Europe aims to empower businesses and people in a human-centred, sustainable and more prosperous digital future. The Digital Decade policy programme, with concrete targets and objectives for 2030, guides Europe’s digital transformation:

Skills

ICT Specialists: 20 million + gender convergence
Basic Digital Skills: min 80% of population

Digital transformation of businesses

Tech up-take: 75% of EU companies using Cloud, AI, or Big Data
Innovators: grow scale-ups & finance to double EU Unicorns
Late adopters: more than 90% of SMEs reach at least a basic level of digital intensity

Secure and sustainable digital infrastructures

Connectivity: Gigabit for everyone
Cutting edge Semiconductors: double EU share in global production
Data – Edge & Cloud: 10,000 climate-neutral highly secure edge nodes
Computing: first computer with quantum acceleration

Digitalisation of public services

Key Public Services: 100% online
e-Health: 100% of citizens have access to medical records online
Digital Identity: 100% of citizens have access to digital ID

The Path to the Digital Decade

The Digital Decade policy programme 2030 sets up an annual cooperation cycle to achieve the common objectives and targets. This governance framework is based on an annual cooperation mechanism involving the Commission and Member States.

The cooperation mechanism consists of

• a structured, transparent and shared monitoring system based on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) to measure progress towards each of the 2030 targets
• an annual report in which the Commission evaluates progress and provides recommendations for actions. The first ‘Report on the state of the Digital Decade’ was published in September 2023
• every two years, adjusted Digital decade strategic roadmaps in which the Member States outline adopted or planned actions to reach the 2030 targets
• a mechanism to support the implementation of multi-country projects, the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium

The Commission has developed EU-level trajectories. Baseline trajectories outline how the EU will progress according to current trends, and projected trajectories outline the path that yearly progress should follow to achieve the targets by 2030. The difference between the estimated trends and the ideal path will allow the Commission to monitor the gap in the effort needed.

The Commission shall review the targets by 2026 to take stock of technological, economic and societal developments.

Multi-country projects

To reach the digital targets and objectives, the European Commission will accelerate and facilitate the launch of multi-country projects, large-scale projects that no single Member State could develop on its own.

These projects could:

• combine investments from the EU budget, including from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, from Member States, and the private sector
• address gaps in the identified critical capacities of the EU
• support an interconnected, interoperable and secure Digital Single Market

The Commission has identified an initial list of multi-country projects. This list includes areas for investment such as data infrastructure, low-power processors, 5G communication, high-performance computing, secure quantum communication, public administration, blockchain, digital innovation hubs, digital skills and cybersecurity.

A first status report on the MCPs was published in September 2023

Digital rights and principles

On 15 December 2022, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen signed the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, together with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala for the rotating Council presidency.

The Declaration, put forward by the Commission in January 2022, presents the EU’s commitment to a secure, safe and sustainable digital transformation that puts people at the centre, in line with core EU values and fundamental rights.

People at the centre

Digital technologies should protect people’s rights, support democracy, and ensure that all digital players act responsibly and safely. The EU promotes these values across the world.

Freedom of choice

People should benefit from a fair online environment, be safe from illegal and harmful content, and be empowered when they interact with new and evolving technologies like artificial intelligence.

Safety and security

The digital environment should be safe and secure. All users, from childhood to old age, should be empowered and protected.

Solidarity and inclusion

Technology should unite, not divide, people. Everyone should have access to the internet, to digital skills, to digital public services and to fair working conditions.

Participation

Citizens should be able to engage in the democratic process at all levels and have control over their own data.

Sustainability

Digital devices should support sustainability and the green transition. People need to know about the environmental impact and energy consumption of their devices.

The digital rights and principles outlined in the Declaration will complement existing rights, such as those rooted in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, and data protection and privacy legislation. They will provide a reference framework for citizens on their digital rights, as well as guidance for EU Member States and for companies when dealing with new technologies. They are intended to help everyone in the EU get the most out of the digital transformation.

A first assessment of the implementation of the digital principles is provided in the 2023 State of the Digital Decade report.

The Commission is also conducting an annual Eurobarometer survey to monitor the follow-up measures in the Member States. The first such Eurobarometer survey was published in June 2023.

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