Entitled the Jutland Declaration a note from the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, obtained by Agence Europe, is due to be signed by the EU27 on 10 October in Horsens at the informal meeting of ministers responsible for the digital sector.
The latest version of the text, dated 26 September, states that in the specific case of the protection of minors online, there is “a need to explore whether further measures are required”. In other words, the declaration does not close the door on the drafting of a legislative text if it is “to complement the Digital Services Act (DSA)”, despite Europe’s need for “stronger efforts to simplify the existing legislation and reduce the regulatory burden”.
The DSA is always presented as the first and foremost tool for ensuring better protection for young people in the digital environment, and must be applied as “firmly” as possible.
With regard to potential “tools”, the declaration states that there is “a need to require effective and privacy-preserving age verification” on social networks and other relevant digital services. The recent digital identity (eID) wallet (see EUROPE 13680/15), currently being tested in five EU countries, is cited as an important step forward providing “commonly available, interoperable, seamless and privacy-preserving ways to verify age”.
Belgium has already publicly stated its intention to co-sign the declaration. Several other countries have said they are satisfied with its content, while reserving their signatures for the day of the meeting.
To see the declaration: https://aeur.eu/f/io6 (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)