With the Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles and the Data Act, the EU is taking two further steps towards the creation of a digital space that puts people at its centre, a debate at the EESC's June plenary highlighted.

At its plenary session on 15 June, the EESC hosted a debate on digital rights and principles with Professor Andrea Renda, senior research fellow and head of Global Governance, Regulation, Innovation and the Digital Economy at CEPS. The debate was linked to the adoption of the EESC opinions on the draft European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles and the Data Act.

Prof. Renda expressed support for both the declaration and the act as two pieces of the puzzle of the EU regulatory system taking shape, which constituted an alternative to both the US, dominated by private governance at the hands of giant corporations, and State-controlled China, where the data acquired by large tech giants has become a tool of mass government surveillance.

"We have these ideas of safety and security, which require not only more responsible individuals and private companies, but also sharper and more powerful governments that have the tools to look into what is safe and secure and what is about to evolve into something that is not," he said. "And we talk about sustainability – not only environmental, but also increasingly economic and social sustainability, because the model we've seen until now is economically and socially unsustainable."

"Committing the EU to digital rights and principles is highly relevant to address the still prevalent digital divide, particularly when it comes to access to online public services and private services for aging and rural populations," said Philip von Brockdorff, rapporteur for the EESC opinion on the draft declaration. 

He stressed that the declaration should support sustainable development not just in relation to the environment, but also in terms of social sustainability, minimising the harmful effects and maximising the positive impact of digital technologies on the economy and society.

Presenting the EESC opinion on the Data Act, rapporteur Marinel Dănuț Muresan stressed the need to address civil society's legitimate concerns: "The security of EU citizens is very important. Each stakeholder needs to have access. We have to develop data centres that follow the rules on cyber security, ensure that there is continuous professional training for everybody who processes data and fair access for all stakeholders and particularly SMEs." (dm)