# International Digital Strategy Canonical URL: https://digital-acquis.eu/initiative/international-digital-strategy Entry type: initiative Source edition current through: 17 July 2026 (2026-07-17). This is not a page modification date. Status: delivered. A delivered initiative is not necessarily legislation in force. Instrument: Communication Date as recorded: 05 Jun 2025 Date kind: date Status note: full date links only to published artifact types ## Summary International Digital Strategy would extend EU digital cooperation through partnerships, dialogues, trade agreements and infrastructure with trusted partners. The programme covers secure connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI, software, submarine cables, satellite connectivity, quantum research, semiconductors, high-performance computing, cybersecurity and digital identity. Measures include the Digital Partnership Network, additional bilateral and regional partnerships, EU Tech Business Offer, support for Arctic, MEDUSA and Blue-Raman cables, and integration work on the EU Digital Identity Wallet with Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans. ## Sources - [Official source]() ## Action items (33; complete published list) ### 1. Action item 340001 Digital Partnership Network: New coordination structure connecting existing EU Digital Partnerships and Dialogues into an operational network for technical exchanges, joint projects, and high-level engagement among partner countries, the EU, and Member States. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 1. Digital dimension: yes. ### 2. Action item 340002 New Digital Partnerships and Dialogues: Preparation of additional bilateral and regional digital partnerships in a Team Europe approach, prioritised on the basis of existing cooperation frameworks and EU strategic interests. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 2. Digital dimension: yes. ### 3. Action item 340003 Digital Trade Agreement Network Expansion: Extension of the EU's bilateral digital trade agreement network beyond concluded agreements with Singapore and Korea, including in the context of ongoing FTA negotiations with India, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 3. Digital dimension: yes. ### 4. Action item 340004 New Pact for the Mediterranean: Digital Dimension — Deepening of EU digital cooperation with Southern Neighbourhood partners as part of the broader Mediterranean Pact, building on the 2021 Agenda for the Mediterranean. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 4. Digital dimension: yes. ### 5. Action item 340005 EU Tech Business Offer: Integrated modular package combining secure connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI, and software solutions for deployment in trusted partner countries; managed as a Tech Team Europe initiative involving EU companies, development finance institutions, and export credit agencies, with the D4D Hub and EU4Digital as facilitators. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 5. Digital dimension: yes. ### 6. Action item 340006 Arctic Submarine Cable Initiative: EU support for new submarine cable routes in the Arctic region, using the Connecting Europe Facility to catalyse public and private investment. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 6. Digital dimension: yes. ### 7. Action item 340007 BELLA Cable Extension: Extension of the first transatlantic optical fibre cable between the EU and Latin America/Caribbean across Central America and the Caribbean, supporting High-Performance Computing growth in the region. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 7. Digital dimension: yes. ### 8. Action item 340008 MEDUSA Submarine Cable: Commission- and EIB-supported high-speed cable linking the northern and southern Mediterranean shores, extended to West Africa. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 8. Digital dimension: yes. ### 9. Action item 340009 Blue-Raman Submarine Cable: Planned 11,700km secure cable connecting Europe to India via the Middle East and Eastern Africa along the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 9. Digital dimension: yes. ### 10. Action item 340010 Black Sea Digital Links: Investment in secure, high-capacity internet infrastructure linking Europe to the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Eastern Partnership region, subject to conditions on the ground. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 10. Digital dimension: no. ### 11. Action item 340011 Central Asia Secure Satellite Connectivity: Team Europe Initiative providing EU private-sector satellite connectivity to unserved and underserved areas in Central Asia. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 11. Digital dimension: no. ### 12. Action item 340012 IRIS² Sub-Saharan Africa Pilots: Early-stage pilot projects in Sub-Saharan Africa under the EU's secure satellite constellation programme ahead of full constellation deployment. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 12. Digital dimension: no. ### 13. Action item 340013 EU-ASEAN Copernicus Mirror Site Expansion: Extension of the Copernicus mirror site from the Philippines to additional ASEAN countries including Indonesia and Thailand, under the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Team Europe Initiative. