European Commission launches public consultation on Internet Governance

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on Internet governance, where it intends to collect, until December 31, 2024, different contributions from representatives of governments, the private sector, technical and academic communities, civil society organizations, and all users on the way forward for Internet Governance and related digital policies.

The contributions will serve as a basis for a Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament on building a free, globally connected internet that is aligned with European values of data protection, human rights, and the rule of law in the digital space.

The call for participation in this public consultation is therefore extended to all interested parties at national level, so that they can contribute to defining the European Union's position in the negotiations on the future of global Internet governance.

In the context of preparing the main critical steps for 2025, which include holding the World Summit on the Information Society +20 (WSIS+20), this consultation also responds to the request of the Council of the European Union to define a "European strategy for multistakeholder Internet governance that ensures an open, free, accessible, neutral, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet."

The European Union advocates the multistakeholder model of Internet governance. However, this model has been under increasing pressure in global forums, with some governments advocating more centralized and state-controlled types of governance, citing concerns about national security, data privacy, and digital sovereignty.

All contributions must be submitted onthe European Commission's website.