European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade
Date: 2022-01-26
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Subjects: Internet, artificial intelligence, consumer protection, data protection, digital literacy, digital transformation, education, fundamental rights, information security, provision of services

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 26.1.2022  COM(2022) 28 final  European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade  
 
 
European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade 

The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission solemnly proclaim the following 
joint Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade  

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

Preamble 

Whereas: 

The  digital  transformation  affects  every  aspect  of  people’s  lives.  It  offers  significant 
opportunities  for  a  better  quality  of  life,  innovation,  economic  growth  and 
sustainability, but it also presents new challenges for the fabric, security and stability 
of our societies and economies. With the acceleration of the digital transformation, the 
time  has  come  for  the  European  Union  (EU)  to  spell  out  how  its  values  and 
fundamental rights should be applied in the online world.  

The Parliament has made several calls for ensuring the full compliance of the Union’s 
approach to the digital transformation with fundamental rights such as data protection 
or  non-discrimination,  and  with  principles  such  as  technological  and  net  neutrality, 
and inclusiveness1.  It  has also  called for a strengthened protection of users’ rights  in 
the digital environment2.  

Building  on  previous  initiatives  such  as  the  “Tallinn  Declaration  on  eGovernment” 
and the “Berlin Declaration on Digital Society and Value-based Digital Government”, 
the Council has  called, through the “Lisbon Declaration  –  Digital  Democracy with  a 
Purpose” for a model of digital transformation that strengthens the human dimension 
of the digital  ecosystem  with the Digital Single Market as its core. The Council also 
called for a model of digital transition that ensures that technology assists in the need 
to take climate action and protect the environment.  

The  EU  vision  for  digital  transformation  puts  people  at  the  centre,  empowers 
individuals and fosters innovative businesses. The Commission has recently presented 
a  Proposal  for  a  Decision  on  a  "Path  to  the  Digital  Decade",  which  sets  out  the 
concrete  digital  targets  based  on  four  cardinal  points  (digital  skills,  digital 
infrastructures,  digitalisation  of  businesses  and  of  public  services)  that  will  help  us 
achieve this vision. The Union way for the digital transformation of our societies and 
economy  should  encompass  digital  sovereignty,  inclusion,  equality,  sustainability, 
resilience,  security,  trust,  improving  quality  of  life,  respect  of  people’  rights  and 
aspirations  and  should  contribute  to  a  dynamic,  resource-efficient  and  fair  economy 
and society in the Union. 

The Declaration aims to explain shared political intentions. Not only does it recall the 
most relevant rights in the context of the digital transformation, it should also serve as 
a  reference  point  for  businesses  and  other  relevant  actors  when  developing  and 
deploying  new  technologies.  The  Declaration  should  also  guide  policy  makers  when 
reflecting on their vision of the digital transformation: putting people at the centre of 
the  digital 
the 
importance  of  freedom  of  choice;  participation  in  the  digital  public  space;  safety, 
security and empowerment; and sustainability. 

transformation;  underlying  solidarity  and 

inclusion;  restating 

1  2020/2216(INI) 
2  2020/2018(INL); 2020/2019(INL); 2020/2022(INI); 2020/2012(INL); 2020/2014(INL); 2020/2015(INI); 

2020/2017(INI) 

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(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

The  democratic  oversight  of  the  digital  society  and  economy  should  be  further 
strengthened,  in  full  respect  of  the  rule  of  law  principles,  effective  justice  and  law 
enforcement.  This  Declaration  does  not  affect  lawful  limits  on  the  exercise  of  legal 
rights,  in  order  to  reconcile  them  with  the  exercise  of  other  rights,  or  necessary  and 
proportionate  restrictions  in  the  public  interest.  The  Union  should  promote  the 
Declaration  in  its  relations  with  other  international  organisations  and  third  countries 
with the ambition that the principles serve as an inspiration for international  partners 
to guide a digital transformation which puts people and their human rights at the centre 
throughout the world. 

This  Declaration  notably  builds  on  primary  EU  law,  in  particular  in  the  Treaty  on 
European  Union,  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  the  EU 
Charter of Fundamental Rights and the case-law of the Court of Justice of the EU, as 
well  as  in  secondary  law.  It  also  builds  on  and  complements  the  European  Pillar  of 
Social  Rights.  It  has  a  declaratory  nature  and  does  not  as  such  affect  the  content  of 
legal rules or their application.  