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 13. Digital dimension: no. ### 14. Action item 340014 EU-Japan/Korea/Canada Quantum R&I Projects: Joint research and innovation projects on quantum technologies with Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Canada. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 14. Digital dimension: no. ### 15. Action item 340015 EU-India Semiconductor Talent Exchange: Dedicated programme under the EU-India Trade and Technology Council to facilitate talent exchanges and build semiconductor skills among students and young professionals. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 15. Digital dimension: no. ### 16. Action item 340016 HPC Federation: Latin America and Caribbean — Partnership under the EU-LAC Digital Alliance to federate High-Performance Computing resources in Latin America and the Caribbean and integrate them with the European HPC ecosystem. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 16. Digital dimension: no. ### 17. Action item 340017 EU-African Union AI Governance Follow-Up: Implementation of commitments from the EU-AU Ministerial Meeting (May 2025) to develop regional AI innovation ecosystems and digital governance frameworks. [from Q2 2025] Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 17. Digital dimension: no. ### 18. Action item 340018 AI Factories in Partner Countries: Deployment of AI Factory compute infrastructure in trusted partner countries, connected securely to the EU AI Factories ecosystem. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 18. Digital dimension: no. ### 19. Action item 340019 AI in CFSP/CSDP: Commission/Member State work to identify concrete areas where AI can support implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Common Security and Defence Policy. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 19. Digital dimension: no. ### 20. Action item 340020 EUDIS-Ukraine Collaboration: Exploration of enhanced defence innovation cooperation with Ukraine under the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS). Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 20. Digital dimension: no. ### 21. Action item 340021 HEDI Synergies: Exploration, with Norway and Ukraine, of new cooperation modalities to support the Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI). Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 21. Digital dimension: no. ### 22. Action item 340022 CRA Mutual Recognition Agreements: Exploratory engagement with partner countries on mutual recognition of product cybersecurity requirements under the Cyber Resilience Act framework. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 22. Digital dimension: no. ### 23. Action item 340023 Global Cyber Resilience Capacity-Building: Global Gateway-anchored programme supporting critical infrastructure security and cyber ecosystem development in partner countries through regulatory frameworks, policy support, and cyber hygiene measures. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 23. Digital dimension: no. ### 24. Action item 340024 Cyber Attribution and Sanctions Strengthening: Reinforcement of EU capacity to attribute cyber-attacks to malicious state and non-state actors, with development of associated sanctions mechanisms. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 24. Digital dimension: no. ### 25. Action item 340025 FIMI Attribution Expansion: Extension of EU attribution methodology from cyber-attacks to Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference incidents, building on existing cyber attribution tools. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 25. Digital dimension: no. ### 26. Action item 340026 EU Digital Identity Wallet: Partner Country Deployment — Development and export of trust services and digital identity solutions based on EUDI Wallet specifications as interoperable building blocks for the digital transformation of partner country public administrations and businesses. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 26. Digital dimension: no. ### 27. Action item 340027 EUDI Wallet Integration: Ukraine, Moldova, Western Balkans — Preparatory work for gradual integration of Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans into the EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 27. Digital dimension: no. ### 28. Action item 340028 DPI Interoperability: India, Egypt, Uruguay, Brazil — Bilateral cooperation on e-signatures and Digital Public Infrastructure interoperability to generate cross-border benefits for businesses and citizens. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 28. Digital dimension: no. ### 29. Action item 340029 European Interoperability Framework: International Deployment — Promotion of an interoperability-by-default approach based on the EIF to facilitate seamless cross-border data exchange with partner countries. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 29. Digital dimension: no. ### 30. Action item 340030 eInvoicing Standard: International Promotion — Promotion of the EU eInvoicing standard and interoperable technical specifications with Japan, India, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 30. Digital dimension: no. ### 31. Action item 340031 Global Digital Compact: Implementation and Review — EU engagement in UN GDC follow-up and review processes to defend EU achievements and ensure coherence with existing global digital architecture, including the Internet Governance framework. