“Innovation enabling regulation may sound oxymoronic yet not so much. If we do it right, if we think ahead when drafting legislation, it can be a driver for change. This is why dialogue between the institutions and the innovation-makers is key.” asserted MEP Maydell of the EPP Group during the opening remarks. Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation and Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo headed the panel “Europe on its way to a global hub for digital innovation”.

Carlos Moedas pointed that Europe is going back to science and engineering. “Artificial intelligence, block chain, robotics is not anymore part of the science fiction but part of our everyday life”, he added. Alexander de Croo, asserted that less regulation is not necessarily leading to more innovation, yet regulation is important to provide a stable environment for innovators.

Overall, all panellists agreed that creating the right ecosystem, and especially developing skills and understanding in the society about new technologies is essential. “Some 1.6 million students have been trained for IT skills in network academy led by Cisco”, stressed Pastora Valero, a Vice-President Public Policy and Government Affairs. Reinventing education that delivers digitally skilled people is indispensable. “Let’s have universal learning rights”, appealed Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister De Croo.

Casper Klynge from Denmark, the first tech Ambassador, opened the second panel of the conference, dedicated to “Data-fuelled economy for Europe in the Age of AI”. The Danish diplomat shed light on what ‘techplomacy’ means. “Bringing back knowledge to government on what the new tech trends are, what will technology bring us. Technology may cause inequalities on a geopolitical level.” stressed Klynge.

The discussion proceeded into looking at AI from the perspective of fundamental rights and the opportunities it gives to ease the lives of people with disabilities. “From legal viewpoint the one thing that is new about AI are the unforeseeable causalities it could create”, warned Paul Nemitz, Principal advisor at DG Justice, European Commission,. Google’s Kiran Kaja and Antoine Bordes, lead of Facebook’s AI Research Paris Lab, exemplified the variety of possibilities AI brings in our everyday life. “Artificial Intelligence has a positive net value for society, we need to develop trust in customers, tackle the misperceptions”, concluded  Nick Goode, Executive Vice President of Sage.

 Jim Brunsden, the leading financial services reporter for the Financial Times Brussels moderated the conference, which took place on 29 November 2017 at the European Parliament in Brussels.

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This is a part of a speech EPP/GERB MEP Eva Maydell gave on the 29th June 2017 at a high-level business forum in Brussels organised by Facebook and the Lisbon Council brains trust.

‘Technological development and the digitisation of trade and commerce transcend national boundaries and legislatures’ she continued ‘It is a question of helping the process along and making things easier, smoother and safer for both entrepreneurs and consumers by introducing a unified, Europe-wide legislative framework. Having only one set of laws to deal with instead of 28 will make doing business easier, while all European citizens will have equal access to digital content and services, and be less vulnerable to breaches of their personal data and cybersecurity.’

The forum, on the DSM and the opportunities it presents, was attended by the founders and CEOs of some of Europe’s most notable small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), as well as a number of high-ranking European officials.

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The two day event, which also included an appearance by Belgium’s deputy PM Alexander De Croo, saw Ms Maydell set up a working group on the subject of strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Europe and providing the tools and resources it requires to thrive.

‘It is of utmost importance that we connect start-up cultures, from Sofia to Lisbon and from Valetta to Helsinki, to encourage the exchange of ideas and experience. Finalising and implementing the Digital Single Market (DSM) is the best chance we can give European entrepreneurs to take their successes global.’

‘Net Futures 2017’ brought together professionals from across the digital field, industry leaders such as Google and Ericsson, as well as senior politicians. Bulgarian start-ups were represented by Sasha Bezuhanova from EDIT.bg (a network of over 300 digital entrepreneurs) and the Bulgarian Business Forum. The conference was aimed at getting stakeholders to think strategically about the digital economy and allow businesses to build upon the opportunities of a newly interconnected world. In the long term, it is to serve as a precursor to a EU-wide start-up knowledge exchange.

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Ms Maydell spoke about the wealth of funding opportunities for innovative business ideas provided by the EU, and urged Bulgarian entrepreneurs to make use of them.

‘It is encouraging to see more and more Bulgarian companies exhibit at prestigious events such as Makerstown. It is even more impressive for someone like Lubomir Yanchev, a young Bulgarian entrepreneur, to be specifically invited by the organisers alongside leading global innovators. It comes to show that if you have an original business idea, the support is there to make it a reality and create a really high-quality product’

‘There are two ways to increase business investment – pour more public money in, and ease the flow of capital across the European market. The better we are at the latter, the less of the former we would need. This is why the Juncker plan offers banks various loan guarantees if they lend to SMEs, while simultaneously working towards abolishing inter-state barriers to financial transactions such as credit and exchange fees. This should hopefully result in better online access to potential investment and make the job of finding funding a lot smoother and easier.’

