How many times have you found a Geo-Block (the impossibility to use a digital service available in another European country)? If you are a digital user, as who is writing this post, probably you incurred in this block at least sometime.

Geo-blocks and other internal obstacles within the European Union are blocking its citizens and its enterprises. A quite recent news tells us that the European Commission has identified the priority areas of intervention in order to develop a Digital Single Market. Behind this decision there are various reasons such as the fact that more than 315 million of Europeans use internet every day. Nowadays the 57% of the Digital Market is from United States, the remaining 39% is on national basis and only the 4% is on intra-European basis. An esteem of the Commission shows a potential growth, as possible result of the Digital Market unification, of more than 340 billion euros.

Main fields of action are the following:

• Better access for consumers and businesses to digital goods and services across Europe;

• Shaping the right environment for digital networks and services to flourish;

• Creating an European Digital Economy and society with growth potential;

Which are the main advantages for citizens and enterprises? So many and so important to be even hard to imagine. Possibility of buying cross-countries good and services without incurring in any geo-block system allowing a freer market area. Possibility to unify the Copyright laws allowing a total fruition of the entertainment services independently from the country where the user is within the European Union’s borders, so movies, music and videogames wouldn’t be blocked any more permitting to the related enterprises (and the citizens) to go over the national borders. Providing an easier taxation law in order to lower the bureaucracy’s burden. Obtaining a stronger personal data protection through internet and increasing the internet access reducing the digital divide and speeding it up. All these advantages would help the economy and the European people. We can now just wish and hope that the European’s action will be fast!

– Euroleges ® –