C 342/152
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
6.9.2022
Thursday 17 February 2022
diversify its supply chains in order to end reliance on authoritarian and totalitarian regimes; welcomes the EU-US partnership on the COVID-19 global vaccination campaign;
14.
Recognises that technology, connectivity and data flow are important dimensions of the EU’s external relations and partnership agreements and have significant geopolitical implications; urges the EU to develop global partnerships for the establishment of fair, open and values-driven norms and standards on a rules-based, ethical and human-centric use of technology that respect the privacy of individual users, in particular as regards artificial intelligence and the governance of the internet by putting cyber-diplomacy at the core of its external actions; stresses the need for the EU to ensure cooperation and coordination among democracies in this respect and to ensure respect for international and humanitarian law when addressing conflicts; stresses the specific threat that new digital technologies can pose for human rights defenders and others by controlling, restricting and undermining their activities, as illustrated recently by the Pegasus revelations; calls for the EU to take the initiative to promote a moratorium on the export of spyware technologies for repressive goals and the adoption of a robust international regulatory framework in this field; calls for the EU and the Member States to ensure due human rights diligence and proper vetting of exports of European surveillance technology and technical assistance in line with the Dual-Use Regulation (7); calls for the EU and the Member States to engage with non-EU governments to end repressive cybersecurity and counter-terrorism legislation practices and legislation; stresses the need for the EU to preserve the rights of the individual; underlines, therefore, that systems of social scoring are not in line with the EU’s fundamental values; stresses that such policies and tools of surveillance should under no circumstances be introduced and used in the EU; underlines, therefore, that the EU must work to limit and counter the transnational reach of digital repression; notes that the export of defence technologies and arms is a competence of the Member States;
15.
Reiterates that the EU should develop and implement a global connectivity strategy as an extension of the current EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy and as a strategic response to strengthen its influence in many regions of the world such as Latin America, Africa and Asia; welcomes, therefore, the ambitious and multifaceted ‘Global Gateway’ initiative presented by the Commission on 1 December 2021, which aims to invest in, among other things, digital networks and quality infrastructure with partners around the world in a fair and sustainable way, and promises stronger partnerships without creating dependencies; stresses that the Commission should make connectivity projects with non-EU countries conditional on adherence to strict social and labour rights, transparency, human rights, due diligence, interoperability, good governance and democratic standards, and the ethical use of technology both domestically and abroad; notes, in this regard, that the Commission should develop a strategy for improving its partners’ access to reliable and safe technology; highlights that connectivity investments need to support economic resilience and a decarbonisation of the economy that is compatible with the Paris Agreement; asks for increased efforts to implement the EU’s connectivity partnerships and encourages the Commission to develop these connectivity projects in conjunction and cooperation with like-minded partners; would welcome the establishment of a connectivity partnership with the African Union (EU) at the next AU-EU Summit;
16.
Welcomes the G7 global initiative ‘Build Back Better World’ and urges the EU to play an active role in developing it further, including by identifying linkages and in a mutually reinforcing way with ‘Global Gateway’;
Improving EU visibility and decision-making, and making full and more effective use of the EU’s hard and soft power instruments, including by introducing qualified majority voting for decision-making in EU foreign policy
17.
Reiterates that the EU needs first and foremost unity and a stronger and genuine political will of its Member States to jointly agree on and promote common EU foreign policy goals and EU security and defence cooperation aimed at implementing the objectives, values, principles and norms of Article 21 TEU; underlines the need to establish a Security and Defence Union that would serve as a starting point for implementing a common European defence policy, in line with the provision laid out in Article 42(2) TEU;
(7)
Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 setting up a Union regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit and transfer of dual-use items (OJ L 206, 11.6.2021, p. 1).