How Can Digital Technologies Build A More Integrated Europe

According to the European Commission, two recent policies: the Digital Service Act and the Digital Market Act will allow for the regulation of a significant part of the EU Digital Single Market (DSM), to an extent similar to the creation of the traditional internal market in the early 1990s. The provisions are intended to improve conditions in the EU DSM to ensure that the market is as free and fair as it is safe for users of the digital economy. This interdisciplinary book analyses the impact of digital technologies on specific markets and, more broadly, the society and the economy. It identifies and assesses the different features, challenges, trends and dimensions of the EU DSM, from a legal and economic viewpoint, and also from a Polish perspective. Poland is presented as one of the EU countries participating in the creation of the EU DSM and is analysed alongside the average, as well as the best and the worst performing EU member states and compared with other non-EU members. The book addresses several broad areas in which the implications of digitalisation are particularly visible, and which are important to the average person: giant online platforms, freedom of speech, e-commerce, digital levy, energy infrastructure, and the labour market. The authors have presented opportunities and threats related to the functioning of the digital market. These opportunities and threats are typical of highly developed countries while reflecting the specific features of the EU DSM. The starting point of the considerations are the diverse experiences of the EU member states. The book adds a voice to the public debate on the role of the digital economy in the contemporary world and will be a useful guide for students and researchers in economics, law, and international relations. Chapters 1 and 2 of this book are available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at ww.routledge.com . They have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

The Economic Impact of Digital Technologies offers a profoundly illuminating examination of ICT transformations in Europe and its critical role in greater social inequality. It presents scholars and policy makers with original and practical tools to benchmark and assess the ICT diffusion and inclusion process. The core message of book is that a coherent European strategy for embedding ICT technologies in society is long overdue. Social differences in ICT use persist and are in some cases widening, yet despite this fact there is a dearth of research on remedying digital inequalities. This is of particular importance given that relative levels of ICT use, investment and research can often explain variations in economic performance between industrialised countries. The purpose of this book is to fill the gap in the literature by presenting key evidence on the economic benefits (and costs) deriving from investment in an inclusive information society. The authors propose indicators and indexes of digital development and e-Inclusion (and its flip-side e-exclusion) to assess the relationship between inclusive ICT and wider economic and social performance in Europe. Presenting the methodology to monitor countries' performance and ICT use, together with original measures and policy suggestions, this book will be indispensable to policymakers, scholars and postgraduate students in a variety of areas including economic growth, innovation, industrial and organizational studies, information and technology, European studies, and public and social policy.

This book explores the intricate connection between the Single Market, characterized by the freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and labor within and across Europe, and the Digital Single Market, the virtual space that promotes freedom of movement of information and data. Both a result and catalyst of the Single Market, the Digital Single Market has become a different space from the Single Market, as the former is based on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs), while the latter is the result of concerted actions and concessions by Member States in the European Union. The author argues that, similar to the Single Market, the Digital Single Market is an instrument, built by the influence of the Internet, which can provide a new means of socio-economic growth and development in Europe. While sharing many similar characteristics, the Single Market and the Digital Single Market diverge in important aspects, particularly with respect to policy. The research analyzes the interaction between policy actors, their influence in the European decision-making process, and their interests in order to establish a digital policy model, in comparison with market policy. Moreover, this volume considers the implementation process and the success of such initiatives under the current policy model, and puts forward policy recommendations. Ultimately, the author considers the utility of such research on digital policy, considering the current focus on migration, vulnerabilities to internal challenges (e.g., Brexit) and security threats, maintaining that the discussion of digital policies relates to an innovative vision of the European integration process and prospects for its future.

This latest volume provides a framework, evidence, and recommendations for how to attain a dynamic and inclusive digital economy. Europe 4.0 is possible -- and Europe should take the chance.

Social welfare is riddled with ingrained problems that have already defeated all standard approaches, and reform calls for counterintuitive action. Digital Social Innovation (DSI) is primarily about promoting grassroots initiatives to address localized societal problems, and is not normally talked about in relation to welfare reform, but perhaps social innovation initiatives, with their localized and case-based approach, could help to solve the enormous structural problems faced by our welfare democracies today. This book addresses the potential and implications of DSI for the reform of the European welfare state. The 14 papers collected here focus on key issues, such as the nature of social innovation and its effects; scaling up to address structural problems and make systemic change; new social risks and challenges; the role of digital thinking and emerging technologies; public governance approaches; tolerance of institutions; integrating innovation in the welfare system; and the empowerment of marginalized citizens. These topics are examined from an integrated and multi-disciplinary perspective, taking into consideration not only current EU debate on policy trends for social protection, but also the nature of digital transformation and its effects on social change. The book also highlights barriers to adoption, as well as the potential limitations and failures of this emerging approach. Digital social innovation is an emerging discipline that deserves more attention from policy makers and more resources from government. Drawing on welfare studies, political science, sociology, psychology, law and computer science, this book will be of interest to researchers, practitioners and policy makers alike.

