Economic Analysis of the Single Market for an Information Society - Main contents

2 December 2011 In parallel with the legal analysis, the Commission published an Economic Analysis of the Single Market for an Information Society carried out by the external consultant DIW Econ. The study found that ICT, e-Business and e-Commerce are all tools that can help accelerate economic growth as well as improve European economic integration. For example, ICT infrastructure, skills and usage have resulted in a statistically significant increase in cross-border trade flows among European countries. Additionally, the variation in prices was much lower for countries that have implemented the Euro, signalling that the idea of the Single Market can be found in an electronic internet form as well. However, EU Member States are not at the same level of ICT infrastructure and e-Business and e-Commerce usage. While many countries can compete on the world stage, other countries lag far behind which leaves room for further government support. Moreover, even in countries with high levels of infrastructure and usage, much government work can be done to further foster the climate needed for a more comprehensive information society. This work requires policy initiatives to create the correct institutional and legal frame conditions that allow ICT and e-Business to thrive. The study proposes a new policy outlook for the information society.

Contact: INFSO-DIGITAL-AGENDA@ec.europa.eu