The Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles is a key initiative to protect the fundamental rights and values of the EU in the digital world.
The European Commission is monitoring the implementation of the principles and commitments in the Declaration, supported by Capgemini, Ecorys, IDC, Visionary Analytics and Professor in Technology Law and Human Rights Eleni Kosta.
How does your organisation promote digital human rights? The European Commission’s DG CNECT invites you to share your views via a short 10-minute survey.
- The survey allows you to strengthen the implementation of the Declaration and showcase good practices.
- Please submit your survey responses by 20 December 2024.
In case of questions, please join our Survey Launching Webinar on Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 11:30-12:00 (CET) on Microsoft Teams.
More information about the Declaration and its monitoring.
European Digital Rights and Principles
The European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles promotes a digital transition shaped by European values.
The EU wants to empower people to fully enjoy the opportunities that the digital transition is bringing.It has adopted a set of digital rights and principles that reflect EU values and promote a human-centric, secure and sustainable vision for the digital transformation. The Declaration also includes commitments for the EU and Member States to act ina number ofdigital matters.
The European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles was signed by the Presidents of the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, reflecting the high level of political commitment of the EU and its Member States to promote and apply the rights and principles.
The Declaration builds notably on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and recalls most relevant rights in the digital transformation, such as the freedom of expression and information, data protection, and privacy. The digital rights and principles are also grounded in EU legislation and policies, making them very real and tangible for citizens.
With the Declaration, the EU and Member States commit to act and promote this human-centric vision of digital transformation both at home and on the international stage. The Commission monitors the application of digital rights and principles across the EU.
The principles are shaped around 6 themes:
- Putting people and their rights at the centre of the digital transformation
- Supporting solidarity and inclusion
- Ensuring freedom of choice online
- Fostering participation in the digital public space
- Increasing safety, security and empowerment of individuals (especiallyyoung people)
- Promoting the sustainability of the digital future
Putting people at the centre of the digital transformation
Technology should serve and benefit all people living in the EU and empower them to pursue their aspirations. It should not infringe upon their security or fundamental rights.
The EU and its Member States commit to making sure that the digital transformation benefits everyone and improves the lives of all people living in the EU. They take measures to ensure our rights are respected online as well as offline and promote this approach both at home and on the international stage.
Solidarity and inclusion
Universal access to inclusive technology that upholds EU rights is essential.Everyone should:
- have access to affordable and high-speed digital connectivity,
- be able to acquire the education and skills necessary to enjoy the benefits of digital technology,
- have fair and just working conditions,
- have access to key digital public services.
The EU and its Member States have made committed to leaving no one behind, supporting efforts to equip all education and training institutions, ensuring the right to disconnect from work, and providing a digital identitythat gives access to a broad range of online services.
Freedom of choice
Everyone should be empowered to make their own, informed choices online. This includes when interacting with artificial intelligence systems, which should serve as a tool for people, with the ultimate aim to increase human well-being.
The EU and Member States notably commit to promote human-centric, trustworthy and ethical artificial intelligence systems, which are used in a transparent way and in line with EU values.
Freedom of choice also includes being free to choose which online services we use, based on objective, transparent and reliable information. This in turn involves making sure businesses are empowered to compete and innovate in the digital world.
Participation in the digital public space
Everyone should have access to a trustworthy, diverse and multilingual online environment and should know who owns or controls the services they are using. This encourages pluralistic public debate and participation in democracy.
The Declaration also highlights the need to create a digital environment that protects people from disinformation, information manipulation and other forms of harmful content including harassment and gender-based violence. It recognises the role of very large online platforms in this context and asks them to mitigate the risks stemming from the functioning and use of their services.
The EU and Member States notably commit to support effective access to digital content that reflects cultural and linguistic diversity in the EU.
Safety, security and empowerment
Everyone should have access to safe, secure and privacy-protective digital technologies, products and services. The EU and Member States notably commit to protect the interests of people, businesses and public services against cybercrime, and to ensure that everyone has effective control over their personal and non-personal data in line with EU law.
Children and young people should be empowered to make safe and informed choices and express their creativity in the digital environment. The EU and Member States also commits to promote positive experiences for children and young people in an age-appropriate and safe digital environment, and to protect them against harmful and illegal content, exploitation, manipulation and abuse online.
Sustainability
The digital and green transitions are closely linked. While digital technologies offer many solutions for climate change, we must ensure they do not contribute to the problem themselves. Digital products and services should be designed, produced, and disposed of in a sustainable way.
The EU and Member States commit to supporting digital technologies with minimal negative environmental and social effects. The aim is to promote digital technologies that have a positive impact on the environment and climate, contributing to the green transition. They also commit to promote sustainability standards and labels for digital products and services, to provide people with more information regarding their environmental impact.
The European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles offers citizens a bridge to Union digital laws and policies, as it indicates the direction of travel of the Union on its journey to digital transformation.
The Commission monitors the application of digital rights and principles across the EU and publishes its annual monitoring together with theState of the Digital Decade Report. The monitoring reportaims to show how much the EU and Member States stay on course during this journey. Through Member States best practices, it aims to inspire further action across the EU.
The Declaration also guides the EU in its international relations, helping to shape a global digital transformation that puts people and human rights at its centre.
The Commission has committed to regularly report to the Parliament and the Council on the progress made in promoting and implementing the Declaration. The 2024 report is available (PDF), along with the supporting study.
Key documents
Source – EU Commission