In the context of the MWC22 in Barcelona, the EIF-GSMA Roundtable discussion will bring together again in person MEPs and high-level representatives from the European Commission, mobile operators and digital policy stakeholders.

The discussion will focus on the state of the European digital economy and the steps needed to improve and enforce the right regulatory environment to stimulate innovation in Europe while ensuring trust for Europeans and digital sovereignty.

As Europe rises from the crisis towards a Digital Decade, the strengthening of Europe’s digital economy has never been as important. Rapidly advancing network deployment and technologies, ranging from AI, fibre and 5G, accompanied by a growing data economy based on voluntary data sharing and big data analytics, will rapidly transform and digitalise our economies and society. However, the benefits of Europe’s digitalisation, and degree to which they are reaped, are inherently linked to the existence of a fair and well proportionate regulatory environment stimulating private investment, innovation and digital economy as well as to the level of trust European society and citizens place in the new technologies and services. Ensuring a concrete and harmonised enforcement of existing rules and setting up an appropriate regulatory framework on data economy are essential to strengthen European digital sovereignty to the benefit of citizens, businesses and Member States.

Considering the EU’s digital ambitions for 2030 and the framework of digital rights and principles, innovation, fair competition and trust lie at their core. These concerns are also reflected in the numerous legislative proposals from the European Commission, such as the upcoming Data Act, the DMA and DSA, the NIS directive and AI Act, which are key to building a safe and secure, but also innovative European digital society. In this context, we will discuss what is necessary to make the EU’s regulatory framework fit for the digital age and interplay between innovation and trust in data economy, AI and online privacy and safety, investments and financing.

• Programme

  15:00-16:00

  Welcome coffee

  Opening remarks

  Pilar del Castillo MEP and EIF Chair

  Daniel Pataki, Vice President for Policy and Regulation & Head of Europe, Russia and CIS, GSMA

  Speeches

  Roberto Viola, Director General, DG CNECT, European Commission (online)

  Annemarie Sipkes, Director of the Telecommunications, Transport and Postal Services Department at the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM); BEREC Chair 2022

  Ben Wreschner, Chief Economist and Head of Public Affairs, Vodafone Group; Chair of the GSMA Policy Group Europe

  Open discussion moderated by

  Malcolm Harbour, CBE, former MEP and Senior advisor at Teneo

  The Chatham House rule will apply to the discussion