The  promotion  and  implementation  of  the  digital  principles  is  a  shared  political 
commitment  and  responsibility  of  the  Union  and  its  Member  States  within  their 
respective competences and in full compliance with Union law. The Commission has 
proposed that the annual report on the “State of the Digital Decade”, to be submitted to 
the Parliament and Council, would cover the monitoring of the digital principles. 

Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade 

We aim to promote a European way for the digital transition, putting people at the centre. It 
shall be based on European values and benefiting all individuals and businesses.  

We therefore declare: 

Chapter I: Putting people at the centre of the digital transformation 

People  are  at  the  centre  of  the  digital  transformation  in  the  European  Union.  Technology 
should serve and benefit all Europeans and empower them to pursue their aspirations, in full 
security and respect of their fundamental rights. 

We commit to:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

strengthening  the  democratic  framework  for  a  digital  transformation  that  benefits 
everyone and improves the lives of all Europeans;  

taking  necessary  measures  to  ensure  that  the  values  of  the  Union  and  the  rights  of  
individuals as recognised by Union law are respected online as well as  offline;  

fostering responsible and diligent action by all digital actors, public and private, for a 
safe and secure digital environment; 

actively promoting this vision of the digital transformation, also in our international 
relations.  

Chapter II: Solidarity and inclusion 

Everyone should have access to technology that aims at uniting, and not dividing, people. The 
digital transformation should contribute to a fair society and economy in the Union. 

We commit to:  

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– 

– 

– 

making sure that technological solutions respect people’s rights, enable their exercise 
and promote inclusion. 

a digital transformation that leaves nobody behind. It should notably include elderly 
people,  persons  with  disabilities,  or  marginalised,  vulnerable  or  disenfranchised 
people and those who act on their behalf. 

developing adequate frameworks so that all market actors benefiting from the digital 
transformation assume their social responsibilities and make a fair and proportionate 
contribution to the costs of public goods, services and infrastructures, for the benefit 
of all Europeans. 

Connectivity 

Everyone,  everywhere  in  the  EU,  should  have  access  to  affordable  and  high-speed  digital 
connectivity.  

We commit to:  

– 

– 

ensuring  access  to  excellent  connectivity  for  everyone,  wherever  they  live  and 
whatever their income  

protecting  a neutral and  open  Internet  where content, services, and  applications are 
not unjustifiably blocked or degraded.  

Digital education and skills  

Everyone  has  the  right  to  education,  training  and  lifelong  learning  and  should  be  able  to 
acquire all basic and advanced digital skills. 

We commit to: 

– 

– 

– 

promoting and supporting efforts to equip all education and training institutions with 
digital connectivity, infrastructure and tools,  

supporting efforts that allow learners and teachers to acquire and share all necessary 
digital skills and competences to take an active part in the economy, society, and in 
democratic processes.  

giving everyone the possibility to adjust to changes brought by the digitalisation of 
work through up-skilling and re-skilling. 

Working conditions  

Everyone  has  the  right  to  fair,  just,  healthy  and  safe  working  conditions  and  appropriate 
protection  in  the  digital  environment  as  in  the  physical  work  place,  regardless  of  their 
employment status, modality or duration.  

We commit to: 

– 

ensuring  that  everyone  shall  be  able  to  disconnect  and  benefit  from  safeguards  for 
work-life balance in a digital environment.  

Digital public services online 

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Everyone should have access to all key public services online across the Union. Nobody is to 
be asked to provide data more often than necessary  when accessing and using digital public 
services. 

We commit to:  

– 

– 

– 

ensuring  that  all  Europeans  are  offered  an  accessible,  secure  and  trusted  digital 
identity that gives access to a broad range of online services,  

ensuring wide accessibility and re-use of government information.  

facilitating  and  supporting  seamless,  secure  and  interoperable  access  across  the 
Union to digital health and care services, including health records, designed to meet 
people’s needs. 

Interactions with algorithms and artificial intelligence systems 

Chapter III: Freedom of choice 

Everyone  should  be  empowered  to  benefit  from  the  advantages  of  artificial  intelligence  by 
making their own, informed choices in the digital environment, while being protected against 
risks and harm to one’s health, safety and fundamental rights.   

We commit to: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

ensuring transparency about the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence, and that 
people are empowered and informed when interacting with them.  

ensuring  that  algorithmic  systems  are  based  on  suitable  datasets  to  avoid  unlawful 
discrimination and enable human supervision of outcomes affecting people. 

ensuring that technologies, such as algorithms and artificial intelligence are not used 
to  pre-determine  people’s  choices,  for  example  regarding  health,  education, 
employment, and their private life. 

providing for safeguards to ensure that artificial intelligence and digital systems are 
safe and used in full respect of people’s fundamental rights.  

