During a high-level virtual conference organised by the German Presidency of the Council of the EU on Tuesday, 8 December, EU Member States set a series of goals to support digital transformation.
All ministers in charge of digital matters have co-signed this declaration, known as the ‘Berlin Declaration’, which builds on the Declaration on eGovernment that was signed in Tallinn in 2017 (see EUROPE 11878/13). The press release emphasises that the new declaration “sets the scene for a future interoperability policy and reinforced digital government policies in the EU.”
In particular, Member States are agreeing to work together and in collaboration with the EU institutions in order to strengthen digital participation and digital inclusion so as to foster a value-based digital transformation. More specifically, they have committed to implementing a certain number of actions by the end of 2024, such as promoting democratic values, encouraging digital empowerment and literacy, and ensuring security, sustainability, and technological sovereignty in the digital sphere.
The document is accompanied by a statement by Poland that qualifies the term “gender equality” used in the declaration, making it clear—as has now become its custom—that, for Poland, this term refers to equality between men and women.
See the statement: https://bit.ly/33TOTQR (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)