Publication 18 June 2021

Digital Sovereignty: Which Strategy for Europe?

Summary of the European conference organised on 17 May 2021 by Renaissance Numérique with the support of the Office of the French Ambassador for Digital Affairs.

Even though the issue of dependence in the digital field now occupies a wider place in the general public discourse, the debate still needs clarification as to what it actually means to be sovereign in the digital era. To help bring some answers to the many questions entailed by this situation, Renaissance Numérique organised an online European conference with the support of the Office of the French Ambassador for Digital Affairs. This event aimed to think collectively about the concept of “digital sovereignty” and about a strategy that the European Union could adopt in this regard. These written proceedings constitute a report of the discussions that took place on that day.

Issues related to digital sovereignty have gained an increasing importance in the strategic documents put forward by states, in the reflections of European institutions and, more recently, in the recovery plans envisaged at both the national and European Union (EU) levels. With the awareness resulting from the coronavirus crisis, the issues of dependence of national production chains on non-European companies have taken on an urgent character. The resilience of states in the face of geostrategic risks has become a necessity, calling for the development of a common European digital response. The conflict between China and the United States, particularly in the digital field, crystallises the tensions between two opposing political and economic models. This rivalry is expressed both within international governance bodies, where the two powers clash to maintain control over the definition of international standards, and through frontal trade sanctions. In this context, the member States of the European Union must define their own path.

But what is “digital sovereignty” exactly? What does it mean for Europe to be “digitally sovereign”? Where and at what level is the EU dependent in the digital field? How can it develop sufficient digital capacities in order to guarantee its sovereignty?

To answer these questions, Renaissance Numérique, with the support of the Office of the French Ambassador for Digital Affairs, gathered the public actors, members of civil society, researchers and companies that reflect and act on the issue of digital sovereignty at the European level.

European Conference "Digital Sovereignty: Which strategy for Europe?", organised on 17 May 2021

These written proceedings constitute a report of the discussions in the most exhaustive way possible. However, it only commits Renaissance Numérique, not the quoted actors.

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