Standards and certification can play a big role in developing an emerging market, like the cloud. "Cutting through the jungle of standards" is therefore one of the key items of our European Cloud Computing Strategy, launched just over a year ago, a Strategy which aims to create 2.5 million new European jobs and boost EU GDP by EUR 160 billion by 2020.

This is where today's announcement gives a lot of hope. I am pleased that ETSI launched the Cloud Standards Coordination (CSC) initiative in a fully transparent way, open for all stakeholders. They have managed to deliver this mapping of cloud standards fast - here's what they achieved:

  • Classifying which stakeholders, individuals and organisations play a role as providers, consumers or regulatory authority of cloud computing services;
  • Collecting and classifying over 100 variations of possible use of cloud computing services;
  • Listing around 20 relevant organisations that developed or are developing standards, specifications and white papers on cloud computing;
  • Classifying the activities that need to be undertaken by providers and users of cloud computing;
  • Mapping the cloud computing documents on these activities, particularly standards and specifications.

What's more, also as part of our work to "cut through the jungle of standards", we are working with stakeholders (and supported by European Agency ENISA) to develop voluntary certification schemes. As there are already several certification schemes for cloud security, developing new schemes is not the priority. Rather, our aim is to provide for greater transparency: making an objective list of the schemes that already exist - and sorting out a way to easily compare them. Our aim is more transparency in the cloud market: in my view it is up to the players to opt for the schemes that meet their needs best.

As I set out in November in Berlin, my ultimate ambition is a single market for cloud computing. That cloud single market can be obtained through investing in an inter-operable cloud infrastructure; boosting demand, from the public sector in particular; boosting supply through investment in research and innovation; re-establishing trust and transparency; and safeguarding data protection rules. Today's achievement will definitely contribute to that goal.

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