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 31. Digital dimension: no. ### 32. Action item 340032 WSIS+20 Review: Team Europe coordination to secure a suitable multilateral outcome to the World Summit on the Information Society 20-year review negotiations. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 32. Digital dimension: no. ### 33. Action item 340033 Open Internet Stack: International Extension — Support for the international broadening of foundational internet protocols to address partner countries' connectivity, trust, and security needs. Provenance: source document doc-036, paragraph 33. Digital dimension: no. ## Referenced entries - [AI Factories]() — status: not recorded. Open, EU-wide hubs built around EuroHPC supercomputers that bundle AI-optimised compute, data storage, programming support and talent to develop frontier models and applications. Startups, SMEs, researchers and public bodies get streamlined one-stop access to computing time, data labs linked to Common European Data Spaces, and services for testing, validation and skills—cutting training from months to weeks and lowering costs. The first 13 Factories across 17 Member States are networked, with AI Factory Antennas extending reach. EuroHPC will provide a single entry point and procure AI-dedicated systems in 2025/26, tripling Europe’s available AI capacity. Source document doc-036, action item 340018: > AI Factories in Partner Countries: Deployment of AI Factory compute infrastructure in trusted partner countries, connected securely to the EU AI Factories ecosystem. - [Team Europe]() — status: delivered. Aligns the EU, Member States, the EIB/EBRD, agencies and the private sector to act as one, pooling finance, expertise and diplomacy for maximum impact. Born during COVID-19, it is now the default delivery model for international partnerships and Global Gateway. It coordinates over 160 Team Europe Initiatives and mobilised €179 billion in 2021–2023, underpinned by instruments such as the €40 billion EFSD+ guarantee and regular Global Gateway business fora, with governance via a Board, Business Advisory Group, and a Civil Society & Local Authorities platform. By joining up investments, reforms and standards, Team Europe scales high-standard projects worldwide and strengthens EU strategic influence. Source document doc-036, action item 340002: > New Digital Partnerships and Dialogues: Preparation of additional bilateral and regional digital partnerships in a Team Europe approach, prioritised on the basis of existing cooperation frameworks and EU strategic interests. Source document doc-036, action item 340005: > EU Tech Business Offer: Integrated modular package combining secure connectivity, Digital Public Infrastructure, AI, and software solutions for deployment in trusted partner countries; managed as a Tech Team Europe initiative involving EU companies, development finance institutions, and export credit agencies, with the D4D Hub and EU4Digital as facilitators. Source document doc-036, action item 340011: > Central Asia Secure Satellite Connectivity: Team Europe Initiative providing EU private-sector satellite connectivity to unserved and underserved areas in Central Asia. Source document doc-036, action item 340013: > EU-ASEAN Copernicus Mirror Site Expansion: Extension of the Copernicus mirror site from the Philippines to additional ASEAN countries including Indonesia and Thailand, under the EU-ASEAN Sustainable Connectivity Team Europe Initiative. Source document doc-036, action item 340032: > WSIS+20 Review: Team Europe coordination to secure a suitable multilateral outcome to the World Summit on the Information Society 20-year review negotiations. ## Current developments Latest updates from Digital Policy Alert and Global Trade Alert. No reviewed developments available; this does not establish that no developments exist. ## Associated policy priorities - [External Strategy, Security & Democratic Resilience]() ## Broader policy context (shared priority; not a direct citation) - [Action Plan on Drone and Counter Drone Security]() — status: delivered. Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security prioritises a Drone Security Package, coordinated risk assessment and industrial coordination to address drone threats. Proposed actions include registration and direct remote identification for drones above 100g, D-TECT Forum launch in Q2 2026, a Drone Security Toolbox and an EU Trusted Drone Label. The plan also covers resilience testing for critical infrastructure, training, cellular detection, voluntary deployment and procurement, annual exercises, a centre of excellence and cooperation with Ukraine. - [Action Plan on the Cybersecurity of Hospitals and Healthcare Providers]() — status: delivered. Healthcare cybersecurity action is centred on a European Cybersecurity Support Centre, sector-specific guidance, maturity assessment and incident-response support. Planned measures include a rapid-response service in the EU Cybersecurity Reserve, a Health Cybersecurity Advisory Board, a network of health CISOs, cyber exercises and a ransomware recovery subscription service. The plan also