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The Commission laments that digital technologies are mostly developed outside the EU. It further states that 90% of the EU’s data are managed by US companies, and European made microchips represent less than 10% of the European market. A massive scale up of investments is necessary to develop critical technologies.
The Commission underlines that 20% of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (post pandemic recovery fund) will support the digital transition.
Please find below the key targets of the Compass.
European digital product passport
The Commission plans on creating a European digital product passport. Starting with batteries for electric vehicles and industrial applications, this passport will improve information available to businesses and consumers on the value chains, incl. individual components and materials. The objective is to improve the sustainability of products.
Digital infrastructures
By 2030, all European households should be covered by a Gigabit network, with all populated areas covered by 5G.
With regards to microprocessors, the Commission highlights their importance: they are at the start of most of the key strategic value chains (connected cars, phones IoT, AI etc.). “While Europe designs and manufactures high-end chips, there are important gaps, notably in the state-of-the-art fabrication technologies and in chip design, exposing to a number of vulnerabilities.” By 2030, the target is the production of cutting-edge and sustainable semiconductors in Europe, including processors (meaning manufacturing capacities below 5nm nodes aiming at 2nm and 10 times more energy efficient than today). Europe should represent at least 20% of world semiconductor production in value.
In addition, Europe needs to strengthen its own cloud infrastructure capacities. The 2030 target is to have 10,000 climate neutral highly secure edge nodes in the EU.
Finally, the Commission wants the EU to lead the Quantum revolution.
Digital transformation of businesses
The Commission states that, with ambitious eco-standards, businesses will be able to adopt digital technologies with lower environmental footprint and higher energy and material efficiency. Targets for 2030: 75% of European enterprises have taken up cloud computing services, big data and AI. More than 90% of European SMEs reach at least a basic level of digital intensity.
Additionally, the Commission explains that Europe creates as many start-ups as the US but needs to develop more favourable conditions for growth and scale-up. The ambition is to double the number of unicorns in Europe by 2030.
Digitalisation of public services, including EUid
One of the key objectives is to foster the online availability of public services. By 2030, 100% of key public services should be available online for citizens and businesses.
This digitalisation includes health services. By 2030, the Commission wants to greatly improve Europeans’ ability to access their electronic health records, based on common technical specifications for health data sharing, interoperability, secure infrastructure. Target: 100% of European citizens have access to medical records by 2030.
Developing a European digital identity is also a main objective. The Commission targets a wide deployment of a trusted, user-controlled identity, allowing each citizen to control their own online interactions and presence. By 2030, 80% of citizens should use a digital ID solution.
Multi-Country Projects, including EUid
The Commission encourages Member States to use funding from their national recovery and resilience plans to support Multi-Country Projects to build digital capacities. The Communication mentions some Multi-Country projects discussed so far:
-Design and deployment of the next generation of low power trusted processors and other electronic components;
-Deploying a network of Security Operations Centres, powered by artificial intelligence, able to detect signs of a cyberattack early enough, and to enable proactive action, for enhanced joint risk preparedness and response at national and EU level;
-Connected Public Administration: build in complementarity and synergy with the eIDAS framework and offer on a voluntary basis European Digital Identity, to access and use digital services online from the public and private sectors in a privacy-enhancing way and in full compliance with existing data protection laws;
-European Blockchain Services Infrastructure.
International partnerships
The European Commission underlines that digital policy is never value neutral. The EU will strongly promote its core interests and values, through three overarching principles: a level playing field in digital markets, a secure cyberspace and upholding fundamental rights online.
The EU has proposed to establish a new EU-US Trade and Technology Council. This Council would work on trade and investment, compatible standards, research collaboration, security of critical supply chains and fair competition.
In Annex, the European Commission lists all the concrete targets.
Next steps:
The Commission will propose a Digital Compass in the form of a digital policy programme. This programme should be adopted by co-decision by the European Parliament and the Council. It will include concrete objective and a monitoring system.
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