EU unveils plans to set up digital single market for online firms

European commission vice-president Andrus Ansip says EU-wide GDP could be increased by 300bn a year if a harmonised market is established

Plans to reverse the fragmentation of internet shopping and other online services have been unveiled by the EU executive, which called for a digital single market in Europe covering everything from e-commerce to broadband spectrum, courier and parcel delivery rates, and uniform telecoms and copyright rules.

Setting out an ambitious digital strategy that will run into fierce resistance in some of the 28 EU countries, the European commission vice-president, Andrus Ansip, said Europe would be left behind if it did not create a level playing field for internet shoppers and firms. Expected to take years to even partially realise, the proposals would also boost digital services across the EU, which lags far behind the US. Currently, not a single market leader among internet providers in the EU is European.

Related: EU warns of 'point of no return' if internet firms are not regulated soon