The European Commission released its second report on the State of the Digital Decade, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the EU's progress towards its 2030 digital objectives as outlined by the Digital Decade Policy Programme (DDPP). For the first time, the report includes an analysis of national Digital Decade strategic roadmaps, detailing how individual Member States plan to contribute to the bloc’s digital transformation. Despite advancements, the Commission's findings reveal that Member States are falling short of the EU's ambitious goals, particularly in areas such as digital skills, high-quality connectivity, AI adoption, semiconductor production, and start-up ecosystems.
The report calls for more aggressive efforts and increased investments at both the EU and national levels to meet these challenges. The Commission has also updated its country-specific recommendations, urging Member States to boost digital infrastructure and incentivise the uptake of digital technologies across businesses. This year’s report emphasises that collective action is critical to ensure that Europe remains competitive, sovereign, and resilient in an increasingly digital global economy.
Key findings:
- Connectivity Gaps: Only 64% of EU households have access to fibre networks, far below the target, while 5G coverage reaches just 50% of the EU's territory.
- Business Digitalisation: The uptake of AI, cloud, and big data remains low among European businesses, with current trends predicting a shortfall in meeting the 2030 goals.
- Digital Skills: Just 55.6% of the EU population possesses basic digital skills, and the gender imbalance among ICT specialists persists.
Member States now have until December 2024 to revise their national roadmaps in line with the DDPP, as the Commission continues its monitoring and assessment efforts. The next report on the State of the Digital Decade will be published in 2025.
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