The European Union Pursues Ambitious Digital Agenda, Emphasizing Regulation and Protection over Free Trade and Innovation in the Tech Sector
European Commission President Urges Digital Advancement in State of the Union Address
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a State of the Union address, outlining her plans for the EU's digital future. In her speech, she proposed significant investments and initiatives aimed at bolstering the EU's digital capabilities.
President von der Leyen emphasized the need for the EU to advance in artificial intelligence, proposing a new law to regulate its use. She also called for expanding broadband access and investing in supercomputers, a move that could position the EU as a leader in digital technologies.
The president reiterated the goal of digital sovereignty, a concept that aims to ensure the EU maintains control over its digital infrastructure. To achieve this, she suggested that the EU should rely on partnerships with the United States, Japan, Canada, and others.
However, the EU has a poor track record in this area. Despite the GDPR, which has forced companies to spend billions on compliance, Europeans still have little understanding of what happens to their data in reality. President von der Leyen admitted that existing rules, such as the GDPR, have not delivered on their promise.
To thrive in the digital economy, President von der Leyen believes the EU should focus on expanding digital skills, adoption, and trade. She also defended the European cloud and data services federation Gaia-X and called for introducing a secure European e-identity.
The plan prioritizes regulation of technologies over adoption, a move that some critics argue could hinder innovation. Moreover, there was no acknowledgement in the speech regarding the role of foreign technology companies in keeping the EU's economy running.
Despite these challenges, President von der Leyen praised the EU's progress in digitization during the COVID-19 crisis. She renewed the EU's commitment to the free flow of data, a decision that could foster collaboration in emerging digital and data-driven technologies across these regions.
The Center for Data Innovation, in a statement from Senior Policy Analyst Eline Chivot, called on European states to participate in partnerships with the USA, Japan, Canada, and others to jointly lead in the upcoming "digital decade." However, specific European countries were not explicitly named in the accessible sources.
The plan, while favouring protectionism over free trade, could shape the EU's digital landscape in the coming years, as the continent strives to catch up with global leaders in the digital economy.
