The accelerating digital transition of Europe’s societies brings along many new opportunities. Concrete examples range from addressing epidemic diseases and improving medical diagnostics to reducing traffic and workplace accidents, allowing for telework and ICT-based mobile work or increasing system-wide energy efficiency. It will therefore have a considerable impact on people’s lives, with the emergence of new rights and increased efficiency that the internet and overall digitalisation allow for and blurring the lines between the physical and the virtual world. Such digital transformation encourages us to rethink our social and economic models in line with our social-democratic values.
At the same time, the growing digitalisation of products and services, both private and public, presents some challenges, namely job losses due to the automation of tasks and processes. Therefore, throughout this transition, the S&D Group will stand up for all those facing the consequences of digitalisation, in particular vulnerable groups such as workers, consumers and children, to ensure that no one is left behind. In particular, it will fight to defend quality employment, preventing it from deteriorating and leading to precariousness caused by a strong downward pressure on wages and the spread of bogus self-employment, thereby contributing to the rise of overall social inequality. Accordingly, among other measures outlined in this position paper, we need to insist on extra financial commitments at EU level to guarantee a strong role for workers and their union representatives at all stages during this transition process.
Moreover, a just and inclusive transition means the respect of fundamental rights, public investment and support in strategic sectors to ensure green and digital progress for all. It also means education (including at elementary and high school level) and training policies, instruments on the anticipation of change and restructuring, the guarantee of strong and effective social protection systems, and must ensure that such interventions and opportunities are extended to the most remote communities and promote gender equality.
We need to develop a new social contract by ending and reversing hyper-privatisation and, if necessary, bringing key sectors and their profits back into public ownership. This may specifically apply in cases of new digital sectors, which have major societal impacts.
The different crises Europe has faced in recent years have harshly exposed a growing digital divide between people. It has also shown the gap between regions and between urban and rural areas, highlighting the economic and geographic difficulties that certain territories have in order to deploy technologies and improve their connectivity standards.
As addressing the digital divide is a key priority for the S&D group, we believe that initiatives such as the Digital Decade Policy Programme can contribute to achieving a cohesive digital transformation of European society by 2030.[1] This should be achieved whilst keeping in mind the need for tailor-made solutions adapted to the characteristics of every territory and using the best from existing financial instruments.
Ultimately, we believe that digital transformation can work for all. This is why we see equal access to the Internet as a fundamental right and believe that digitalisation can contribute to ensuring inclusive public administration. To that end, we must promote sustainable digital policies that empower citizens and businesses, making the EU more competitive, creating new opportunities for all, notably by securing the necessary investments and establishing a governance framework based on cooperation mechanisms to reach targets in digital skills, digital infrastructures, digitalisation of businesses and public services.
Lastly, our political family has significantly contributed to the negotiations of the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade, intended to serve as a guiding reference of the EU’s approach to the digital transformation.[2] The S&D Group has covered many important issues of the progressive agenda, from the impact of AI on worker’s rights, the gender dimension of the current transition or the need for high-quality digital education and training, to the protection of media freedom and pluralism, and privacy against disinformation or profiling. We have thus made sure that those digital rights and principles safeguarded in the EU leave no one behind and offer opportunities to everyone.
[1] Decision (EU) 2022/2481 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 establishing the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030.
[2] European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade, 15.12.2022.
