BRUSSELS – May 10, 2017 – On the occasion of the Digital Single Market Strategy’s two-year anniversary, the European Commission released today a Communication on the DSM’s midterm review, unveiling a series of new targets, ranging from a possible legislative instrument on B2B contractual clauses to cybersecurity standards, certification and labeling. BSA | The Software Alliance calls on the European Commission to stay the course and give priority to the 16 initiatives of the original strategy.

BSA therefore commends the Commission on its intention to prepare a legislative proposal guaranteeing the cross-border movement, a long-standing demand of the software industry. “Enshrining the principle of free flow of data in EU law will ensure the continuation of today’s booming data economy. It will be to the benefit of all businesses, especially SMEs, which increasingly rely on cloud-driven services in their day-to-day operations. Expecting the data economy and SMEs in Europe to continue to thrive without data moving freely across borders is like trying to drive with the handbrake on” said Thomas Boué, BSA Director General, Policy – EMEA.

Commenting on the other initiatives laid down in the Communication, Thomas Boué said: “In 2015 we welcomed the DSM strategy as a far-reaching and ambitious undertaking aiming at uniting the patchwork of Europe’s digital economies. The European Commission has made good progress on some of the strategy’s 16 objectives. It is now time to consolidate progress and focus on delivering on the remaining constituting elements of the DSM.