Question 79 from UPSC CSE 2017 - Current
Affairs

Question

The term 'Digital Single Market Strategy' seen in the news refers to

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. EU

Strategy: The phrase **'Single Market'** is a powerful keyword directly and historically associated with the **European Union (EU)**. Even without specific knowledge of the 'Digital Single Market Strategy', this association points strongly to the EU as the correct answer. The other options like ASEAN, BRICS, and G20 do not have a 'Single Market' as their defining feature in the same way the EU does.

Key Info: **Digital Single Market Strategy (EU)**

The Digital Single Market Strategy is a policy initiative of the European Union (EU), launched by the European Commission in 2015. Its primary goal is to remove national barriers to online transactions within the EU, thereby creating a unified digital market. It aims to make the EU's single market fit for the digital age.

Key pillars of the strategy include:
- Better access for consumers and businesses: This involves facilitating cross-border e-commerce, reforming copyright laws (e.g., Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market), and tackling geo-blocking.
- Creating the right conditions for digital networks and services: This includes reforming telecommunications rules, promoting high-speed broadband, and overhauling audiovisual media rules.
- Maximizing the growth potential of the digital economy: This focuses on building a data economy, boosting digital skills, and promoting e-government.

**European Union (EU)**

The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe. A cornerstone of the EU is its **Single Market**, which aims to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and labour—the 'four freedoms'—within the EU. Unlike other groupings, the EU's integration is deep, involving common policies, supranational institutions (like the European Commission and the European Parliament), and a unified legal framework in many areas.

**ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)**

ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising ten countries in Southeast Asia. While it has established the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to create a single market and production base, its level of integration is not as deep as the EU's. The AEC focuses on economic cooperation and harmonization rather than a fully integrated market with supranational legal authority.

**BRICS**

BRICS is an informal grouping of major emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It is not an economic bloc with a single market ambition but a platform for political and economic cooperation on issues of mutual interest. A key initiative is the New Development Bank (NDB), which finances infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

**G20 (Group of Twenty)**

The G20 is a premier international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union. It focuses on global economic governance, international financial stability, climate change, and sustainable development. It serves as a platform for policy coordination and dialogue, not as a trading bloc or a single market entity.

Answer

Option A: ASEAN

Answer

Option B: BRICS

Answer

Option D: G20