Open but Not Powerless: Towards a Common Understanding of EU Digital Sovereignty

This JRC Policy brief "outlines the EU’s strategic imperative to assert digital sovereignty while remaining open to global collaboration".

Defines EU digital sovereignty as "the EU’s capacity to exercise strategic independence in the digital domain—encompassing data governance, infrastructure control, and innovation... to reduce vulnerabilities in economic, security, and technological spheres", emphasising that this is not a question of isolationism/protectionism, but "strengthening EU competencies in critical areas... while aligning with democratic values like transparency and the rule of law".

It proposes a "multi-layered framework... structured across four interlinked dimensions:

• (1) Digital Governance... 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;
• (4) People, highlighting the need for digital literacy and citizen empowerment"

Opportunities include Digital Services Act and EuroStack, while risks include "structural dependencies on non-EU providers, fragmented national strategies, and gaps in digital skills... critical policy priorities... [include] prioritizing investments in strategic technologies, enhancing interoperability of data systems, and bridging the digital skills gap to ensure societal trust."

It sets out a research agenda and maps the "interconnected challenges... to translate digital sovereignty from an aspirational concept into a tangible, evidence-based strategy".