Welcome to the 2014-15 edition of the 'Secret of Success'. In the current economic situation, European companies must turn to innovation, productivity, resource-efficiency and high value-added if they want to stay competitive in global markets and to respond to the growth and job creation challenges. Digital transition, which is underway across the global economy, is at the heart of the transformation of European industry. In the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, the EU is implementing several measures with the ambition of creating a wide and strong industrial base conducive to a positive environment for long term investments; accelerating increases in productivity and job creation; raising EU industrial competitiveness; and bringing the contribution of industry to a level of 20% of the GDP by 2020.^Digital technologies are the single most important driver of innovation and growth today; they re-shape entire industries and open doors for a new generation of entrepreneurs and innovators. However, Europe is only scratching the surface when it comes to reaping the benefits of digital growth, with only 2% of European enterprises currently taking full advantage of digital opportunities. This is why the EU Digital Agenda and the EU Industrial Policy not only recognise transformative power of digital technologies and their growing impact across all sectors, but also call to integrate new technological opportunities, such as cloud computing, big data and data value chain developments, new industrial applications of internet, smart factories, robotics, or 3-D printing and design into all sectors of the economy. And it does not stop there.^The entrepreneurs in this brochure, although diverse in their gender, age, ethnicity and experiences, all have a common thread running through their stories. These should inspire policy-makers and would-be entrepreneurs and help draw conclusions on what it takes to build and grow a successful business powered by advanced digital technologies.

This book explores the multiple challenges that the global technology shift is posing to the EU. It raises the question of how European societies will mobilize the positive effects of the rapid technological advancement in digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence, while mitigating the negative consequences in terms of job losses, cybercrime, and social and political polarization. From the vantage point of experts from economics, law, and political science, this book provides insights into the role that the EU is and ought to be playing in regulating global platform companies, addressing taxation in the digital economy, mitigating job displacements on the labour market, and tackling ethical concerns of artificial intelligence and the prospect of digital democracy. All chapters are based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessment of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates. They conclude with policy recommendations for policy makers on European and national levels. ‘This volume has a solid foundation in the highly topical question of technological change. More importantly, the individual chapters are written by qualified scholars whose analytically advanced contributions are likely to interest a wide audience. I can strongly recommend this book for scholars and students in political science, law, and economics.’ —Carl Fredrik Bergström, Professor of European Law, Uppsala University, Sweden ‘When the Commission took office in 2019, it put forward its vision as to how Europe’s digital future could be ‘shaped’ in a way that makes the digital transition enrich people’s lives and make sure that European businesses fully benefit from the opportunities offered by digital technologies. Then COVID drastically accelerated the take up of digital solutions. As the digital transformation affects every single one of us it is important that we have the widest possible debate on its inherent risks and opportunities. This is why I warmly recommend this book. It brings together an inter-disciplinary set of scholars able to analyse the multifaceted implications of the technological shift. And I could not agree more with the book’s main takeaway, i.e. that we need to create an adaptive regulatory framework capable of harnessing the positive effects of technological changes while buttressing the negative impact on European society and citizens.’ —Ambassador Kim Jørgensen, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner and Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission

This open access State-of-the-Art Survey describes and documents the developments and results of the Once-Only Principle Project (TOOP). The Once-Only Principle (OOP) is part of the seven underlying principles of the eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020. It aims to make the government more effective and to reduce administrative burdens by asking citizens and companies to provide certain standard information to the public authorities only once. The project was horizontal and policy-driven with the aim of showing that the implementation of OOP in a cross-border and cross-sector setting is feasible. The book summarizes the results of the project from policy, organizational, architectural, and technical points of view.

The digital transformation of the 21st century has affected all facets of society and has been highly advantageous in many industries, including urban planning and regional development. The practices, strategies, and developments surrounding urban e-planning in particular have been constantly shifting and adapting to new innovations as they arrive. Trends and Innovations in Urban E-Planning provides an updated panorama of the main trends, challenges, and recent innovations in the field of e-planning through the critical perspectives of diverse experts. This book adds new and updated evidence on recent changes in this field and provides critical insights on these innovations. Covering topics such as citizen engagement, land property management, and spatial planning, this book is an essential resource for students and educators of higher education, researchers, urban planners, engineers, public officials, community groups, and academicians.