With the 2030 Digital Compass, the European Commission unveiled new targets for a successful digital transition that Europe should reach by 2030.
Since the beginning of her mandate as President of the European Commission (EC) in July 2019, Ursula von der Leyen has been promoting new instruments encouraging the digital transition, in order to make Europe `Fit for the Digital age´. This lead the EC to put in place its digital strategy and its data strategy and push forward regulations on digital markets and services. In line with these efforts, the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) proposes measures for the deployment of digital tools and skills.
To complete this set of instruments, and responding to the European Council’s call for a `Digital Compass´ in October 2020, the EC disclosed on 9 March 2021 its Communication on the 2030 Digital Compass. The goal of this new policy is to present a vision and avenues for Europe’s successful digital transition. Such policy is crucial not only for the digital transition itself, but also as a path to enable a greener and more sustainable society and ensuring Europe’s technological sovereignty.
The Digital Compass’ targets centres around four ‘cardinal points’ : (i) skills, (ii) secure and sustainable digital infrastructures, (iii) digital transformation of businesses, and (iv) digitalisation of public services. For each of these areas, the EC has defined quantitative objectives that Europe should reach by 2030:
- Digitally skilled population: The EC aims at a digitally skilled population with at least 80% of adults having digital skills; and highly skilled digital professionals, with 20 million ICT specialists in the EU balanced between men and women.
- Secure, performant and sustainable infrastructure: All European households should have gigabit connectivity and all populated areas should be covered by 5G. European semiconductor production, including processors, should represent 20% of the world’s total production; 10’000 climate neutral highly secure edge nodes should be deployed in the EU; and Europe should have its first quantum accelerated computer.
- Digitalisation of businesses: The transformation of businesses should result in three quarters of companies using cloud computing services, big data and artificial intelligence; 90% of SMEs reaching at least a basic level of digital intensity and doubling the total number of unicorns in the EU, bringing it to about 250.
- Digitalisation of public services: Finally, all key public services should be available online; all citizens should have access to their e-medical records and 80% of citizens should use a digital ID solution.
In addition to these ambitious objectives, the EC wishes to put a framework of digital rights and principles in place, promoting EU values in the digital space. This includes guaranteeing freedom of expression, access to transparent information and protection of personal data. Digital principles relate to overarching ideas like security, minimal environmental impact, ethics and human-centred digital services and infrastructures. To establish this framework, the EC will launch a wide, open consultation.
In order to reach the objectives set in the digital compass, the EC wishes to accelerate the launch of multi-country projects, which would combine investments from the EU budget, from Member States and from the private sector. The goal of these projects will be addressing gaps in critical capacities like connectivity, microelectronics, data and cloud. The EC is currently evaluating options for the implementation of the multi-country projects.
Finally, the EC wishes to promote its human-centred digital vision in International Digital Partnerships with the EU’s external partners. Such partnerships may focus on areas like 6G, quantum and technologies to fight climate change. Their goal will be to combine internal investments with funding available under the new external cooperation instruments to strengthen connectivity with external partners, for example through the creation of a Digital Connectivity Fund.
A structured consultation on the targets of the Digital Compass, as well as an open consultation on digital principles will open soon. A Eurobarometer exercise on the perception of Europeans regarding their online presence will also be conducted. Following these consultations, the EC hopes to present a Declaration of Digital Principles by the end of 2021 and a Digital Policy Programme in the third quarter of 2021.