The European Declaration on Digital Sovereignty (Declaration for European Digital Sovereignty) is a policy document that places at its centre a priority that has become decisive for the Union: being able to govern its own digital space through rules, technological choices, and operational capabilities that are consistent with European values, reducing potentially critical external dependencies, while not giving up international cooperation.
When it was signed, and by whom
The Declaration was signed on 18 November 2025 by the institutional representatives of the European Union Member States responsible for digital transformation. For Italy, it was signed by the Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for technological innovation and the digital transition, Alessio Butti. The Department for Digital Transformation announced Italy’s signature, reiterating the objective of strengthening European autonomy in the digital domain through an approach that is open and cooperative towards partners who share common principles and values.
The core message: autonomy without isolation
In the Declaration, digital sovereignty is described as the capacity of the Union and the Member States to act autonomously in the digital world, regulating infrastructures, data, and technologies in accordance with their own laws, democratic values, and security interests. This autonomy does not coincide with an autarkic logic: the Declaration explicitly affirms the intention to remain open to cooperation with reliable international partners, provided that there is compatibility of principles and a framework of trust. This approach shifts the debate from a slogan (“being sovereign”) to a public-policy choice: building the concrete conditions that enable Europe to decide, negotiate, and innovate, without being constrained by technological, industrial, or legal dependencies that are difficult to control.
The Declaration’s pillars: infrastructure, data, technologies, and governance
The Declaration is founded on four key axes: digital identity and trust, data, strategic technologies and infrastructures, rules and governance.
Digital identity and trust
The Declaration recalls European instruments that make it possible to develop a digital ecosystem that is more autonomous and interoperable. Within this framework sits the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), cited as an enabling element for managing identity and digital credentials in a reliable manner and in compliance with European rules. At European level, this theme fits into the regulatory and implementation pathway of the European digital identity.
Data sovereignty
The Declaration stresses that data (especially sensitive data) are strategic assets, and that the protection and control of their use are essential components of digital sovereignty. This perspective is consistent with the concept of common European data spaces and with the implementation of the “once only” principle at European level, aimed at creating conditions for secure and governed sharing among public and private actors.
Strategic technologies and infrastructures
The Declaration links digital sovereignty to Europe’s industrial and technological capacity in areas considered decisive for competitiveness and security: cloud, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, next-generation networks, high-performance computing, quantum technologies and satellite infrastructures. The goal is to strengthen the resilience of the European ecosystem not only through rules, but also through investments, skills, and production capabilities.
Rules and governance
Digital sovereignty requires a governance framework that reduces fragmentation, promotes the coherence of initiatives, encourages cooperation among Member States, and values an agile approach (regulatory sandbox) that avoids overlaps and duplications, strengthening decision-making mechanisms and coordination so that Europe can act in a more unified and predictable manner.
Not only technology: citizens at the centre
One of the Declaration’s most significant points is that digital sovereignty cannot rest solely on infrastructures, data, and technologies; it must also rest on people who are able to understand and use digital tools in a conscious manner. The text calls for investment in education and research, digital skills and literacy, including the skills needed for the critical reading of information (media and information literacy), which are considered essential for democratic resilience and competitiveness. This approach is also consistent with the European “Digital Decade” agenda, which sets 2030 targets for the diffusion of digital skills and for strengthening Europe’s digital ecosystem. Putting citizens at the centre means, in practical terms, two things: ensuring that the digital transformation does not create a divide (digital divide), and building an environment in which trust, security, and awareness make technological and regulatory choices sustainable over time.
An “ppen” digital sovereignty as Europe’s strategic choice
The Declaration of 18 November 2025 sets a direction: Europe intends to be able to choose, regulate, and build its own digital future, governing infrastructures, data, and technologies in a way that is consistent with values and security, without closing itself off from the world. Digital sovereignty is also a framework that guides public decisions and investments through to 2030 and, to be effective, must include a genuinely human and social dimension. Digital autonomy requires competent citizens, inclusion, trust, and the responsible use of tools and services.