Web, there is still an Iron Curtain ” “

Nordic countries rank first, while East European and Mediterranean countries are at the bottom of the list. According to the Digital Economy and Society Index, presented by the EU Commission in Brussels on February 24, “Digital experience depends on the country you are in” as “performance varies from digital top players such as Denmark (0.68 digital performance score out of 1) to lower-performance countries such as Romania (0.31 digital performance score)”. The snapshot of Internet access and use of the Internet in EU28 indentifies and twofold role of the web, capable of “shortening distances” between European peoples and markets, while marking the cultural, economic, and communication differences among member Countries. Unlocking opportunities. The figures proposed by the Executive show how “digital countries vary across the EU” and that “borders remain an obstacle to a fully-fledged Digital Single Market”. The highest digital performance was registered in Denmark, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Finland, followed by Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany. Also Spain and Austria have good rankings. Low performance countries, with minimum Internet access and use are Romania (lowest performance), Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Poland, and Cyprus. The Commission explained “There are plenty of digital opportunities waiting to be unlocked to benefit European citizens and companies. From shopping or studying online, to paying bills or using public services over the Internet – the Web is the answer, if the right conditions are in place”. Figures on the rise. The findings of the research (based on 30 indicators) also show that “a majority of Europeans use the Internet on a regular basis”: 75% in 2014 (72% in 2013), ranging from 93% in Luxembourg to 48% in Romania; “Europeans are eager to access audiovisual content online”: 49% of Europeans who go online have played or downloaded games, images, films or music”. However, “these figures show that Europe is going digital” and that “Europeans enjoying great new services”, said Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market. “The vast majority of Europeans are going online: citizens want to access online content, we need to make it easier for them”. A Digital Single Market “can give them wider access, help businesses innovate and grow, and boost trust in online services like e-government or banking. The European Commission will help make it happen”. Still too many differences. “Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) face barriers with e-commerce”, points out the Commissions survey. “Only 15% of SMEs sell online”. Digital public services are an everyday reality in some countries but almost non-existent in others: 33% of European Internet users have used online forms to send information to public authorities, ranging from 69% in Denmark to 6% in Romania. 26% of general practitioners in Europe use e-prescriptions to transfer prescriptions to pharmacists over the Internet, but this varies from 100% in Estonia to 0% in Malta. Growth and jobs. Günther H. Oettinger, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, remarked: “The Digital Index shows how radically people have changed the way they watch films: they still follow their favourite series on TV but a considerable number – 40% – watches also video on demand and films online. We need to adapt to citizens’ needs and we have to think about adapting our policy”. The Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy, currently being developed in the Berlaymont building in Brussels, is to be unveiled in May. “The strategy aims to create the right conditions for European citizens and companies to make better use of the great opportunities of digital technology across borders”. For the Commission, “creating a Digital Single Market, Europe can generate up to €250 billion in additional growth, and hundreds of thousands of new jobs, in the next five years”.