The new European Commission recognises that an increased dependency on digitalisation is necessary to achieve climate neutrality, improve access to online services and to make Europe into a global technological leader. Increased digital dependency can only be successful if it protects the privacy rights of users through the data protection law (GDPR) and increase’s its efficiency by improving e-commerce, for both consumers and companies. For these to be achievable, new rules must be developed to accommodate technological advancements which benefit the economy and society. These measures constitute the Commission’s digital strategy plan and aim to make the EU fit for the digital age.
The Digital Agenda focuses on three key objectives to ensure that digital solutions help Europe to pursue its own way towards a digital transformation that works for the benefit of people through respecting our values:
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Technology that works for people - Development, deployment and uptake of technology that makes a real difference to people’s daily lives.
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A fair and competitive economy - A frictionless single market, where companies of all sizes and in any sector can compete on equal terms, and can develop, market and use digital technologies, products and services at a scale that boosts their productivity and global competitiveness, and consumers can be confident that their rights are respected.
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An open, democratic and sustainable society - A trustworthy environment in which citizens are empowered in how they act and interact, and of the data they provide both online and offline.
© European Commission, 2020
Technology that works for people key actions [European Commission: Shaping Europe's Digital Future]
- White Paper on Artificial Intelligence setting out options for a legislative framework for trustworthy AI (adopted together with this Communication), with a follow-up on safety, liability, fundamental rights and data (Q4 2020).
- Building and deploying cutting-edge joint digital capacities in the areas of AI, cyber, superand quantum computing, quantum communication and blockchain. European Strategies on Quantum and blockchain (Q2 2020) as well as a revised EuroHPC Regulation11 on supercomputing.
- Accelerating investments in Europe’s Gigabit connectivity, through a revision of the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive12, an updated Action Plan on 5G and 6G, a new Radio Spectrum Policy Programme (2021). 5G corridors for connected and automated mobility, including railway corridors, will be rolled out (2021-2030) (2021-2023).
- A European cybersecurity strategy, including the establishment of a joint Cybersecurity Unit, a Review of the Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive13 and giving a push to the single market for cybersecurity.
- A Digital Education Action Plan to boost digital literacy and competences at all levels of education (Q2 2020).
- A reinforced Skills Agenda to strengthen digital skills throughout society and a reinforced Youth Guarantee to put a strong focus on digital skills in early career transitions (Q2 2020).
- Initiative to improve labour conditions of platform workers (2021).
- A reinforced EU governments interoperability strategy to ensure coordination and common standards for secure and borderless public sector data flows and services. (2021)
A fair and competitive economy key actions [European Commission: Shaping Europe's Digital Future]
- A European Data Strategy to make Europe a global leader in the data-agile economy (February 2020), announcing a legislative framework for data governance (Q4 2020) and a possible Data Act (2021).
- Ongoing evaluation and review of the fitness of EU competition rules for the digital age (2020-2023), and launch of a sector inquiry (2020).
- The Commission will further explore, in the context of the Digital Services Act package, ex ante rules to ensure that markets characterised by large platforms with significant network effects acting as gatekeepers, remain fair and contestable for innovators, businesses, and new market entrants. (Q4 2020).
- Propose an Industrial Strategy Package putting forward a range of actions to facilitate the transformation towards clean, circular, digital and globally competitive EU industries, including SMEs and the reinforcement of single market rules.
- Create a framework to enable convenient, competitive and secure Digital Finance, including legislative proposals on crypto assets, and on digital operational and cyber resilience in the financial sector and a strategy towards an integrated EU payments market that supports pan-European digital payment services and solutions (Q3 2020);
- Communication on Business Taxation for the 21st century, taking into account the progress made in the context of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to address the tax challenges arising from the digitisation of the economy.
- Delivering a new Consumer Agenda, which will empower consumers to make informed choices and play an active role in the digital transformation (Q4 2020).
An open, democratic and sustainable society key actions [European Commission: Shaping Europe's Digital Future]
- New and revised rules to deepen the Internal Market for Digital Services, by increasing and harmonising the responsibilities of online platforms and information service providers and reinforce the oversight over platforms’ content policies in the EU. (Q4 2020, as part of the Digital Services Act package).
- Revision of eIDAS Regulation to improve its effectiveness, extend its benefits to the private sector and promote trusted digital identities for all Europeans (Q4 2020)
- Media and audiovisual Action Plan to support digital transformation and competitiveness of the audiovisual and media sector, to stimulate access to quality content and media pluralism (Q4 2020)
- European Democracy Action Plan to improve the resilience of our democratic systems, support media pluralism and address the threats of external intervention in European elections (Q4 2020)
- Destination Earth, initiative to develop a high precision digital model of Earth (a “Digital Twin of the Earth”) that would improve Europe’s environmental prediction and crisis management capabilities (Timing: from 2021). (Also see: Destination Earth)
- A circular electronics initiative, mobilising existing and new instruments in line with the policy framework for sustainable products of the forthcoming circular economy action plan, to ensure that devices are designed for durability, maintenance, dismantling, reuse and recycling and including a right to repair or upgrade to extend the lifecycle of electronic devices and to avoid premature obsolescence (2021).
- Initiatives to achieve climate-neutral, highly energy efficient and sustainable data centres by no later than 2030 and transparency measures for telecoms operators on their environmental footprint.
- The promotion of electronic health records based on a common European exchange format to give European citizens secure access to and exchange of health data across the EU . A European health data space to improve safe and secure accessibility of health data allowing for targeted and faster research, diagnosis and treatment ( from 2022).
