Digital Champions are appointed by each Member State to help them promote the benefits of an inclusive digital society.
The European Council agreed in December 2011 that the Digital Single Market was an area of growth potential for the European Union. Former EC-Vice-President Kroes, the Commissioner for the Digital Agenda asked the College to take up the challenge set by the European Council.
On 14 February 2012, President Barroso wrote to Member States and asked them to take action to make the Digital Single Market a reality. One way to do this is for each country to appoint a Digital Champion.
EU Digital Champions Meeting Dublin 2013
Each Digital Champion works with citizens, communities and businesses to exploit the growth potential of the digital economy. They can do this in many ways: by helping individuals to enhance their IT skills, by ensuring that the public sector becomes more efficient and customer-friendly and by helping businesses to embrace new technologies which will allow them to be more productive and competitive at home and across borders.
Each Digital Champion develops initiatives in their own countries to get people more digital. Digital Champions encounter similar challenges across the European Union. By ensuring regular contact between the Champions, the European Commission provides a platform to discuss and compare action at grass-roots level, and mobilises citizens and businesses to take advantage of the digital economy.
The Champions also advise the Commission on its policies. They meet at least twice a year, and more often virtually.
Further EU links & initiatives:
Initiator of Digital Champions VP Neelie Kroes Blog 2010-2014
WerdeDigital.at – Meral Akin-Hecke’s digital literacy initiative in Austria
