Industry association the GSMA today unveiled a ‘European Mobile Manifesto’ that it claims will help the European Union achieve a number of diverse objectives and could give the region a boost of up to EUR750 billion by 2015. “The industry is committing to work with the governments around Europe, and in particular the European Commission in Brussels, on four key issues that we think are right at the heart of what the ICT sector in Europe needs to get right in the next five years,” Tom Phillips, the GSMA’s chief government & regulatory affairs officer, told Mobile World Live. Those issues include enhanced access to mobile broadband services, the ‘mobilisation’ of commercial and public services (particularly eCommerce, eLearning, eHealth and eGovernment), using mobile to help reduce Europe’s carbon footprint, and promoting the use of mobile privacy tools. “The manifesto gives us a very good insight in the key role mobile will play in European society – if we take the right measures now,” commented Viviane Reding, the EU’s telecoms commissioner, in a statement.

Citing some impressive numbers, the manifesto says that the mobile industry could generate between EUR60 billion and EUR120 billion in value annually to 2015 – equivalent to 0.5 to 1 percent of GDP – or between EUR340 billion and EUR750 billion in aggregate between 2010 and 2015. However, the manifesto notes that the industry needs support in a number of areas in order to provide this boost. The European mobile industry wants a harmonised EU roadmap for the release of more spectrum. In addition, it wants the European Commission to set targets for getting government services online across member states and ensure all eGovernment services are mobile enabled and get health and education services online as well. The manifesto also urges the Commission to develop standards for privacy, identity and safety laws and refrain from restricting traffic management on networks. The full report can be found here.