Digital Policy in the EU: Towards a Human-Centred Digital Transformation

This thought-provoking book follows the EU's journey into the digital age, explaining how it uses legislation and policy to tackle challenges such as the abuse of market power by Big Tech companies and the spread of hate speech and disinformation.Werner Stengg draws on his extensive experience in shaping digital policy to expertly analyse the EU’s ambitious legislative and innovation programme, which focuses on human rights and prioritises trustworthy, transparent, and accountable usage of digital technologies. Alongside this examination of legislation and policy, Stengg also outlines the EU’s major investment agenda into the digital infrastructures required to become a global player in our data-driven and AI-powered economy. Ultimately, the book highlights that innovations in the digital sphere are essential not only for the global competitiveness of European companies, but also for Europe to safeguard its resilience, autonomy, and technological sovereignty at a time of mounting geopolitical tensions. Comprehensive in scope, this book is an invaluable resource for students and academics in consumer law, European law, European politics and policy, human rights, internet and technology law, and regulation and governance. It is also a crucial read for professionals involved in EU-level policymaking.

Table of Contents:
Contents Preface 1 Making Europe fit for the digital age 2 The stunning evolution of the digital space 3 Digital policy from 1997 to 2019 4 The case for a paradigm shift in digital policy making 5 Defining the target of digital regulation 6 Shaping Europe’s digital decade 7 Regulating digital markets 8 Managing risks to society and democracy 9 Promoting human-centred technology 10 Is Europe fit for the digital age? Bibliography 285

About the Author :
Werner Stengg, Digital Expert, European Commission

Review :
‘This book is a fascinating account of an insider with a horizontal view of digital policy. For academics, the book is a call to action and an invitation to step beyond the scope of one’s usual research. Moreover, it is a great reference work: We all have things that we are sure have happened but cannot recall the source for. The book by Stengg is likely to reference them in one or two places throughout its historical account. Ultimately, it raises anticipation about what the Commission will do next, and how the rest of the world will respond. While the book does not really involve personal anecdotes, it certainly helps to understand a man who will most likely keep playing an important role in this.’ ‘At the seat of power and armed with over 20 years of digital policy acumen, Werner Stengg adroitly condenses decades of strategies and decisions taken by the European Union to tame the digital wild west. He presents a cogent case for the EU’s leadership on digital governance. Mr. Stengg’s digestible prose helps Europeans and foreigners alike appreciate the historical context for the Union’s evolving regulatory framework. For Americans used to a more quixotic legislative path, the pace at which the European institutions have embraced their intricate agenda is truly remarkable. But as the author cautions, it is an unfinished story. Technology unrelentingly accelerates its transformation of society and marketplaces, while many of the recent regulations have yet to come into force. Only with the passage of time will we know whether the European regulatory experiment has attained its goal of future-proofing the impact of technology for the benefit of society and contestable markets.’ ‘If you want to know how European digital policy gets made, ask Werner Stengg. He was there when it happened, he knows the stories and the big ideas behind the laws. In his highly readable new book, Stengg gives us a big picture overview of the tectonic changes in Internet policy that he helped make.’ ‘With his book, Werner Stengg, a pivotal architect of EU digital policymaking, has achieved a tour de force. He sheds light on the values and motivations driving Europe’s groundbreaking efforts to regulate digital ecosystems, with profound insights on the knowledge economy and technology's role in shaping human relations. Definitely a must-read.’ ‘The European Union is on the front lines to regulate Silicon Valley, and Werner Stengg is the general behind much of its offensive. As a European Commission official, Stengg defends Europe’s new digital rules. But he remains fair and considered, making this a not-to-miss book for techies.’