The Council of the EU has called for a more concerted European approach to the challenges posed by new digital technologies.
“Digital issues are no longer a subject for engineers, but a battleground of technologies, values and narrative”, explained the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, after the Council meeting, adding that the EU’s digital diplomacy should support its geopolitical role.
In the conclusions it adopted, the EU Council considers that digital diplomacy should become “a core component and an integral part of the EU’s external action”.
In its view, the objective of the EU’s digital diplomacy is, among other things, to strengthen the EU’s global role in digital affairs, to actively promote universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and democratic principles in the digital space, and to advance a human-centric and human rights-based approach to digital technologies in relevant multilateral fora and other platforms.
The promotion of an open, free, global, stable and secure Internet, based on the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance, the promotion of free and secure data flows in full confidence, as well as the promotion of the EU’s internal digital policies and regulations, are also emphasised. The EU also wants to promote and support resilient and reliable digital infrastructures and improve its ability to monitor global digital regulatory activity.
As expected (see EUROPE 12994/10), Mr Borrell announced that the EU will open an office in San Francisco to strengthen the EU’s digital diplomacy.
See the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/2ol (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)