Support for the digital commons (FR0051)

What is the public problem that the commitment will address? The founding principles of the internet are under threat from the winner-take-all strategies of a handful of private and State entities. In order to empower users and ensure the healthy competition necessary for the economic development of all, we need a single internet that is free, open and secure. The aim of this commitment is to equip civil society with the means to build digital tools and oversee their development and governance. It will enhance civic participation and offer an alternative to the dominant players in the digital space.

What is the commitment? As part of its efforts to improve the effectiveness and transparency of public policy, but also to better equip users of digital technology, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs is committing to a policy in support of the digital commons during the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

How will the commitment contribute to solving the public problem? As stated in the fact-finding report on Big Tech (link in French) of 2 June 2021 by the National Assembly’s foreign affairs commission, what defines a digital commons is that it is governed by the community and is used to share resources that are created or made available. Because the community maintains control over its data and how it is used, the digital commons is an indirect competitor of the dominant products offered by both major tech platforms and States. For that reason, 6 France’s support for the digital commons has to do with defending national and European digital sovereignty as well as being part of French diplomacy’s open government strategy. Promoting the digital commons involves a two-part strategy: o Promote the digital commons as a priority of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2022 o At the same time, allocate a budget of several million euros to the development of Europe’s digital commons This strategy will encourage the creation of a digital commons ecosystem in France and Europe. The model will give users the option to eschew the dominant online service providers in favour of collaborative solutions governed by them.

Why is this commitment relevant to OGP values? Promoting a digital commons will allow civil society to participate in building the tools that it uses and in governing them. This commitment will improve civic participation. Building a digital commons will create new uses from open data. These tools will improve the public’s right to information and their access to it, for information from both public and private entities. They are designed to ensure transparency. In the same vein, there may be digital commons developments that improve public accountability.

Additional information  Budget: several million euros over 3 years, depending on the size of the foundation  In the vein of the open software movement that originated in the late 1980s and evolved to give us Wikipedia, Mozilla, etc.  In line with circular no. 6264/SG of 27 April 2021 from the Prime Minister concerning public policy on data, algorithms and source code (link in French), an outcome of the recommendations of the Bothorel report and the fifth sitting of the Interministerial Government Transformation Committee (CITP) 7  In line with the digital sovereignty doctrine promoted by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs as a means of defending France’s and Europe’s strategic digital independence  In line with EU’s Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act, designed to better protect consumers and their fundamental rights online and make digital markets fairer and more open

Milestone activity with a verifiable deliverable Start date End date Put together a budget of several million euros (depending on the size of the foundation) to promote the digital commons across the European Union January 2022 30 June 2022 Hold a conference on digital sovereignty as part of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and include a focus on digital commons February 2022 - Allocate the budget to approved projects 30 June 2022 30 June 2025

Action Plan Review

Commitment 1. Lead a European policy of support for the digital commons

● Verifiable: Yes

● Does it have an open government lens? No

● Potential for results: Unclear