Ms Maydell is the former EPP rapporteur to the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, focusing on the future of financial technologies (FinTech) and the progress of the Juncker investment plan.

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‘I am a strong believer in social entrepreneurship and couldn’t be more pleased that brilliant and capable young people focus their business acumen on ameliorating social issues instead of simply chasing profit. Our Romanian winners are further proof, if any was needed, that technology can help bring good ideas to fruition, regardless of where in Europe (or, in fact, the world) they originate. I am convinced that they’ll be successful and am looking forward to seeing the Mitra eyewear brand improve people’s lives in Bulgaria too.’ said the MEP, who celebrates her third year on the panel of the prestigious award organised by AmCham and Junior Achievement Europe. Apart from Ms Maydell, other judges included the acting US Chief of Mission to the EU Adam Shub and the UPS President for Europe Nando Cesarone.

The 3D printed glasses help the visually impaired move about safely by utilising numerous integrated sensors and object recognition algorithms to provide real-time navigation. At the award ceremony, the Oculus team was presented with a cheque for £10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored by some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world.

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A former EPP rapporteur to the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Ms Maydell argued that the lack of digital competencies in the workforce should be a main priority for the administration. ‘Digital skills are the main driver for progress in the 21st century and I am relieved to see that the Parliament’s conclusions reflect that. Along with added-value investment in digital infrastructure, the modernisation of industry needs qualified personnel to actually carry out the process. 40% of EU workers do not currently have the skills to do that’

‘It is important to have a serious conversation about digitisation. Over a third of industrial production growth is down to digital technologies being slowly but surely embedded into its DNA.The future is already happening – according to research by the European Commission, if we do this right, we can expect an increase in annual revenue of almost €100 billion!’

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The comment was made by EPP/GERB MEP Eva Maydell in a debate on Europe’s role in a globalised world during a regular session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 16th May 2017.

The continent’s openness to global trade has been hugely advantageous to its citizens. Research by the European Commission shows that every billion euros-worth of exports is responsible for keeping 14,000 Europeans in their jobs. ‘Whether we will remain a global leader depends on whether the Union manages to ride the wave of digital and technological innovation’ warned Ms Maydell after the debate.

She presented a broad outline of the factors necessary for that to happen, including enhancing the workforce’s digital competency, advancing a favourable regulatory framework, stimulating the exchange of data across the EU and acting as an incubator for innovation. ‘Finalising the Digital Single Market (DSM) is something we have to do, now, before we lose our competitive edge’.

The Parliamentary debate provided an opportunity for European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen to present the conclusions of a report on the subject prepared by the EC and introducing a number of considerations, including the redistribution of profits from global trade, easing the pressure on employment in Europe and facilitating economic growth in the developing world. The report is part of a broader debate on the future of the Union that started in March.

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Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, headed the panel ‘Innovation-driven Europe’. He presented the Commission´s instruments supporting innovation – the innovation tool and the innovation deals, which provide guidance on introducing new technologies within the flexibility of existing legislation. „Innovation needs to be seen in a dynamic way – in 60/70% of cases no change of laws is needed for it to be accommodated“. Attila Narin, Head of Business Development at Amazon Web Services, presented the consumer´s perspective on the issue, emphasising the necessity of understanding how innovation can be used in practice.  The panel was concluded by Alessandro Curioni, Head of IBM Research in Europe, who pointed out that „the real value of innovation is realized when real economic and societal needs and challenges are being met.“

The second panel of the conference, dedicated to ‘Competitiveness through smart regulation’, began with a statement by Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition. The Commissioner asserted that „you need both competition and a reward for innovators“, underlying the importance of rules protecting the freedom of innovators. Martin Lorentzon, Co-founder and Chairman of Spotify, expressed his strong support for the EU’s Digital Single Market initiative: „Spotify spent almost seven years to get the licences for music. The DSM and its on-going copyright project will make things so much easier to close those licences with 29 countries, levelling the playing field.“

