Shaping Europe’s digital future

In this Communication, the European Commission presents its ideas and actions towards a European digital transformation inspired by openness, fairness, diversity, inclusiveness and democracy.

The European vision and goals will be based on three main pillars: a technology that works for people; a fair and competitive economy; an open, democratic and sustainable society. The EU’s digital strategy aims to benefit European citizens, businesses and the environment, respectively by making sure technology improves individuals’ daily lives, by empowering businesses to start, grow, innovate and compete on fair terms, and by reaching climate neutrality with the help of digital technologies.

Technology that works for the people

• invest in digital competences for all Europeans
• protect people from cyber threats (hacking, ransomware, identity theft)
• ensure Artificial Intelligence is developed in ways that respect people’s rights and earn their trust
• accelerate the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband for homes, schools and hospitals throughout the EU
• expand Europe’s super-computing capacity to develop innovative solutions for medicine, transport and the environment

A fair and competitive digital economy

• enable a vibrant community of innovative and fast growing start-ups and SMEs to access finance and to expand
• propose a Digital Services Act to strengthen the responsibility of online platforms and clarify rules for online services
• make sure that EU rules are fit for purpose in the digital economy
• ensure that all companies compete in Europe on fair terms
• increase access to high-quality data while ensuring that personal and sensitive data is safeguarded

An open, democratic and sustainable society

• use technology to help Europe become climate-neutral by 2050
• reduce the digital sector’s carbon emissions
• empower citizens with better control and protection of their data
• create a European health data space to foster targeted research, diagnosis and treatment
• fight disinformation online and foster diverse and reliable media content

At the international level, the strategy calls for a leading Europe that is:

• a global model for the digital economy
• a support for developing economies in going digital
• a standards-setter, capable of promoting them internationally

Concrete key actions for the future are also detailed in the Communication.