Transport, energy and services of general interest as drivers of sustainable European growth through the digital revolution (own-initiative opinion)

Key points:

• The EESC believes that sound European systems of transport, energy and services of general interest are vital for a fully integrated continent addressing the global challenges of sustainable competitive growth in a modern, digitalised and smart environment. The active participation and engagement of EU citizens must be, according to the EESC, at the centre of policy options and actions.
• The EESC is strongly convinced that completion of the EU Single Market still remains the most important pillar to enhance European digitalised growth. The EESC calls upon the EC and Member States to allocate enough resources and powers to efficiently monitor and enforce existing legislation.
• The Committee also urges them to complete the Digital Single Market, including the development of capabilities to integrate and use 5G services to defend and improve the competitiveness of European industries. The EESC suggests adopting a European policy requiring each country to have at least two 5G suppliers, at least one of them European. In order to finance huge investments, the EESC recommends fostering an investment-friendly environment, including the implementation of the "golden investment rule" and new financial schemes through cohesion instruments, EIB, CEF and Invest EU, Horizon Europe and Public and Private joint initiatives. The free flow of data is essential. The EESC therefore calls for effective solutions that eliminate the problems associated with the accessibility, interoperability and transfer of data, while securing adequate data protection and privacy, fair competition and wider consumer choice.
• The EESC calls upon the EC to revise product liability and insurance rules to adapt them to a situation where decisions will increasingly be made by software. Principles of security and safety by design and by default should be systematically applied to increase trust in the take-up of these technologies.
• The EESC also calls upon Member States to swiftly adopt the EC's proposal for an EU collective redress scheme.