Rachel Whetstone, Senior Vice President at Uber, voiced her company’s support for well-tailored regulation of safety and consumer protection issues and gave a number of examples of how Uber is increasingly serving underprivileged groups in Europe. “In the digital sector, any new legislation risks being outdated by the time it is implemented.  Possible platform regulation is a prime example for that“, observed Niklas Maydell of Cleary Gottlieb, the law firm. The panel was concluded by David Roy Lidington, the longest-serving Minister for Europe in the UK. „Europe will only be competitive if we uphold and support innovation. For instance, we should seeplatforms and robotic changes as an opportunity not as a treat.“

Commissioner Vestager and MEP Paunova agreed that the conference should just be the first in a series of joint, high-level events to come that will be committed to continuing the dialogue between policy-makers and stakeholders in search for better and well-fitted regulation in support of innovation.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”23″ gal_title=”EU and leading digital companies unite on a common view on regulation for innovation”]

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American IT giant Google, in partnership with GERB Entrepreneurs, GERB Youth and EPP MEP Eva Paunova,   gave its first conference in Bulgaria on the subject of ‘Young Entrepreneurs in the Digital Age’, launching the #GenerationD campaign. The session was chaired by Ms Paunova, GERB’s Mayoral candidate for Sofia Yordanka Fandakova and Google’s Public Policy Manager Georgios Mavros.

Ms Fandakova expressed her commitment to making Sofia a regional centre of Europe’s digital single market, citing advancements in e-governance, smart traffic control and public transportation as examples of the capital’s potential. She also re-stated the Municipality’s intention to make its data publically available as soon as possible.

Mr Mavros congratulated Bulgaria on having some of the most capable and talented IT specialists in the world and confirmed that Sofia could become the start-up hub of the Balkans. He also introduced some of the initiatives that Google has in store to encourage digital entrepreneurship across the continent, including plans to organise IT courses for up to 1 million Europeans by the end of 2016.

Ms Paunova spoke about the impending changes in the technology sector, which will require all stakeholders in the market economy to be well-informed and computer literate. She pointed out that Bulgaria is the first country in the world to introduce coding in its primary school curriculum and that this should be widely publicised as part of the country’s international ‘brand’.

Opening the event, together with GERB Youth’s Georg Georgiev, GERB Entrepreneurs head Valya Chilova said ‘We live in a very different era, a brand new economic model is being created. We can no longer afford to talk about entrepreneurship without thinking about its digital aspect, about cloud computing and digital manufacturing’.

The conference was attended by over 180 members of the public and business representatives, as well as Google’s Public Policy and Government Relations Manager for Central and Eastern Europe Marcin Olender.

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The young Bulgarians had the opportunity to present their projects at the European Parliament. According to Ms Radulj the mobile application “Banitsa finder”, invented by the Team Spirelex from Varna, has potential to gain popularity in the whole Balkan region. The app helps the user to find the best bakeries in their city. The second group consisted of students from Sofia University, who have invented an innovative online platform for matching companies seeking employees and jobseekers, named “Job Wars”. The app filters relevant qualifications of jobseekers according to current job offers. This group discussed with EYIF EU funding opportunities for the completion of their project.

Support for digital entrepreneurship is among the main priorities of MEP Eva Paunova. In November she organised a round table in the context of the initiative “Disrupt Europe 2015”, together with the EYIF and the Association for young entrepreneurs “Euromentors”. One of their main topics of interest is to spark a debate on new ways of European development through digital technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

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This is part of the speech GERB/EPP MEP Eva Paunova gave during an open-panel discussion on youth participation with members of Bourgas’ ‘Technological Development’ youth club. The meeting, which took place in GERB’s office in the city, was attended, among others, by the club’s chair Lubomir Jordanov. Ms Paunova has made the topic a priority of her tenure as a vice-president of European Movement International (EMI) – the biggest umbrella organisation for civil society groups across Europe.

Other key aspects discussed included proposals for e-voting and young people’s involvement with non-governmental organisations.

Participants concluded that the introduction of e-voting would have a positive impact on voter turnout, especially where under-25s are concerned, while playing a more active part in positive initiatives has a tangible influence on their success. Ms Paunova’s own ‘Education Bulgaria 2030’ campaign is a prime example of that, having been endorsed by over 50 allies in just a couple of months.

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The aim of the panel is to voice and exchange experiences and opinions on the importance of having young people actively participate in the social and political life of their community, their country and the European Union as a whole. It will explore different ways to make youth engagement both more effective and more consistent, while being empowering and inclusive to all.

Ms Paunova has made the topic a priority of her tenure as a vice-president of European Movement International (EMI) – the biggest umbrella organisation for civil society groups across Europe. EMI has played a key role in developing Europe’s political, social and cultural for a since its inception in 1948.

