The European Commission presented to the Ministers the package of measures aimed at removing the barriers to cross-border electronic trading it had adopted the previous day. The package includes proposals on cross-border parcel deliveries and on the removal of unjustified geo-blocking. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Étienne Schneider said, “I hope that the new rules will enable us to truly put an end to the partitioning of the European market into 28 national mini-markets. Our consumers should be able to access goods and services online without being discriminated against because of their place of residence. This is a great opportunity to show our citizens that Europe is capable of dealing with this unacceptable situation.”

 A first step towards a Single Digital Market has been made with the member States’ agreement on a proposal enabling European consumers to use their subscriptions to digital content when they are travelling in other European Union member States. The proposal involves ensuring the ‘portability’ of digital content. “The new rules will enable Luxembourgish consumers to have access throughout Europe to the digital content they purchased in the Grand Duchy, whether it be films, music, or online games. It is an important step in the right direction. I hope that we will be able to reach an agreement with the European Parliament quickly, ” Étienne Schneider said.

 At the Council meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy also presented a major project on High Performance Computing and Big Data that the Grand Duchy is currently launching together with France, Italy and Spain. The main purpose of the project is to develop the technological applications necessary for creating an ecosystem capable of ensuring connectivity and the secure storage of large quantities of data throughout the EU. “Europe needs to invest in the technologies of the future, otherwise the gap between us and the US will widen even further, ” explained Étienne Schneider. “The project launched by the Grand Duchy and its three partners will bring together the know-how available across the EU. It is our ambition to be part of the world class in this crucial area for growth and job creation.”