The Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States are expected to approve conclusions on European competitiveness and digital sovereignty at their summit in Brussels on Thursday 23 October. Broadly speaking, they call for greater simplification and innovation in the automotive industry, military mobility, digital technology, the environment and food safety.
On the specific issue of digital, the version of the European Council’s draft conclusions dated 17 October and obtained by Agence Europe states that it is “ crucial to advance Europe’s digital transformation, reinforce its sovereignty and strengthen its own open digital ecosystem”.
The text emphasises the European values that must be reflected in the sector, namely respect for fundamental rights, protection of personal data, protection of minors and transparency.
In the interests of competitiveness and resilience, the European Council should call on the Commission to “strengthen innovation”, to “promote cutting-edge technologies” and “European technological solutions”. “Market fragmentation, infrastructure gaps and high energy prices continue to hinder the growth potential of this technological transformation”, it says.
The European Council stresses that “particular efforts” are needed to “advance the rollout of connectivity infrastructure, deepen the Single Market for electronic communications”.
As for artificial intelligence (AI) and ‘cloud’ computing, the Commission must remain “ambitious” in its forthcoming proposals in this area.
See the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/j1e (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)