covers cyber hygiene, threat intelligence, procurement guidance, training, regulatory mapping and international cooperation. - [Digitalisation of Return Case Management]() — status: forthcoming. The Commission will table a dedicated initiative to digitalise Member States’ return case management, as part of a new common approach on returns. COM(2025) 101 sets a common return system and, in Art. 42(1)(d), makes national digital systems for return/readmission/reintegration a core component; a separate act will specify interoperability, once-only data flows and statistics. The Commission’s Political Guidelines commit to digitalising case management; von der Leyen’s 17 March letter signalled presentation by end-2025. A 2026 consultation under the Work Programme will prepare governance and implementation, aligning with SIS/Eurodac and digital-by-default delivery while ensuring uniform practice across the Union. - [DigitalJustice@2030]() — status: delivered. The Commission's justice digitalisation programme will expand shared tools, data availability and cross-border digital cooperation. It plans a repository of digital justice tools, an IT toolbox, exchanges among Member States and guidance on high-risk AI. Other actions cover legal and judicial-data reuse, common videoconferencing requirements, remote participation in criminal hearings, support for national digitalisation and further development of the European Electronic Access Point. - [EU Action Plan on Cable Security]() — status: delivered. EU Action Plan on Cable Security aims to prevent, detect and respond to risks affecting submarine cables. By Q4 2025, the Commission, Member States and ENISA are to complete cable mapping, a coordinated risk assessment, a Cable Security Toolbox and a priority list of Cable Projects of European Interest. Further measures address investment, integrated surveillance, regional hubs, sensors, surveillance drones, incident reporting, repair vessels and spare parts, alongside crisis response, NATO cooperation, diplomacy, sanctions and attribution. - [European Centre for Democratic Resilience]() — status: not recorded. The Centre will be the operational backbone of the European Democracy Shield, uniting national capabilities to detect, analyse and attribute foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). It will pool open-source intelligence, media forensics and platform signals, provide rapid alerts and incident-response templates, and coordinate joint attribution with partners. The Centre will convene Member States and neighbouring countries, standardise methodologies, and channel support to independent media and media-literacy initiatives. By closing gaps between monitoring, policy action and sanctions, it will strengthen deterrence, help protect elections and debate, and build a European capacity against hybrid threats. - [European Democracy Shield]() — status: delivered. It will harden democratic resilience by combining early detection of foreign information manipulation, coordinated analysis and rapid response across the Union. A new European Centre for Democratic Resilience will pool national expertise and capacities as the hub for monitoring, attribution and joint action with partners. The Shield will leverage the EU’s FIMI toolbox and the Digital Services Act, expand media- and digital-literacy efforts, and strengthen crisis communication to counter disinformation systematically. It complements a forthcoming Media Resilience Programme supporting independent journalism, and is anchored in upgrades to EU internal-security governance. Work will also address harmful social-media design and youth well-being through expert advice on safeguards and enforcement. - [European Preparedness Union Strategy]() — status: delivered. The Preparedness Union Strategy would improve EU anticipation, coordination and response across crises through an EU risk and threat assessment, crisis dashboard and an upgraded Emergency Response Coordination Centre. It also proposes stockpiling, minimum preparedness requirements, revised civil-protection arrangements, early-warning guidance and preparedness training. The strategy includes measures for public-private continuity planning, population self-sufficiency during extreme disruptions, EU-wide exercises, civil-military coordination and cooperation with partner countries. - [European Space Shield]() — status: forthcoming. The European Space Shield is a proposed flagship within the Readiness Roadmap for defence readiness. It would establish and protect a European system of space capabilities for defence purposes, building on EU space systems and national capacities. The roadmap envisages endorsement of the shield as a priority flagship, coordinated prioritisation through space and defence programmes, coordination with Member States' procurement plans, and the shield's launch. - [Europol & Eurojust Revision]() — status: in progress. Europol & Eurojust Revision seeks to modernise Eurojust's legal framework and strengthen cross-border criminal-justice cooperation. The proposal addresses structural and operational constraints identified by the 2025 evaluation, improving governance and operational performance, cooperation with EU partners and third countries, and analytical and proactive capacity. It would expand Eurojust's mandate to