Europe's Digital Decade: Commission launches consultation and discussion on EU digital principles

13 May 2021 01:47 PM

As a follow-up to its Digital Decade Communication of 9 March, the Commission yesterday launched a public consultation on the formulation of a set of principles to promote and uphold EU values in the digital space. The consultation, open until 2 September, seeks to open a wide societal debate and gather views from citizens, non-governmental and civil society organisations, businesses, administrations and all interested parties. These principles will guide the EU and Member States in designing digital rules and regulations that deliver the benefits of digitalisation for all citizens.

Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, yesterday said:

“A fair and secure digital environment that offers opportunities for all. That is our commitment. The digital principles will guide this European human-centred approach to digital and should be the reference for future action in all areas. That's why we want to hear from EU citizens.”

Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, yesterday said:

“This is Europe's Digital Decade and everyone should be empowered to benefit from digital solutions to connect, explore, work and fulfil one's ambitions, online as offline. We want to set together the digital principles on which a resilient digital economy and society will be built.”

On 9 March, the Commission laid out its vision for Europe's digital transformation by 2030 in its Communication “Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade“, and proposed to compile a set of digital principles. This covers areas such as access to internet services, to a secure and trusted online environment, to digital health services and to human-centric digital public services and administration. All interested people and parties can also share their view on digital education and skills necessary for people to take an active part in society and in democratic processes, ethical principles for human centric algorithms, the protection and empowerment of children and young people in the online space or digital systems and devices that respect the environment. They are also invited to propose alternative formulations or elaborate on other possible principles.

These principles will complement existing rights that already protect and empower Europeans online such as the protection of their personal data and privacy, freedom of expression, freedom to set up and conduct a business online or the protection of their intellectual creations.

This approach goes also hand-in-hand with the recent proposal on Artificial Intelligence whereby the Commission aims to ensure the use of this technology in the EU is trustworthy and human-centric.

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