The Path to the Digital Decade: how to underpin European competitiveness
During the State of the Union, President von der Leyen announced the Path to the Digital Decade as a key initiative to promote digital transformation, address growing needs of digitalization and shape universal standards.
The Path addresses the targets to achieve in ten years in the following fields:
- Digital skills:
- Adults with basic digital skills: from 56% to 80%
- Employed ICT specialists: from 8.4 million to 20 million
- Digital infrastructures:
- Gigabit network coverage: from 59% yo 100% of households
- 5G coverage: from 14% yo 100% of populated areas
- The EU production of semiconductors, including processors: from 10% yo 20% of world production in value
- Digital transformation of businesses
- Cloud computing services: from 26% to 75%
- Big data: from 14% to 75%
- Artificial Intelligence: from 25% to 75%
- Online access to key public services (related to career, studying, family, regular business operations, moving): from 75% to 100% citizens
Cooperation among MSs remains as an essential tool to achieve the Digital Decade objectives in:
- High-tech partnerships for digital skills through the Pact for Skills;
- European Digital Innovation Hubs;
- Pan-European deployment of 5G corridors;
- European Common Data Infrastructure and Services;
- Endow the EU with the next generation of low power trusted processors;
- Acquiring supercomputers and quantum computers, connected with the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking;
- Connected Public Administration;
- European Blockchain Services Infrastructure
The Commission will be the institution in charge of coordination. The Commission will assess the viability of proposed multi-country projects. After that, the Commission will advise on the possibilities for implementation of the multi-country project with the participating MSs. As a final step, the Commission will support the implementation of projects by providing technical assistance services, expertise, and the exchange of best practice.
The Path creates a yearly cooperation cycle to monitor and evaluate progress leading to 2030. The aim of the annual cooperation will be focused on:
- Address insufficient progress through joint purpose, as well as through multi-country project and actions at European level
- Evaluate progress and provide recommendations to MSs in the Digital Decade Report
- Monitor progress based on DESI (Digital Economy and Society Index)
- Engage in cooperative dialogue to identify deviations from the projected trajectories
- Adjust MSs path to adapt planned actions at national levels
As next steps, the Commission will approve a joint declaration along with European Parliament and European Council to identify a set of digital principles and rights including:
- Protection of the intellectual creation of individuals in the online space
- Accessible digital public services and administration
- Protection of personal data and privacy
- Universal digital education and skills
- Ethical principles for human-centred algorithms
- Access to digital health services
Sources:
European Commission (2021). Policy Programme: a Path to the Digital Decade.
European Commission (2021). 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade.
European Commission (2021). State of the Union: Path to the Digital Decade.
Manuela Sánchez
Senior Public Affairs Consultant
Senior Consultant in the area of Public Affairs at LLYC. She is currently a PhD candidate in International Law. She holds a degree in Law and Political Science from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a Master’s degree in Politics and Democracy. She is a specialist in Regulatory Analysis, International Law and Institutional Relations.