Italy has provided Friday March 13 his contribution to the definition of European Digital Strategy.
The Government's position on the digital single market was sent to the European Commission's DG Connect. The 6-page document is divided into seven sections.
The document covers various aspects,including the broadband connection, the so-called Internet of thing, the digital school, the strengthening of the European Security Agency (ENISA ). The most critical point , however, is that of the Copyright , in which Italy appears to assume a position of rearguard.
This is the first of the 7 points.
1. Digital market and investments: improving interoperability, fostering e-commerce, harmonizing fiscal policies
A strategic objective of the Union should be to support programmes for infrastructural investments that ensure interoperability of systems and technologies and the development of e-commerce potential, which represents a new frontier for businesses, especially SMEs.
In order to do this, there should be an intervention that provides tools aimed at fostering the creation and establishment of European businesses, overcoming national constraints and optimizing both the infrastructure and the operational methods (inter alia the activities of shipping and delivery). It is crucial to draw a harmonised regulatory framework for the establishment and online registration of companies, also across borders.
We also need to fully harmonise the rules on consumers protection, products guarantee, as well as on taxation, i.e. aligning VAT rates of digital products to the rates of their material correspondents, such as in the case of e-books.
On this regard, for example, the EU should focus on the harmonisation of the platform for VAT payment so as to facilitate access of SMEs to the market.
Fulvio Sarzana
www.fulviosarzana.it
Studio Legale Roma Sarzana & Associati
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