cybercrime, gender-based violence and violations of EU restrictive measures, while reinforcing coordination with Europol and supporting work on serious and organised cross-border crime. - [Frontex Revision & EU Visa Support Office]() — status: forthcoming. Frontex is slated for a stronger mandate and reinforced standing corps, allowing the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to expand its presence and operational support. The Commission also assigns Frontex a stronger role in supporting Member States with returns and places a visa strategy among measures aimed at attracting international talent and reducing administrative barriers. - [Harmonised EU Framework for Data Retention]() — status: forthcoming. The Commission is preparing an impact assessment on data retention by service providers for criminal proceedings. The work responds to divergent national rules and the absence of an EU-wide framework, which authorities identify as an obstacle to investigations and cross-border cooperation. Consultations will examine the obstacles, possible non-regulatory and regulatory responses, and impacts on citizens' security, electronic-communications services and the protection of fundamental rights. - [New Strategic EU-India Agenda]() — status: delivered. Europe have tabled a Strategic EU–India Agenda that elevates the partnership across five pillars: prosperity, technology, security, connectivity and enablers. It prioritises concluding an FTA and an Investment Protection Agreement, alongside Global Gateway investments and supply-chain de-risking via the EU–India TTC (chips, solar, APIs). It deepens digital cooperation (e.g. trusted data flows, secure 5G/6G and interoperable digital public infrastructures) and expands joint R&I in AI, HPC/quantum and space. A Security and Defence Partnership with a Security of Information Agreement will underpin maritime, cyber and hybrid resilience. Delivery will be steered by an annual summit, upgraded TTC, and an EU–India Business Forum. - [ProtectEU: A European Internal Security Strategy]() — status: delivered. ProtectEU sets out EU internal-security action based on regular threat assessments and stronger operational capacity. It covers terrorism, organised crime, cyber-related and hybrid threats, with proposed changes involving Europol, Eurojust and Frontex. The strategy also calls for a European Critical Communication System, better protection of critical infrastructure and transport hubs, stronger cybersecurity, updated organised-crime and firearms rules, and closer operational cooperation with partner regions. - [Roadmap on Lawful and Effective Access to Data]() — status: delivered. The Roadmap for lawful and effective access to data for law enforcement sets out the conditions that should govern access to digital evidence. It says access must be necessary, proportionate, founded on clear, precise and accessible legal rules, subject to independent oversight and accompanied by effective remedies. The roadmap identifies deleted data, jurisdictional conflicts, difficult device forensics, encryption and limited analytical capacity as obstacles to obtaining criminal evidence. - [Strengthening EU Economy Security]() — status: delivered. Strengthening EU Economy Security centres on faster risk assessment, shared intelligence and action to reduce dependencies in critical supply chains, technologies and infrastructure. The Commission proposes an Economic Security Information Hub, stronger coordination with Member States, an adviser group involving businesses, trade-resilience information and an expanded Observatory on Critical Technologies. It will also consider funding safeguards, foreign-investment screening guidance, dual-use export-control evaluation, trade-defence tools, customs measures, procurement preferences and restrictions on high-risk suppliers. - [The Pact for the Mediterranean]() — status: delivered. The EU will forge a new pact with Southern Neighbourhood partners, building on the 2021 Agenda, with a strong digital pillar to deepen political engagement and cooperation. Priorities include secure connectivity under Global Gateway (most visibly the MEDUSA submarine cable linking the northern and southern shores and boosting regional capacity) alongside resilient cable and satellite links. Cooperation will use Trade & Technology-style dialogues, Cyber Dialogues, and association to Horizon Europe and Digital Europe, embedded in tailor-made Comprehensive and Strategic Partnerships (e.g. Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan). Work will advance trusted 5G/cable security, skills and innovation, and gradual policy harmonisation supporting integration with EU digital rules where relevant. - [White Paper for European Defence]() — status: delivered. The White Paper invites Member States to increase collaborative defence procurement and proposes fast consideration of SAFE and the European Defence Industry Programme. It calls for military support to Ukraine and greater integration of Ukraine's defence industry, mobility corridors and access to EU space-based governmental services. Further measures include a defence-industry dialogue, a Defence Omnibus Simplification proposal, an armament technology roadmap and military-mobility action. --- [Reading guide and interpretation notes]() · [Methodology]()