EUBrasil Association promotes action to strengthen dialogue on Information Technologies and Communications on Monday, 10 November, in Brussels. The Association will present the study “Brazil and EU digital economies: recent developments”, commissioned to Cullen International, during a dinner offered to the Brazilian and European delegations.
A number of Members of the European Parliament are confirmed, including Pilar del Castillo MEP. Among the Brazilian senior officials are the head of the delegation and Secretary for Information Technology Policy of the Ministry of Science,Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Virgilio Almeida, and Ambassador Vera Machado, Head of the Mission of Brazil to the EU. On the European side, the Deputy Director-General of DG Connect, Roberto Viola, and the Deputy Director-General of DG Competition Antitrust, Cecilio Madero, top the list. Many representatives of the private sector are also confirmed.
Creating an attractive environment for investment and competitiveness in the telecommunications and information technology industry is the largest commitment by Brazil and the European Union (EU) during the VII EU-Brazil Dialogue on the Information Society, on 10 and 11 November, in Brussels.
During the meeting, representatives of the Brazilian government and the EU will discuss challenges and ways to promote growth in the industry, both in Brazil and in the EU. “There will be a dialogue on regulation in the sector, with the sharing of knowledge, as pressures and problems are the same. It is very important to have an understanding of regulations on both sides”, says Augusto de Albuquerque, Minister-Counsellor for the Information Society and Media of the EU Delegation in Brazil.
A cooperation agreement on research and technology development was signed during the EU-Brazil Summit, held in February, in Brussels. The meeting next week will also be a preparation for the Internet Governance Forum 2015 to be held in Brazil, in November.
“In a fast changing world we will keep working together with Brazil on telecom policy and regulation, comparing our agendas and finding common positions that are so important for creating a business environment for investment”, says Zoran Stančič, Deputy Director-General of DG Connect – Communications Networks, Content and Technology.
It is also expected that the project for construction of a submarine cable between Brazil and the EU will also be discussed during the meeting next week. “Brazil and the EU consider the construction of the submarine cable a political priority”, says Albuquerque.
Another key point of the Dialogue will be the continuation of research on advanced cyber infrastructure and the preparation of common proposals to be presented at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), which will be held in Switzerland, next year.
“The fundamental point of the Dialogue is to find solutions that work in Brazil as well as in the EU and are so important for the future development of the sector,” says Albuquerque.
Growth
The report, “Brazil and EU digital economies: recent developments”, indicates that despite Brazil’s modest economic growth in recent years, its telecommunications market has been growing steadily, with gross revenues reaching €43bn in 2013. The annual increase in revenues was almost 4.4% in 2013 and 5.3% in 2012, representing approximately 4.7% of the Brazilian GDP.
In Europe, where the recent economic growth has also been modest, revenues in the electronic communications sector amounted to € 323.6bn in 2012, 3.3% lower than 2011, according to statistics published by the European Commission in June 2014. However, the average broadband penetration in the EU has increased from January 2004 to January 2014, from 4.9% to 30% of population. Broadband take-up has been fostered by falling prices and higher speed offers, thanks to increased competitive pressure.
For the full report “Brazil and EU digital economies: recent developments” please click on the link here
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