Europe’s Digital Decade: digital targets for 2030

On 9 March 2021, the Commission presented a vision and avenues for Europe’s digital transformation by 2030. This vision for the EU's digital decade evolves around four cardinal points:

These four areas are part of Europe’s Digital Compass which will translate the EUʼs digital ambitions for 2030 in concrete terms via

• targets and key milestones
• a robust joint governance structure including a traffic light monitoring system to identify successes and gaps
• multi-country projects combining investments from the EU, Member States and the private sector

Digital citizenship: rights and principles for Europeans

A framework of digital principles will help promote and uphold EU values in the digital space. This framework will be identified through a wide societal debate and could for example include:

The Commission will propose to include such a set of digital principles and rights in an inter-institutional solemn declaration that will:

set a common benchmark at the European level for fundamental rights and values in the digital space ensure that all citizens benefit from digitalisation, are skilled for the digital society and exercise their rights online as well as offline guide the EU and the Member States in designing and enforcing coordinated policies help monitor the perception of Europeans of the benefits of digitalisation in an annual Eurobarometer

Multi-country projects

To reach the objectives set by the Digital Compass, the European Commission will accelerate and facilitate the launch of multi-country projects, building on the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the Cohesion Funds and other EU funding.

These projects could

• combine investments from the EU budget, 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

Example of a potential multi-country project

The EU could deploy a network of Security Operations Centres, powered by AI, to anticipate, detect and respond to cyberattacks at national and EU level.

• 20% Percentage of the Recovery and Resilience Facility each EU country should dedicate to the digital transition

International partnerships for the Digital Decade

The EU will promote its human-centred digital agenda on the global stage and promote alignment or convergence with EU norms and standards. It will also ensure the security and resilience of its digital supply chains and deliver global solutions. These will be achieved by

setting a toolbox combining regulatory cooperation, addressing capacity building and skills, investment in international cooperation and research partnerships designing digital economy packages financed through initiatives that bring together the EU, Member States, private companies, like-minded partners and international financial institutions combining EU internal investments  and external cooperation instruments investing in improved connectivity with the EU’s partners, for example through a possible Digital Connectivity Fund

Potential areas of partnership

• 6G
• Quantum
• Use of technology to fight climate change and environmental challenges

Next steps

The Commission will soon launch a wide-ranging discussion and consultation process, including with citizens, on the EU vision and the digital principles by:  

• Consulting on the digital principles without delay
• Discussing and engaging with Member States, the European Parliament, regional and economic and social partners and businesses on specific elements of the Communication in the course of 2021
• Launching a multi-stakeholder forum on the Digital Compass

Building on this concertation the Commission will aim at:

• Proposing a Digital Policy programme operationalising the Digital Compass by the end of the summer
• Progressing towards the Inter-institutional declaration on Digital Principles by end the of 2021