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29 Aug, 2015

Young Europeans more attracted by cross-border access to online content: survey

BRUSSELS, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) — For almost one in three Europeans, it would be important to be able to have cross-border access to online content when traveling in another European Union (EU) country, according to Eurobarometer survey findings released Friday.

The younger the people are, the more they are attracted by cross-border opportunities, as the figure goes up to 58 percent among the 15-24 year olds and 46 percent of those aged 25-39.

However, data also show that cross-border access to online content is still an uneasy experience. Some 56 percent of Europeans who have tried to access a service meant for users in another EU country met problems.

Moreover, while 8 percent of all European Internet users have tried to access such services, young people (15-24 years old), almost one in five, are the most likely to have tried. This also shows the potential demand for cross-border access to legal content, which is expected to grow as the market flourishes.

Subscriptions to online content, in particular for audio-visual and music, are growing fast. Another independent study had showed that consumer spending on digital video subscriptions increased by 147.5 percent in 2013.

As part of its Digital Single Market Strategy announced in May, the European Commission hoped to modernize EU copyright rules in the light of the digital revolution. The new rules, to be presented in the coming months, would aim to ensure portability of online subscriptions across the EU as well as facilitate cross-border access to online content.