Previous Year Question

The European Commission presented the Digital Single Market Strategy for the European Union on 6 May 2015.

It sought to remove digital barriers among EU Member States and create an integrated digital market in which individuals and businesses could access online goods and services throughout the Union.

Three pillars of the strategy

1. Better access to digital goods and services

It sought to make it easier for consumers and businesses to purchase goods and obtain digital services online from other EU countries.

It covered matters such as:

• cross-border e-commerce;

• parcel-delivery costs;

• consumer protection;

• copyright rules; and

• reduction of geo-blocking.

2. Appropriate conditions for digital networks and services

This pillar focused on high-speed telecommunications, data protection, cybersecurity and a fair regulatory environment for online platforms.

3. Maximising the growth potential of the digital economy

It addressed cloud computing, big data, digital skills, e-government, interoperable standards and Industry 4.0.

The wider objective was to transform 27 separate national digital markets into a more integrated EU market.

Why are the other options incorrect?

• ASEAN has its own digital-integration initiatives, but the specific “Digital Single Market Strategy” was an initiative of the European Commission.

• BRICS undertakes digital-economy cooperation, but this strategy did not belong to BRICS.

• The G20 deals with digital-economy principles and international coordination, but the strategy mentioned in the question was not its programme.

Current position (2026)

The 2015 Digital Single Market Strategy provided the foundation for subsequent EU digital legislation and the Digital Decade 2030.

Important components of the current framework include:

• Digital Services Act: broadly applicable to relevant online intermediaries and platforms since 17 February 2024. It addresses illegal content, platform accountability, advertising transparency and user protection.

• Digital Markets Act: imposes specific obligations on large designated digital “gatekeepers” to make digital markets fairer and more contestable.

• Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030: establishes targets for digital skills, secure digital infrastructure, digital transformation of businesses and digitisation of public services.

• European Digital Identity and data legislation: seek to improve interoperability of cross-border digital services and data sharing within the EU.

Thus, the Digital Single Market Strategy was an EU policy, and the current European digital framework represents its subsequent evolution.