European Approaches to Digital Sovereignty – MT 02 2026

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27 May 2026 | 11:00 - 12:30 CEST | Alcide De Gasperi
Consolidated programme 2026

Proposals: (#8), #11, #12, #18, #25b, #26, #37, #40, #61

Get involved!

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Check the discussion tab and the mailing list archive for information on the development of the session.

Session teaser

Europe’s dependence on non-European digital infrastructures and technologies has fired up the debate on digital sovereignty. From cloud services and semiconductors to social media platforms and payment systems people are asking how Europe can strengthen its tech independence and resilience while remaining open and innovative.

The ongoing debate highlights that sovereignty is not only about infrastructure but also about protecting our democratic values and fundamental rights. Thus the trust in existing digital ecosystem is crucial. It is now clear for everyone that technological design choices can shape European economic autonomy and democratic resilience.

This session will explore whether digital sovereignty in Europe is desirable and feasible. We want to discuss what strategies Europe should pursue to balance autonomy with openness and security in the digital age.

Session description

The following guiding questions are intended to spark discussion and will be put to the speakers and the audience.

Guiding Questions

  1. Is “digital sovereignty” the right term for Europe’s goals, or are autonomy, resilience, or governance capacity more accurate—and how do these framings influence policy choices and the feasibility of initiatives like GAIA-X?
  2. Can European regulation (e.g., the Digital Markets Act) alone deliver digital sovereignty, or are parallel investments in infrastructure, innovation, and industrial capacity essential to avoid falling short?
  3. How can Europe assert its digital sovereignty against the US and China without fragmenting the open internet, and what technical and political solutions are most urgently needed now?

Format

Please try out new interactive formats. EuroDIG is about dialogue not about statements, presentations and speeches.

  • 5 min – Welcome and orientation
  • 30 min – Expert inputs (3 × 10 min presentations)
  • 35 min – Moderated discussion with the audience, guided by key questions
  • 15 min – Agreement on key messages

Further reading

Links to relevant websites, declarations, books, documents. Please note we cannot offer web space, so only links to external resources are possible. Example for an external link: Main page of EuroDIG

People

Please provide the name and affiliation/institution of all people you list here like this:

  • First Name Last Name, Affiliation/institution

Programme Committee member(s)

  • Izaan Khan, Member of the UK Internet Governance Forum steering committee
  • Martina Barbero, Policy Officer – Internet governance and multistakeholder relations / European Commission DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology

The Programme Committee (PC) supports the programme planning process throughout the year and works closely with the Secretariat. Members of the PC give advice on the topics, cluster the proposals and assist session organisers in their work. They also ensure that session principles are followed and monitor the complete programme to avoid repetition. 1-2 PC members have signed up to each session and will compile the messages.

Focal Point

  • Charalampos Kyritsis, Digital World Summit Greece (IGF GREECE)

Focal Points take over the responsibility and lead of the session organisation. They work in close cooperation with the Programme Committee and the EuroDIG Secretariat and are kindly requested to follow EuroDIG’s session principles

Organising Team (Org Team)

List Org Team members here as they sign up.

  • Miguel Vidal, Deutsche Telekom
  • David Frautschy, Internet Society
  • Francesco Vecchi, Civic AI Coordinator - Eumans, YOUthDIG 2024
  • Roberto Gaetano, EURALO Individual Member
  • Valeriia Filinovych, Kyiv Aviation Institute
  • Vittorio Bertola, Open Xchange
  • Nicolas Varlot, National project manager for Nuage, France
  • Sofie Wiedemeyer
  • Paulo Glowacki
  • Hubert Romaniec, European Commission

The Org Team is a group of people shaping the session. Org Teams are open and every interested individual can become a member by subscribing to the mailing list.

Key Participants

  • Fabrizia Benini - Head of Unit, DG Connect
  • Peter Janssen - General Manager, EURid
  • Jamal Shahin - Chair in Digital Sovereignty & Programme Director MSc in European Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Key Participants are experts willing to provide their knowledge during a session – not necessarily on stage. Key Participants should contribute to the session planning process and keep statements short and punchy during the session. They will be selected and assigned by the Org Team, ensuring a stakeholder balanced dialogue also considering gender and geographical balance. Please provide short CV’s of the Key Participants involved in your session at the Wiki or link to another source.

Messages

The Programme Committee is responsible for taking notes during the session and to formulate 3 (max. 5) bullet points that are presented at the end of each session. The audience shall agree on the messages in (rough) consensus.

Messages should:

  • reflect the discussion in the particular session
  • relate to European Internet governance policy
  • be forward looking and propose goals and activities

Video record

Will be provided here after the event.

Transcript

Will be provided here after the event.

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