2030 digital policy here.
About the European Tech Alliance
EUTA represents leading European tech companies that provide innovative products and services to 500 million users. Our 30 EUTA member companies from 16 European countries are popular and have earned the trust of consumers. As companies born and bred in Europe, for whom the EU is a crucial market, we have a deep commitment to European citizens and values.
With the right conditions, our companies can strengthen Europe’s resilience and technological autonomy, protect and empower users online, and promote Europe’s values of transparency, rule of law and innovation to the rest of the world.
The EUTA calls for boosting Europe’s tech competitiveness by having an ambitious EU tech strategy to overcome growth obstacles, making a political commitment to clear, targeted and risk-based rules, and enforcing rules consistently to match the globalised market we are in.
For media inquiries, please contact:Victoria de Posson, EUTA Secretary General
E-mail: victoria@eutechalliance.eu
E-mail: info@eutechalliance.eu
Phone: +32 476 25 08 16
www.eutechalliance.eu
