EU – Baltic States, Internet, Lithuania, Markets and Companies, Technology

Photo: lrp.lt

She highlighted the importance of providing the widest range of services online and promoting the use of e-services.

"With the delivery of digital initiatives, Europeans will gain access to more e-space options. The digital market holds a huge economic potential. A fully functioning single market will facilitate the creation of start-ups. It will allow consumers to choose goods and services from all over the Union and pay less for them. This way, we will not only boost growth, but also create conditions for hundreds of thousands of new jobs to emerge throughout the European Union," the president said.

Completing a digital single market could contribute EUR 415 billion to Europe's economy. EU consumers would save EUR 11.7 billion each year if they could choose from a full range of EU goods and services when shopping online. If the same rules for e-commerce were applied in all EU member states, 57% of companies would either start or increase their online sales to other EU member states.

The president stressed that the creation of a digital single market could not be delayed for yet another reason: EU countries were increasingly targeted by cyber attacks. The single market would make them more resistant. In Brussels, European leaders agreed that the information security directive should be adopted as soon as possible, while the rules on data protection should be in place by the end of this year.

The development of online public services should be stepped up and people should be encouraged to use them. It is important to develop e-projects, especially in such areas as health care, which will allow to reduce waiting lines in health care establishments and save taxpayers' money. At the present moment, Lithuanian e-health services are the least developed in the European Union – only 19% of our residents use e-health.

According to the president, Lithuania supports the EU's proposal to open public data for business needs. It will help drive innovation. Lithuania seeks to make a transition to full e-procurement which would improve transparency.

It is important to equip Europeans with improved digital skills needed for all future jobs. It is estimated that there will be a shortage of 100 thousand IT specialists in the Baltic region alone by 2020.