Big businesses, international organizations, and academics attended in hundreds this week’s Summit in Riga to discuss ways to digitalize the current European single market. The Multilingual Digital Single Market Summit was held between 27 and 29 April and was inaugurated by the Latvian Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, who spoke of the importance of preserving Internet as a “neutral, single, and un-fragmented network of networks”.
The Resolution adopted by the Summit emphasizes the need to tackle the challenge of multilinguism. Although a cornerstone of Europe’s cultural heritage, multilinguism constitutes a barrier to a truly unified European economy. The Summit’s participants have thus agreed to an open letter to the European Commission indicating that an infrastructure to address multilinguism is essential.
The Resolution adopted by the Summit emphasizes the need to tackle the challenge of multilinguism. Although a cornerstone of Europe’s cultural heritage, multilinguism constitutes a barrier to a truly unified European economy.
The Riga Summit also hosted a series of parallel events such a Multilingualweb Workshop, a Technology Showcase, and a META Forum Conference, during which EU-funded research and innovation projects were discussed.
The digital single market is part of the EU’s Digital Agenda for Europe, adopted in 2010 and aiming to better interoperability and standards, at a more consolidated online trust and security, at fast and ultra fast Internet for all, research and innovation, and at enhanced digital skills for all through education and inclusion, using ICT to the benefit of European societies.
The Agenda’s ultimate goal is to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU by better harnessing the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), contributing to Europe’s 2020 Strategy.
Quite ambitious in scope, the Digital Agenda for Europe has already made significant progress. A Digital Economy and Society Index published yearly by the European Commission measures Europe’s digital performance and competitiveness, while member states sign up for increased cyber security, cloud computing and robotics research and innovation.