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In her speech Ms Paunova highlighted social media’s significant impact on her work as a representative, claiming that by introducing previously unavailable feedback channels, it has turned diplomacy from a ‘monologue into a dialogue’. Popular platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allow politicians to communicate their priorities and foster a culture of transparency and accountability, as well as engaging groups that they would otherwise have no direct contact with. The role of social media in facilitating ‘direct democracy’ will continue to grow exponentially, according to the Bulgarian MEP.

The London event brought together a number of experts from the public and private sectors, along with diplomats and journalists. Notable delegates included the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Matthew Barzun, NATO’s Director of Policy Planning Fabrice Pothier and FT senior correspondent Gideon Rachman. Attending were also Facebook’s EMEA Vice-President Nicola Mendelson and Government and Politics Specialist Elizabeth Linder.

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Fast forward ten years and replace Madonna with Vice-President Ansip: Introducing the European Digital Single Market Strategy will turn the EU’s single market into the dance floor of tomorrow. It will give Europe that extra edge to (finally) become the key player in the global digital economy.

Almost half a year ‘in development’ and a few ‘inevitable’ leaks later, the European Commission’s strategy on the Digital Single Market has finally been officially unveiled. A long awaited moment, no doubt, for critics to start picking it apart for perceived flaws in its data protection or copyright frameworks, to just name a few, while failing to see the bigger picture. If I were to describe the DSM with one word, it would be: Opportunity – our second chance to be the driving force of the digital revolution, and to compete with the US on knowledge and innovation.

The DSM strategy that was published today (6 May) is both extensive and ambitious; its many components essential and interconnected – the DSM would be untenable without their proper functioning and interoperability. It is proof, if any was ever needed, of how technology has become an integral part of our private and business lives.

To make full use of these new circumstances, coordinated action is needed at EU level. Obviously, the DSM is not and should not be about punishing certain companies. Citizens and businesses are the beneficiaries of the digital economy, not its collateral. Let me pinpoint three elements of the DSM strategy that I find particularly noteworthy:

• E-Commerce. At a time when Europe is still recovering from the latest economic crisis, we expect the new strategy to cause some major ripples. The completion of the DSM is expected to add over EUR 415 billion annually to European GDP and create nearly 3.8 million new jobs. Turning these figures into reality would of course be amazing. Exploiting the full potential of cross-border e-commerce will be crucial to meet these targets. In Europe, making an online purchase from another Member State has always been a rather complicated process and, in many cases, outright impossible in a bizarre case of ‘what you see is what you cannot get’. This current situation is extremely damaging, especially for SMEs – only 7% of them operate across borders. I therefore welcome the Commission’s commitment to put forward an amended proposal by the end of 2015 for a harmonised set of rules and regulations for online purchases of digital content, and uphold EU-wide mandatory contractual rights for the domestic and cross-border sales of goods

• Cross-border parcel delivery, geo-blocking, and copyright. E-Commerce will never fulfil its potential without an efficient and cost-conscious parcel delivery service, doing away with unjustified geo-blocking and introducing a modernised copyright framework. The Commission has taken this into account and included proposals on all three in the final document. On parcel deliveries we can expect measures that will improve price transparency and enhance regulatory oversight. The removal of unjustified geo-blocking would mean that the practice of restricting access to websites, services or content on the basis of location will soon be a thing of the past. Finally, the new copyright framework should ensure cross-border access to legally purchased online services. Frankly, I live for the day when I’ll be able to watch House of Cards in my hometown Sofia, using my Belgian Netflix subscription.

• E-government. But how can one expect businesses to go digital or be digital by default, if our own governments are nowhere near being able to join them? Without e-government the DSM would be like jamming a CD into a cassette-player, a good idea in a wholly unsuitable environment. One of the things I want to see in Europe is the ‘Once-Only’ principle in action. Right now, public administrations across the EU re-use information in only 48% of cases. If we were to implement this principle we could generate annual net savings of around EUR 5 billion by 2017. That is why I am looking forward to the launch of the ‘Once-Only’ principle pilot for businesses and citizens, which will be outlined in the new e-government action plan for 2015-2020. The plan foresees full interconnectivity for public registers by 2017 and a complete transition to e-procurement, followed by establishing a ‘Single Digital Gateway’ for member states.

