•T  he E-Health Act20 came into force in early 2016. It will open the way to more telemedicine to the benefit of the patient, but still needs to be optimised. Building on these initiatives and knowledge gained from them, we must take additional measures to make Germany a global leader in smart networks. We will also actively pursue this issue in the scope of European ICT policy and convince the public of the value of digitisation and connectivity, for instance in education or in health services, by setting up model regions, for example. In order reach this goal, obstacles must be removed and implementation processes introduced and strongly supported in the sectors applying these techno­l­ ogies. The following must be done: • F acilitate investments and create legal certainty: the climate for investment in smart networks must be improved. The legal framework must be continually developed across sectors, and legal certainty must be guaranteed. In particular, transparent rules for data possession and use are essential. The General Data Protection Regulation recently passed by the European Parliament will provide for more clarity and legal certainty. • I mprove the basis for smart networks on a European level: standards must be determined in order to create a uniform pan-European market environment. The Federal Network Agency for Electricity, Gas, Telecommunications, Post and Railway (Bundesnetzagentur) will push forward the implementation and updating of the Rolling Plan for ICT Standardisation, which is also aimed at promoting smart networks. The regulations on network neutrality set forth in the General Data Protection Regulation must be applied such that Internet neutrality can be guaranteed in the future and at the same time providing latitude for innovative special services, for example in the health and transportation sectors. • S trengthen demand and create synergies: additional information and communication with citizens and users, for the federal states and local government are the key to greater acceptance and demand for ICT solutions for smart networks. The Smart Networks initiative21 is a single contact point for inquiries of all types. Since November 2015 it has used a nationwide roadshow to initiate a dialogue with participants and the interested public. An online map displays examples of best practice that could serve as models. Another key element of the Smart Networks initiative is the Open Innovation Platform22 . This digital marketplace and discussion platform can be accessed by experts, users and the general public so they can actively participate in the initiative, contribute new ideas and share experiences. It is also important to create synergies for the ongoing programmes, in particular in the context of Industry 4.0, support for research and innovation in ICT, and for digitising SMEs. 20 L aw on secure digital communication and applications in the health care industry and amendments of additional acts from 21 December 2015 (Gesetz für sichere digitale Kommunikation und Anwendungen im Gesundheitswesen sowie zur Änderung weiterer Gesetze); http:// www.bgbl.de/xaver/bgbl/start.xav?startbk=Bundesanzeiger_BGBl&jumpTo=bgbl115s2408.pdf 21 http://www.netze-neu-nutzen.de 22 http://www.oip.netze-neu-nutzen.de