Free flow of data can drive Europe's growth

A digital single market will create billions in growth and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the EU, according to Carola Lemne, CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise; Karin Johansson, CEO of the Swedish Trade Federation; Åke Svensson, CEO of Teknikföretagen; Peter Jeppsson, CEO of Transportgruppen; Anne-Marie Fransson, Director of IT&Telecom; Eva Östling, CEO of Visita.

One of the biggest challenges facing the EU is the lack of a single digital single market, with common rules for telecoms, e-commerce, copyright and data use, among others. This prevents companies from easily expanding to other countries within the single market.

Estimates show that the creation of a Digital Single Market could add €340 billion to the EU's GDP, with much of the growth coming from the increasing ability of European manufacturers to analyze large amounts of data. This requires a wide variety of data to flow freely between countries and businesses.

The European Commission's new Digital Single Market Strategy shows how Europe can build a data-driven economy, stimulating new innovation of goods and services, and allowing businesses to benefit from new ways of analyzing big data. We welcome the Commission's view on data-driven innovation as crucial for Europe's future competitiveness, and in particular the upcoming Free Flow of Data initiative.

At the same time, final negotiations on a European Data Protection Regulation are underway between the Member States. As these new rules set the framework for the possibilities of creating economic and social value over the next 20 years, it is crucial that they are not rushed and create obstacles to tomorrow's business models.

Clear data protection rules that offer protection for the individual, create trust and at the same time open up for data-driven innovation through big data, cloud services and open data flows within and outside the EU are of the utmost importance for Swedish companies. A clear division of roles and responsibilities in the data processing chain is also needed. We assume that the Swedish government will stand up for this in negotiations with other EU countries.

The EU must deliver on its promise to be 'big on the big things, and small on the small'. The digital revolution is no small thing. The creation of a digital single market will generate billions in growth and hundreds of thousands of jobs in a Europe that desperately needs them.

Carola Lemne, CEO Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
Karin Johansson, CEO Swedish Trade Federation
Åke Svensson, CEO of Teknikföretagen
Peter Jeppsson, CEO Transport Group
Anne-Marie Fransson, Director of the Swedish IT & Telecommunications Association
Eva Östling, CEO Visita