Just over six months ago, the European Commission issued the Communication “2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade,” a sweeping set of initiatives born of the Commission’s conviction that “digital policies must help nurture more democratic and inclusive societies, and ensure that all people in the EU can leverage the digital transformation for a better life.” 

To that end, in mid-May, the Commission formally opened a consultation seeking stakeholder and public comment on a set of wide-ranging “Digital Principles” to form the basis for a rare “joint interinstitutional solemn declaration” of the European Commission, Parliament, and Council.

In its response to the Commission filed early this month, ACM’s Europe Technology Policy Committee addressed a host of issues, among them: robust, equitable internet access; user privacy; e-government and e-health services; online child protection; climate action; digital literacy; universal Informatics education; and ethical algorithm design. 

In addressing these issues, Europe TPC urged the Commission to substantively consider and, as appropriate, borrow from Europe TPC’s recent comments in response to the Commission’s just-closed AI Regulation consultation; the joint ACM Europe and US Technology Policy Committees’ Statement on Algorithmic Transparency and Accountability; Europe TPC’s white paper on Automated Decision Making produced with Informatics Europe; and the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.