EU Consumers Commissioner Mimica to EuroFora: Digital Networks to boost Economy via fex.+Travel-App.

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Experienced former vice-Prime Minister and EU Integration Minister from the newest EU Member : Croatia, replying to "EuroFora"s Questions, stressed, in substance, that it's an EU Priority to boost the Economy also by unfolding Digital Networks' potential, as f.ex. for a free and costless distribution of the 1st EU-wide "Travel" Application for Consumers' Rights, (readable even off-line, after being downlowded), just developed by the Franco-German EU Consumers' Centre headquartered at nearby Kehl, in cooperation with all ECCs' Network, thanks also to an EU Commission's financial support of some 90.000 €, which was presented Today in a Press Conference at EU Parliament  :

Mainstream German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Andreas Scwhab, President of the Franco-German EU Consumer's Centre at nearby Kehl, observed earlier, that, covering a Huge Area, - "From Iceland to Cyprus, and from Finland to Portugal", i.e. including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, etc., with 25 Different Languages, could be downloaded for free from the Internet, and used even in a Mobile SmartPhone, f.ex. by Tourists who might need to know their Rights in case of an Air-Flight and/or Hotel cancellation, or have Legal advise on how to deal with various other such practical issues throughout all Europe, in addition to the Oral Information that they can always have simply by Phoning to an EU Consumers' Centre for a contact with a Legal Expert, (etc).

Topically, they both spoke just after a key Press Conference by EU Parliament's President Martin Schulz, and the out-going EU Chairman-in-office, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, where, focusing on how to Boost EU's Growth and Jobs, Schulz focused on "Real Economy" able to create New Jobs, while Samaras anounced that, after succesfully welcoming more than "10 Millions of Tourists" during last Year : 2013, now, from this Summer, Greece aims to welcome some 20 Millions of Tourists during 2014, "i.e. more than 2 Tourists for 1 Greek", as he had said, smiling, (given also the recently growing efforts of the €uroZone Member country to really face the Debt inherited from Past Governments since the 1980ies and the latest Global Crisis).

 Significantly, Prime Minister Samaras friendly embraced earlier, in front of "EuroFora", the German MEP Schwab from nearby Baden-Wurtemberg, who had come forward to salute him at the end of his Press Conference with EU Parliament's President, after having closely worked together for years, since Samaras had served previously himself as a MEP in the recent Past, and always felt personaly as a Member of EU Parliament's "Family", as he reminded during his speech at the Plenary earlier Today with real emotion.

 - "You spoke about the Press Conference of EU Parliament's President Schulz and out-going EU Chairman-in-office, Greek "Prime Minister Samaras, where they pointed also on "Real Economy", and particularly on Tourism", "as you said, while EU Commisioner (Mimica) also evoked (Mobile Telecom) "Roaming" charges' lowering, "that, as you know best from all, everybody wishes since many years", "EuroFora" observed in a subsequent Question to the participants, from the outset.

- But, "in real practice, when People will be with their Smart-Phones,  Millions of them, even in a Small (EU-Member) Country like Greece, or in the Bigger ones, during Summer Holidays, soon, they will need, obiously, an Internet Connexion, either with their  (Mobile) Phone, or on the spot, and a Good one, in order to Download" the Travel net ECC Application you spoke of. Certainly, even "in Greece, which was in the Past one of the Worst places" for Internet Access, "recently, there were some Reforms in order to put Free Wifi Access Hotspots at Railway or Tram Stations, Bus Stops, inside Public Transports, etc., but, probably, there might be some problems, perhaps there and/or in Other (EU) Countries, as, f.ex. Slovakia, and may be in the Bigger (EU) Countries also, France, etc., even in the Best (existing Internet) Networks, when Many People, at the Same Moment, try to Download" something like this.

=>  - In such cases, "do you feel that we have in Europe enough Capacities for such Massive events, may be of Millions of People, when they come in 1 Month or so, f.ex. during Summer, almost at the same Time and/or Areas ? And could this be done in Good enough Prices ?", "EuroFora" asked.

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- President Schwab briefly "thanked" "EuroFora" for its "Question", that he found "welcome", and immediately passed over to the competent EU Commissioner Neven Mimica, for a Reply, who expressed the wish to make, at the beginning, - "Just a few Comments : On this overall, Access' Opening, Internet and Roaming issue, etc", as he said :

"- Yes, indeed there might be Problems of uneven Coverage and Access to Internet, accross the EU", European Commissioner Mimica acknowledged from the outset, (at least as things used to stand until recently).

 - "But, in general, we (EU) Recognize this, in the EU Commission, as a one of the most Important Issues", he clearly stressed.

 => Therefore, it corresponds also to "and a most Important Priority that, when addressed properly, (it) could definitively contribute to the Development and accomplishment of the Single Market in general", (i.e.  included on Digital Economy), the experienced Euro-Politician topically pointed out.

>>  - "We (EU) speak now f.ex. of Tourism, of Travelling, on giving better Legal Knowledge to Travellers and (on how) to Assist them in their Language of port, by this (ECC Net Travel) Application. But, there is (also) Question whether they will be Able to Use it accross the EU", Neven Mimica  observed, in concreto.

 - "In this case, this  ("ECC Travel-App.") can be Downloaded at Home, actually", (i.e. even just Before Travelling to a Summer Holiday area), since "this is an Off-line Devise and Application : So, this particular application (normaly) shouldN't face the Major Problems of the Internet Access", the competent EU Commissioner for Consumers' Protection advised, receiving President Schwab's agreement on this specific point.

+ "But, in general, what we (EU) would like to do is, as a 1st Step to Bring Down the Roaming Charges", so that, "in this way, we can Increase the Overall Mobile (Web) Traffic, when (People are) making Calls Abroad. And, then, (i.e. as a 2nd Step), we would like to have a quite Stimulating overall "Internet Package", that would actually Bring more Investments into this Telecom Sector in general, as well as to the Mobile Communications", he Highlighted for the foreseable Future.

- "This is the Final Word of the (EU Commission's) Telephone Package, that I do hope that with the New (EU) Parliament, with the (EU) Council, will be able to Agree on EU Commission's proposals for a Single Telecom Market in Europe", he wished in Conclusion.

+ This could be done in a period of Time f.ex. of "Half a Year", EU Commissioner Neven Mimica estimated later-on, in reply to another "EuroFora"s relevant question.

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Meanwhile, by a coincidence, at least as far as ECC's "Travel-App." is concerned, a 1st Test could Timely start in Greece's reknown ressort of Glyfada, located at a superb Seaside near Athens, where Schwab's former collegue, the Young former MEP Georges Papanicolaou, (from the same ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group), who has just been succesfully Elected as the New Mayor of that City, told earlier in Strasbourg to "EuroFora", while also declaring his wish to try to present for EU support through the Structural and/or Regional Funds, some Good Quality Projects for a Competitive and sustainable Development of that key Touristic area, (including f.ex. for Culture, Sport and/or European/International Conferences in some among the Best Hotels of the Country), in an area which extends from Mountain Hymettos to the Saronic Gulf, famous as Greece's "Riviera" or "Beverly Hills"...  

By the way : Why not also a Pioneer, High-Tech Internet "Wifi" etc. Digital Network, f.ex. at the example of another World-Famous Top Touristic ressort in France ; Biarritz, which had notoriously been a Precursor also in Cabled Network TeleCommunication, including at Fiber Optics, etc , (in the constituency of experienced former Head of French Governing Party RPR, and many times Minister of Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs, now elected as New MEP : Michele Alliot-Marie)?...