A fair online environment 

Everyone  should  be  able  to  effectively  choose  which  online  services  to  use,  based  on 
objective, transparent and reliable information. 

Everyone  should  have  the  possibility  to  compete  fairly  and  innovate  in  the  digital 
environment. 

We commit to: 

– 

ensuring  a  safe,  secure  and  fair  online  environment  where  fundamental  rights  are 
protected, and responsibilities of platforms, especially large players and gatekeepers, 
are well defined.  

Chapter IV: Participation in the digital public space 

Everyone should have access to  a  trustworthy, diverse and multilingual  online environment. 
Access to diverse content contributes to a pluralistic public debate and should allow everyone 
to participate in democracy. 

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Everyone  has  the  right  to  freedom  of  expression  in  the  online  environment,  without  fear  of 
being censored or intimidated. 

Everyone should have the means to know who owns or controls the media services they are 
using.  

Very  large  online  platforms  should support  free  democratic  debate  online,  given  the  role  of 
their  services  in  shaping  public  opinion  and  discourse.  They  should  mitigate  the  risks 
stemming  from  the  functioning  and  use  of  their  services,  including  for  disinformation 
campaigns and protect freedom of expression. 

We commit to:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

supporting the development and best use of digital technologies to stimulate citizen 
engagement and democratic participation. 

continuing  safeguarding  fundamental  rights  online,  notably  the  freedom  of 
expression and information. 

taking measures to tackle all forms of illegal content in proportion to the harm they 
can cause, and in full respect of the right to freedom of expression and information, 
and without establishing any general monitoring obligations. 

creating  an  online  environment  where  people  are  protected  against  disinformation 
and other forms of harmful content.  

Chapter V: Safety, security and empowerment 

A protected, safe and secure online environment 

Everyone  should  have  access  to  digital  technologies,  products  and  services  that  are  safe, 
secure, and privacy-protective by design.  

We commit to: 

– 

– 

protecting  the  interests  of  people,  businesses  and  public  institutions  against 
cybercrime,  including  data  breaches  and  cyberattacks.  This  includes  protecting 
digital identity from identity theft or manipulation.  

countering and holding accountable those that seek to undermine security online and 
the  integrity  of  the  Europeans’  online  environment  or  that  promote  violence  and 
hatred through digital means. 

Privacy and individual control over data 

Everyone has the right to the protection of their personal data online. That right includes the 
control on how the data are used and with whom they are shared. 

Everyone has the right to the confidentiality of their communications and the information on 
their  electronic  devices,  and  no  one  shall  be  subjected  to  unlawful  online  surveillance  or 
interception measures.   

Everyone should be able to determine their digital legacy, and decide what happens with the 
publicly available information that concerns them, after their death. 

We commit to:  

– 

ensuring  the  possibility  to  easily  move  personal  data  between  different  digital 
services.  

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Children and young people should be protected and empowered online 

Children  and  young  people  should  be  empowered  to  make  safe  and  informed  choices  and 
express their creativity in the online environment. 

Age-appropriate  materials  should 
participation in the digital environment.  

improve  children’s  experiences,  well-being  and 

Children have the right to be protected from all crimes, committed via or facilitated through 
digital technologies. 

We commit to:  

– 

– 

– 

promoting a positive, age-appropriate and safe digital environment for children and 
young people. 

providing  opportunities  to  all  children  to  acquire  the  necessary  skills  and 
competences to navigate the online environment actively, safely and make informed 
choices when online.  

protecting all children against harmful and illegal content, exploitation, manipulation 
and  abuse  online,  and  preventing  the  digital  space  from  being  used  to  commit  or 
facilitate crimes. 

Chapter VI: Sustainability 

To  avoid  significant  harm  to  the  environment,  and  to  promote  a  circular  economy,  digital 
products and services should be designed, produced, used, disposed of and recycled in a way 
that minimises their negative environmental and social impact.  

Everyone  should  have  access 
the 
environmental  impact  and  energy  consumption  of  digital  products  and  services,  allowing 
them to make responsible choices.  

to  accurate,  easy-to-understand 

information  on 

We commit to:  

– 

– 

supporting  the  development  and  use  of  sustainable  digital  technologies  that  have 
minimal environmental and social impact.  

developing and deploying digital solutions with positive impact on the environment 
and climate.  

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