Europes Digital Agenda

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The Digital Agenda for Europe was launched by the European Commission in 2010, as an integral part of its Europe 2020 strategy.

The Digital Agenda aims to stimulate the digital economy and enable Europe’s citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital technologies.

The European Commision estimated that full implementation of the Digital Agenda would increase European GDP by 5%, or  €1500 per person, over eight years, by increasing investment in ICT, improving eSkill levels in the labour force, enabling public sector innovation, and reforming the framework conditions for the internet economy.

“In terms of jobs, up to one million digital jobs risk going unfilled by 2015 without pan-European action while 1.2 million jobs could be created through infrastructure construction. This would rise to 3.8 million new jobs throughout the economy in the long term”, the Commission added.

In December 2012, the Commission noted that whilst the Digital Agenda had met many of its targets, significant differences remained among different Member States, which would require active European policy action to minimise and eliminate.

The Digital Agenda contains 132 actions, across 7 pillars.

The seven pillars of the Digital Agenda are:

1. Digital Single Market
2. Enhancing interoperability and standards
3. Strengthening online trust and security
4. Promoting fast and ultra fast Internet access for all
5. Investing in research and innovation
6. Promoting digital literacy, skills and inclusion
7. ICT-enabled benefits for EU society

The Digital Agenda priorities were updated in late 2012, aimed at enhancing Europe’s position as a world leader in the digital economy.

In announcing the updated priorities, the European Commision stated “The digital economy is growing at seven times the rate of the rest of the economy, but this potential is currently held back by a patchy pan-European policy framework. Today’s priorities follow a comprehensive policy review and place new emphasis on the most transformative elements of the original 2010 Digital Agenda for Europe“.

The updated seven digital priorities are:

1. Create a new and stable broadband regulatory environment.
2. New public digital service infrastructures through Connecting Europe Facility
3. Launch Grand Coalition on Digital Skills and Jobs
4. Propose EU cyber-security strategy and Directive
5. Update EU’s Copyright Framework
6. Accelerate cloud computing through public sector buying power
7. Launch new electronics industrial strategy

Progress towards achieving Digital Agenda targets, both by individual country and the EU as a whole can be tracked on the Digital Agenda Scoreboard.

Read more about the Digital Agenda.

Access the Digital Agenda Scoreboard.

Learn about Europe’s Digital Single Market Strategy.