In March this year the European Commission set targets for the digital transformation of the bloc by 2030 in their Digital Decade announcement. The new proposal, The Path to the Digital Decade, explains how these targets can be met.
The proposal is made up of several facets. Firstly, the Commission will work with the Member States to develop trajectories that will help assess progress towards targets. Member States should then include these trajectories in their national strategic roadmaps alongside any other planned policies they intend to use.
Secondly, the commission will publish a yearly report on the ‘State of the Digital Decade’ that will monitor progress. The Commission will work closely with Member States in the five months leading up to this report to identify areas where progress is insufficient and agree on measures to ensure targets are achieved.
Lastly, the Commission will also consider tools to ensure Member States are allowing progress towards the Digital Decade targets. Tools include a peer review, Commission recommendations and possible further actions at EU level, as well as targeted dialogue.
The development of 5G is an important part of the EU Digital Decade and it is expected that issues such as 5G rollout and as 5G verticals will be closely monitored.
The Path to the Digital Decade needs to be approved by the other EU institutions and this is not expected to happen until spring next year at the earliest.