The Commission’s proposal on the DSM has laid out its key priorities and I, as a Member of the European Parliament, am looking forward to working on the legislative proposals to follow. But what is more important is the clear awareness of EU Commissioners and officials that the world we live in is digital by default, that there is an on-going change in people’s mind-sets and that all of us need to start thinking digitally and embrace the fifth freedom of the EU single market. We need a holistic approach in order to achieve our goals and secure Europe’s place as a global economic leader. Most of all, Europe has to become a place where we all enjoy the highest quality of life, both offline and online.

As published on EurActiv:

http://www.euractiv.com/sections/infosociety/europes-digital-revolution-314372

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On April 3, 2014 the European Parliament voted for a decrease in the fees for roaming throughout the EU by 15 December 2015, as well as clearer rules on net neutrality. The new proposal of the Council is deviating away from these targets and if comes into force, it would be a great disappointment for European citizens.

The abolishment of roaming fees and the principle of net neutrality are the main prerequisites for the completion of the Digital Single Market in the EU. Currently different rules in the 28 Member States do not allow businesses to grow effectively abroad and citizens to benefit from a greater range of services. According to research, the completion of the DSM will potentially gain the EU € 260 billion annually.

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In her speech, part of the panel “Disconnected Europe? The continuing quest for a Digital Single Market”, Paunova stated that the development of a stable European digital economy is one of the key prerequisites for higher growth and more jobs in the EU. The completion of the Digital Single Market will gain the EU benefits of € 500 million in additional growth. For the realisation of the project of full completion of the digital single market, besides favorable legislative framework, it is essential to promote the trust of citizens and businesses that are part of the digital economy.

The timely adoption of a comprehensive and realistic framework for data protection in EU copyright and net neutrality are a key priorities for Eva Paunova. According to her, only when we have completed the single market for digital services, the EU will have the opportunity to compete more successfully outside its borders and to realise its potential as a world leader in the field of ICT.

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The reception, which took place on Wednesday, 28^th of January 2015 at the Parliament in Brussels, saw the Bulgarian MEP discuss the existing legislative framework for protecting digital copyright and re-state both the Parliament and the European Comission’s commitment to updating it to reflect the changing realities of the market. Ms Paunova, herself EPP’s shadow rapporteur for the report on the Implementation of EU’s Copyright Directive at the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO), underscored the importance of having any new legislation be more balanced and aligned to the interests of authors/copyright holders, and end users alike.

Vice-president Ansip, in turn, congratulated the newly established group and pledged his full support in achieving its goals, including reviewing copyright laws, abolishing roaming charges and safeguarding net neutrality. The Commission’s Digital Single Market Strategy is expected to be completed by May of this year, with the official unveiling of its copyright legislation amendment proposals scheduled for September.

The event was attended by a number of MEPs and Commissioners, as well as representatives of NGOs and the private sector, all of whom were also addressed by Vint Cerf, one of the Internet’s creators, in a video message.

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The keynote speaker of the debate was Brad Smith, General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs at Microsoft. In his statement, Brad advocated the right to privacy and data protection, which has to be ensured for all users in the cyberspace. ´The fact that governments and the business have access to any kind of information regarding citizens does not mean that they have to abuse it. We urgenty need clear and applicable rules guaranteeing better security and data protection´,underlined Mr. Smith. Eva Paunova highlighted the importance of adapting legal framewors to the dynamically evolving technological world, which is currently outperforming governemnts. ´I completely agree with the business that it is not enough to reform data protection and digitalisation legislation once in a decade. It is crucial that the public and the private sector follow the same pace´, said the Bulgarian MEP.

In her statement, Eva Paunova gave the numerous recent cyber attacks and online security threats an illustration of why  legislators need to act immediately. ´The cases of stolen data, revealed by Edward Snowden, and the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in France, show that our online identity needs stronger protection.´ Both the Vice-President of Microsoft and the Bulgarian MEP stressed on the fact that digitalisation brings huge benefits for the business and the users, yet it has to be accompanied by working rules for the protection of privacy. ´We in the European Parliament, are determined to reach progress in this field. With our genuine passion and determination I am confident that we will achieve more in the next five years than the European institutions have accomplished in the past few decades”, concluded Paunova.

Digitalisation and the completion of the European Single Digital Market are some  of Eva Paunova´s main priorities as a member of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee. One of the first events organised by her as a Member of the European Parliament was dedicated to the topic ´Digital Single Market – Successes and Challenges´.

