EU has launched the “Digital Decade 2030” policy program.
DIKTIO – Network for Reform in Greece and Europe presents a comprehensive overview of all the policies, programmes, and funding available to Member States, and Greece in particular.
Planning and programming are positive. Implementation and results, though, are uncertain, as there is not an available evaluation that could assess the achievements so far.
The introduction of this study raises all the stakes ahead of the European elections as the next E.U. will have to address enormous and significant challenges.
We also hope that the study will serve as a supportive tool in the hands of the MEP candidates.
We live in an era where developments in digital technology have brought new ways of communication, learning, entertainment, and economic activity. It is well established that this change has brought new freedoms and rights for citizens around the world and in Europe, giving them the opportunity to transcend geographical, social, and economic boundaries and barriers.
However, these new freedoms and emerging conditions come with significant challenges that must be addressed effectively and based on European values, ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone enjoys freedom, protection, and justice. In this context, the EU has launched the “Digital Decade 2030” policy program to accelerate its digital transformation while ensuring it aligns with its values. The Digital Decade 2030 will enhance the EU’s autonomy in digital technology while promoting inclusive, sustainable, human-centered digital policies that empower both citizens and businesses. The program establishes a structured governance framework between the Commission and member states, targeting four key pillars: enhancing digital skills, digital transformation of businesses, secure and sustainable infrastructures, and digitalisation of public services.
On the eve of the European elections, the EU is at a pivotal moment as the implementation of the Digital Decade 2030 policies has the potential to unlock significant investments and substantially boost the competitiveness of the European economy, while also bolstering other strategic EU objectives such as the European Green Deal.
But how can Europe, which imports most of its technological products and tends to regulate more than produces in terms of technology and innovation, discuss and overcome the challenges that undermine its autonomy and sovereignty in technology on the global stage? And how, in this path, will it successfully secure its democratic values while simultaneously achieving strategic goals for the next decade? How will Greece, as a member state, follow this path and respond successfully, leveraging its competitive advantages?
This paper by DIKTIO – Network for Reform in Greece and Europe, supported by Google, attempts to answer these questions by providing an analytical and critical look both at the current situation along with the challenges and goals that have been set.
- Can our democracy be protected by bridging the digital divide and enhancing trust in technology?
- Can the twinning of the digital and green transitions be the answer to the climate crisis, with digital technologies acting as a catalyst for achieving a sustainable future?
- How can digital transformation become the main driving force for the competitiveness and growth of European businesses?
- Is strengthening the digital skills of citizens and integrating digital literacy as a key element of the education system, an investment for the future? How can the brain drain be reversed to brain gain, contributing to the enormous demand for skilled professionals in new technologies?
- How will Artificial Intelligence, as the steam engine of the 4th Industrial Revolution, transform the labor market, and how will Europe follow other leading countries in the AI race in the coming years?
By posing these questions ahead of the European elections and continuing the discussion afterward, DIKTIO – Network for Reform in Greece and Europe aims to foster a substantial Euro-dialogue on all these critical issues that will shape Europe in the next decade.