Commission registers European Citizens’ Initiative for sovereign European AI domains

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.

Today, the European Commission registered the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Creation of a European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI Governance‘.

The organisers invite the Commission “to propose a framework for high-trust digital spaces and to take the initiative at European level to negotiate with ISO and ICANN with a view to safeguarding the .IA domain”. The initiative sets out three objectives: to “propose an EU framework that promotes ‘High-Trust Digital Spaces’ and testing environments (sandboxes) for ethical AI in the EU”; to “negotiate with ISO … and ICANN/IANA with a view to the reservation, protection and allocation of the namespace .IA as an asset of European digital sovereignty‘; and to “ensure that the registration and resolution of the .IA domain incorporate the Sovereign Digital Identity (eIDAS 2.0), transparent algorithmic auditing (AI Act) and the protection of personal data (GDPR)”.

As this initiative fulfils the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation the Commission considers it legally admissible under the European Citizens’ Initiative Regulation. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the proposals at this stage. The registration does not influence the Commission’s final decision on its merits, or any potential action it may take. The Commission will take a decision on the initiative only if it meets the relevant criteria, including collecting at least one million valid signatures from EU citizens.

Next steps

Following today’s registration, the organisers have six months to open the 12-month period of signature collection. If an ECI receives at least one million valid statements of support during that time, with minimum numbers reached in at least seven Member States, the Commission is required to react, and decide what, if any, action it will take in response to the initiative, justifying its decision.

Background

The ECI was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool for citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once formally registered, a European Citizens’ Initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions for admissibility are: (1) the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a legal proposal, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union as set out in Article 2 TEU and rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

Since the beginning of the European Citizens’ Initiative, the Commission has registered 136 initiatives.

The content of the initiative only expresses the views of their organisers and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the Commission.

For more information

‘Creation of a European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI Governance‘

ECI statistics

ECIs currently collecting signatures

European Citizens’ Initiative Forum

#EUTakeTheInitiative campaign