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The Internet is a key driver of innovation, competitiveness, growth and social development, but trust in technology has been diminished by the Snowden revelations of the last 18 months. What has happened since to restore peoples’ confidence, what are governments and other stakeholders doing to drive necessary reforms and what role can the EU play to advance solutions for protecting citizens’ fundamental rights in an interconnected world?

Brad Smith, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft Legal and Corporate Affairs will lead an informal  discussion on Privacy in the Digital Age. Smith has overseen numerous negotiations leading to competition law and intellectual property agreements with governments around the world and with companies across the IT sector. He has played a leading role within Microsoft and in the IT sector on government surveillance, privacy, intellectual property, immigration and computer science education policy issues.

Keynote speaker:
Brad Smith
General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs of Microsoft

Co-hosted by:
MEP Eva Paunova (EPP, Bulgaria)
Member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
&
MEP Victor Negrescu (S&D, Romania)
Former Digital Entrepreneur, Coordinator of S&D40, Substitute of the Committee on Legal Affairs

Make sure to register soon to ensure your attendance. 

Coffee and bagels will be served.

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“I welcome the Digital economy action plan for 2015, created after numerous consultations with all concerned parties. Together with Commissioner Oettinger and his team we will work promptly to complete the digital single market – a precondition for making Europe a technological leader at the international stage”. This was stated by Eva Paunova on the occasion of her discussion with the Commissioner for Digital Economy Günther Oettinger. The meeting between the Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament (EPP) and Mr. Oettinger took place on the 16th of December during the Plenary session in Strasbourg. Other topics addressed were the political situation in Bulgaria and the energy diversification in Europe.

One of the top priorities for the European institution´s next mandate is the creation of the missing digital infrastructure across all Member-States. In this regard, the investment plan of the Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker provides an opportunity for Member States to implement projects related to the building of an infrastructure contributing to the proper functioning of the digital market. Some of the first steps foreseen are the completion of the single European telecoms market (incl. the abolition of roaming charges) and the introduction of rules on network neutrality – the equal treatment of all traffic to websites. Another reform planned for the next year is an update of copyright rules.

Ms. Paunova and Mr. Oettinger both see the Digital Single Market as a major driver of competitiveness, economic growth, social development and innovation. The Commissioner therefore expressed his hope that the process of the DSM completion will be accelerated with the help of the Latvian Presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2015.

The European Commission Work Programme for 2015 was adopted during the December session of the European Parliament. It includes an ambitious package on the Digital Single market, aimed to create conditions for a vibrant digital economy and society. The Parliament will vote a resolution on the Commission programme in January 2015.

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According to the MEP, in Europe there is a need for a tough market referee to ensure a fair-playing field for all stakeholders in the Digital Single Market, not to protect or target the players. She urged the European Parliament to reaffirm its commitment to net neutrality by adopting legislation that enables the Internet to be a major driver for competitiveness, economic growth, social development and innovation.

Eva Paunova stated that it is not exaggerated to define the lifting of roaming charges as a revolutionary step without which the Digital Single Market will not be complete. She is confident that MS governments will stand together with consumers to ensure an end to roaming charges as soon as possible. EC Vice-President and Commissioner for the Digital Single Market Ansip also expressed hope that MS will join forces in creating a pan-European market for telecommunication services.

The Digital Single Market is one of the most promising and challenging areas of progress, with high potential for effective gains of € 260 billion annually. Its completion is Eva Paunova´s main priority as a member of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the EP.

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During the debate, representatives of EU institutions, international organizations and businesses discussed how a “disruptive” development can be achieved in Europe through entrepreneurship and innovations. According to Eva Paunova, our continent cannot simultaneously compete globally and maintain its social model without the help of new technologies. “It is important to realize that the digital revolution is the one that will move our continent forward. Only by thinking digital counties like Bulgaria, for instance, will be able to catch up with their Western partners.”

Innovation is closely related to entrepreneurship, whose support is other key objective of the European institutions during the new mandate. With this fact in mind, the Bulgarian MEP noted that the EU plays mainly a supportive role for the business: “It is tempting to think that an EU success only occurs when a law is passed or a cheque is written. But for most start-ups the best thing the EU can do is create a favorable environment and provide freedom for their development.”

Eva Paunova was one of the co-hosts of the event, jointly with the European Forum for Young Innovators EYIF, Association for Youth Entrepreneurs “Euromentors”, MEPs Mircea Diaconu and Renato Soru. The roundtable was held in the context of the initiative “Disrupt Europe 2015”, which aims to encourage a debate about new ways of European development via digital technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Photos: Kristina Jasaityte

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