This policy brief, titled Open but Not Powerless: Towards a Common Understanding of EU Digital Sovereignty, outlines the EU’s strategic imperative to assert digital sovereignty while remaining open to global collaboration. Defined as the EU’s capacity to exercise strategic independence in the digital domain—encompassing data governance, infrastructure control, and innovation—digital sovereignty aims to reduce vulnerabilities in economic, security, and technological spheres. The brief emphasizes that this does not equate to isolation or protectionism but rather to strengthening EU competencies in critical areas such as semiconductors, cloud services, and AI, while aligning with democratic values like transparency and the rule of law. A multi-layered framework is proposed, structured across four interlinked dimensions: (1) Digital Governance, focusing on regulatory frameworks and international influence; (2) Digital Infrastructures, Software, and Data, emphasizing secure connectivity, cybersecurity, and data ecosystems; (3) Digital Products and Markets, addressing industrial competitiveness and fair competition; and (4) People, highlighting the need for digital literacy and citizen empowerment. The brief underscores both opportunities (e.g., EU-led initiatives like the Digital Services Act and EuroStack) and risks, including structural dependencies on non-EU providers, fragmented national strategies, and gaps in digital skills.
The analysis also identifies critical policy priorities, such as prioritizing investments in strategic technologies, enhancing interoperability of data systems, and bridging the digital skills gap to ensure societal trust. The research agenda highlights the need to address geopolitical exposures, environmental constraints, and social inclusion, advocating for adaptive governance models that balance autonomy with global interdependence. By mapping these interconnected challenges, the brief serves as a foundation for future policy action, aiming to translate digital sovereignty from an aspirational concept into a tangible, evidence-based strategy for the EU’s resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly contested digital landscape
DI MARCO Diletta;
THABIT GONZALEZ Sara;
KOTSEV Alexander;
FRIIS-CHRISTENSEN Anders;
MINGHINI Marco;
KING Matthew;
2025-12-16
European Commission
JRC144908
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144908,
