2030 policy programme “Path to the Digital Decade”
The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the report by Martina DLABAJOVÁ (Renew, CZ) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the 2030 Policy Programme ‘Path to the Digital Decade’.
The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure be amended as follows:
Subject matter
This Decision establishes a Policy Programme ‘Path to the Digital Decade’ and sets out a monitoring and cooperation mechanism for that programme consisting of measures to:
(a) set a clear direction for the digital transformation of the Union and for delivery of the digital targets by 2030 based on measurable indicators;
(b) structure and stimulate cooperation between the Union institutions and Member States;
(c) ensure the consistency, comparability, transparency and completeness of the monitoring and reporting by the Union.
General objectives
The Union institutions and the Member States should cooperate to support and achieve the following general objectives:
- promote a human-centred, inclusive, ethical, secure, open, transparent and interoperable digital environment where digital technologies and services respect and enhance Union principles, rights and values;
- bridge the digital divides by promoting continuous opportunities for each individual, to develop basic and advanced digital skills and competencies as well as by fostering the development of horizontal high-performing digital education and training systems through vocational and professional training, reskilling, upskilling and lifelong learning;
- ensure the Union’s digital, open strategic autonomy, in particular by a secure and accessible digital and data infrastructures, supporting the competitiveness and sustainability of the Union’s industry and economy, in particular of SMEs, and the resilience of the Union’s value chains;
- reduce the geographical digital divide and giving access to digital technologies and data on open, accessible and fair terms, while ensuring the protection of fundamental rights including security;
- develop a comprehensive and sustainable ecosystem of interoperable digital infrastructures where high performance, edge, cloud, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, data management and network connectivity work in convergence, to promote their uptake in the Union businesses, to create opportunities for growth and jobs through research, development and innovation;
- promote the development of regulatory standards to ensure that Union undertakings, especially SMEs, can compete fairly along global value chains;
- improve resilience to cyberattacks.
A technology-neutral approach to connectivity is a principle that should guide national and EU digital policies.
Digital targets
In particular, the following digital targets should be achieved in the EU by 2030:
- a digitally skilled population and highly skilled digital professionals: (i) at least 80% of people aged 16-74 have at least basic digital skills; (b) at least 20 million information and communication technology (ICT) specialists are employed in the EU, promoting women's access to the sector;
- sustainable, secure and efficient digital infrastructure: (i) all European households, business premises and educational institutions are covered by a gigabit network, reaching the last segment, right up to the end-user device, with all populated areas covered by next-generation broadband networks; (ii) by 2030, the EU has a competitive and sustainable cloud data infrastructure with high standards of security and privacy, and respecting EU data protection rules;
- digital transformation of enterprises: at least 75% of EU enterprises have adopted one or more of the following, depending on their business activities: (i) cloud computing services; (ii) big data; (iii) artificial intelligence;
- digitalisation of public services: 100% of EU citizens have access to a secure digital identification (ID) solution recognised throughout the EU, giving users full control over their personal data.
National strategic roadmaps for the digital decade
The roadmaps should be drafted after consultation with key stakeholders, such as business organisations, including SME representatives, social partners and civil society, including the elderly and young people, as well as local and regional representatives, and should be a crucial tool for coordinating Member States' policies and ensuring predictability for the market.
Transparency and public participation
The Commission should cooperate closely with stakeholders, including private and public actors, such as statutory bodies in the education or health sector, and consult them on measures to accelerate the digital transformation at EU level.
When consulting stakeholders, it would be necessary to be as inclusive as possible and to involve those bodies that are key to promoting the participation of girls and women in digital education and career paths, with the aim of promoting the most gender-balanced approach possible when implementing national strategic roadmaps.