H Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση και η ψηφιακή αγορά

Abstract

The subject of this dissertation is the analysis of the Single Digital Market in the European Union and its emergence as a top political priority in recent years, due to its economic, social and development implications. The term Single Digital Market (S.D.M.) refers to the assurance of free movement of goods, persons, services and capital. It also refers to the uninterrupted access and online activities of individuals and companies, regardless of their nationality or place of residence or base of operation, in conditions of fair competition and always with a high level of consumer and personal data protection. The European Commission, for the period 2014-2019, included the achievement of a SDM among its ten (10) political priorities. The term first appeared in 2010, when the "Digital Agenda for Europe" became one of the seven (7) pillars of the “Europe 2020” Strategy for smart and sustainable growth. Since then, the E.U. recognized that the Information and Communication Technologies could affect the entire productive system of a society and contribute to productivity growth, high levels of employment and social cohesion. Using a methodology of bibliographic and online research, the present dissertation highlights the S.D.M. as an evolution of the Single Market and captures its crucial importance for the future of Europe as it enables the reduction of costs and barriers for citizens and businesses, by analyzing the three (3) complementary pillars in which it is structured. Areas such as e-commerce, online platforms, consumer and personal data protection, cybersecurity, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, cloud computing are intertwined and Europe is called upon to reconcile the different digital policies of the Member States and the strict EU framework and also the dynamic process of technological progress. Finally, it is noteworthy that the digital transformation will be called to not only contribute to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic effects but also to the recovery and restart of the European economy.