Statement to the European Commission on Europe's 2030 Digital Compass

Statement to the European Commission on Europe's 2030 Digital Compass

As the Digital Decade process is moving to its next stages, CSC wants to reiterate the importance of the green and human-centric approach that is quite prominent in the roadmap for the Digital Compass communication published in February. It is essential not to lose sight of these underlying principles that stem directly from the Commission’s most fundamental political and strategic priorities, outlined in the Green Deal and plans for making Europe fit for the digital age. Furthermore, the digital and green transition must interplay as a twin challenge and opportunity in the proposed targets and tools.

In short, CSC recommends:

  1. Setting a climate-neutrality target for all digital infrastructures with vast energy consumption;
  2. Drawing up a Green ICT Strategy for the EU, inspired by Finland’s recently published climate and environment strategy for the ICT sector;
  3. Enhancing the end-user’s role in the design of digital services through co-design and engagement of broad range of user communities;
  4. Setting an interoperability target and linking the Digital Compass policies more closely with the EU’s data policies;
  5. Developing the infrastructure targets so that they support interoperable ecosystems of different types of infrastructures as well as technological leadership in emerging technologies;
  6. Applying shared ownership and inclusive consortium arrangements when designing the Multi-Country Projects for developing Europe’s digital capacities in critical areas;
  7. Paying attention to openness, transparency and ensuring a diverse and balanced representation of public and private interests as well as civil society and various fields of academia when inviting members to the stakeholder forum and/or expert group to be established to support the implementation of the Digital Compass policies;
  8. Consulting stakeholders not only on the implementation but also the design of the Digital Compass policies, and taking the necessary communication efforts to that effect.

Read the full statement here