On May 11, 2022, the European Council adopted its position on the 2030 Policy Programme “Path to the Digital Decade’, which is designed to “strengthen the EU’s digital leadership” through inclusive and sustainable digital policies. Once the European Parliament has confirmed its position, negotiations between Parliament and Council presidency can take place.

The objective of the mandate endeavors to create “concrete digital targets, including for industry which the Union as a whole must achieve by the end of the decade and a novel form of governance with the member states, through a mechanism of cooperation between the Commission and the member states to ensure that the Union jointly achieves its ambition.” The Council contributed a legal basis to the mandate by adding, with respect to governance, that member states and the Commission must cooperate biennially, but the ‘State of the Digital Decade’ report will remain an annual release. The Council also underscored its accord with the Commission Communication of March 2021 on the 2030 Digital Compass, highlighting the importance of fundamental rights.

More information on the 2030 policy program ‘Path to the Digital Decade’, is available here.