On Thursday 28 and Friday 29 September, 25 European heads of state and government will be meeting up in Tallinn to discuss the future of Europe and digital innovation. Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, will indeed be present but not the head of the Spanish government, Mariano Rajoy, who has to remain in Spain due to the Catalan referendum on 1 October.
Tallinn Digital Summit
Estonia is a pioneer of e-administration and online services and would like to use its time at the Presidency of the Council of the EU to encourage digital innovation in Europe. During the Tallinn Digital Summit on 29 September, it intends to launch debate on digital innovation for the period leading up to 2025 so that, “Europe remains at the cutting edge of technological progress while assuming global level leadership in the digital domain”.
The day’s work will be divided into a total of two working sessions: the first takes place before lunch and will focus on the future of governance. After listening to the speech by cyber security professor Jarno Limnell (Finnish University of Aalto), European leaders will discuss the role of the EU and governments for building trust and security in a digitalised environment.
It should be recalled that in 2016 alone, the EU recorded more than 4,000 Ransomware attacks each day and 80% of European businesses experienced at least one cyber security related incident. This session is a key part of the cyber security strategy presented on 19 September by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11865) but according to one Presidency source, no legislative proposal will be specifically tackled, even if they are currently subject to examination.
The afternoon working session will focus on the future of the digital economy and society. On this occasion, heads of state and government will discuss infrastructure and skills requirements for making Europe digitally resilient and competitive. Members of the Commission and the director of the McKinsey Global Institute, Mr James Manyika, will kickstart the session.
These exchanges of views are expected to produce conclusions that will be presented during the October European Council. Asked about the results expected, one Presidency source explained, “The fact that such a meeting is being organised is, in itself, success. I believe that digitalisation deserves as much attention as the future of the Eurozone”.
Informal dinner on the future of Europe
On the eve of the summit, heads of state and government will meet up for an informal dinner where they will examine how the Bratislava roadmap has been put into practice. It was adopted in September 2016, just after the British referendum and the victory of those calling for a Brexit (see EUROPE 11626).
In his letter of invitation to the Thursday dinner, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, compiled a thematic range of subjects that require a European position. These include migration, defence, the economy and trade (see EUROPE 11868). He mentions the question of the budget and governance of the Economic and Monetary Union and asserts that formal discussions, particularly on the idea of a European Monetary Fund to replace the stability mechanism, will take place in December and that a decision is expected be taken “before June 2018”.
President Tusk explained, “We will be unable to tackle all these questions at Tallinn and even less able to make decisions on them. Nonetheless, I think that this meeting will be a good opportunity to discuss how we should approach this debate, particularly with regard to the many interesting opinions we have heard recently on the substance, method and objectives”. Mr Tusk added that no document would be circulated before the meeting, so the discussions could be carried out more freely.
In this context, it has not been ruled out that other subjects will also make it onto the agenda. The result of the general elections and the fiery speech made by Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday at the University of the Sorbonne (see EUROPE 11870), will also contribute to the tone of the discussions. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)