Civil Society Statement on Democratic Digital Infrastructure | June 5, 2023

"...To create more socially-oriented and climate-friendly digital spaces and ensure the sovereignty of communities and our societies as a whole, Europe needs to invest in digital commons and public digital infrastructures. The need for values-based innovation and transformative investment is evident in the domains of education and science, public service media, care, and in our economy overall. As a concrete first step — that builds on ongoing efforts in a variety of member states and other actors, such as the recent report by the European working group on the Digital Commons — the EU and its Member States should set up a European Public Digital Infrastructure fund designed to support Digital Public Spaces and to democratise the digital transition. This fund should be tasked with supporting the development and maintenance of digital public infrastructure that delivers public value by providing citizens and institutions with alternatives to commercial digital infrastructures...."