This is lesson five of the second module of EUPress Teacher Training, which covers the macro topic of “European policies on digital economy and society”.
The objective of this lesson is to examine how the European Union collaborates with countries worldwide and international organizations to ensure technology improves lives globally.
As digitalisation reshapes global power dynamics, the European Union is moving beyond internal regulation to forge cooperation with international partners — aiming to ensure the digital world is open, secure, and aligned with democratic values.
In a lesson on international cooperation in digital, the EU’s growing role in tech diplomacy is outlined, with a focus on the EU–US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) — a key platform for transatlantic coordination on emerging technologies, digital trade, and online safety.
From domestic to global: the EU’s international digital agenda
Recognising the internet as a borderless space, the EU collaborates with countries and multilateral bodies to shape a safer and fairer online ecosystem. Its digital outreach spans:
- European neighbourhood countries
- Developing nations in Africa and the Mediterranean
- Global partners like the US and Japan
The goal: promote free, secure, and barrier-free internet access, while upholding fundamental rights and ensuring responsible platform behaviour.
What the EU–US Trade and Technology Council does
Launched in 2021, the TTC brings together senior leaders from Brussels and Washington to tackle shared challenges. It focuses on:
- Promoting technology standards based on democratic values
- Supporting trustworthy artificial intelligence
- Ensuring an open, stable, and secure internet
- Fighting disinformation and foreign interference
- Strengthening innovation and industrial competitiveness
Through this forum, the EU and US aim to align rules on critical technologies, confront digital authoritarianism, and remove unjustified barriers in digital trade — while investing in infrastructure and supply chain resilience.
A digital decade built on alliances
For the EU, digital cooperation is not only about hardware and software — it’s about geopolitics and values. In a world of rising tech rivalry, especially between the US and China, Brussels seeks to position itself as a global rule-setter and ethical leader in areas such as data governance, platform accountability, and digital trust.
By joining forces with like-minded countries, the EU hopes to ensure the next generation of digital technologies reflects the principles of democracy, human rights, and open markets — at home and abroad.
