European digital sovereignty: Objectives, instruments and outcomes

The thesis explores the topic of European digital sovereignty as a case study, the context within which this notion was invented, the policy tools that surround it, together with an analysis of their effectiveness. As a part of its broader “strategic autonomy” initiative, the EU considers its digital sector as endangered and being overly dependent on foreign actors, particularly private ones. The relevance of European digital sovereignty as a topic of research stems from the increasingly critical importance of this area of governance, along with rising geopolitical tensions between Europe, the US, and China. This thesis analyses whether this approach has reached its ceiling of success, or whether this type of policymaking amounts to true digital sovereignty of the European Union. This has been achieved by exploring pre-existing analyses and research on this strategy, original sources from European institutions, policy reports, as well as opinions published by think tanks. Ultimately, the thesis demonstrates the capacity and strengths of the EU to regulate its market, which concentrate in its unique human-centric model, aiming to protect the fundamental rights of its citizens. The EU however struggles with developing a competitive technological industry, an autonomous digital infrastructure, as well as fundamental structural issues, which undermine the organization’s agency. This thesis contributes to existing literature by outlining the particular context in which the concept of digital sovereignty has developed, with additionally providing an extensive description of EU policy tools, in addition to obstacles to the achievement of this ideal. The digital sovereignty of the European Union is a crucial element of its strategy for autonomous development, as it comprehends the privacy of its citizens, its competitiveness on the global market, the transparency of the democratic processes of its member states, as well as cybersecurity and defence.