This year’s edition of the Eurocities Digital Forum, ‘Digital rights at the heart of cities’, brought together 112 city leaders, local authorities and digital transformation experts to explore the role of cities in shaping a future where digital technologies are accessible and beneficial for everyone.
The forum, hosted by Bordeaux Metropole on 2-4 April 2025, highlighted how the digital transformation brings new opportunities, but it also presents significant challenges, particularly those related to inclusion, security, and privacy.
“A sustainable and equitable digital transformation is impossible without digital inclusion and a people-centred approach,” stated Faouzi Achbar, Vice-Mayor of Rotterdam and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Digital Inclusion.
And cities have a critical role to play in ensuring digital technologies serve the public good. “The key issue is how not to lose the link between residents and cities while implementing digital policies, so we do not to leave anyone behind,” explained Christine Bost, President of Bordeaux Metropole.
The role of cities in safeguarding digital rights
The digital revolution must not come at the expense of human rights. This is why, in 2022, the European Commission adopted the European Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles, to provide a framework for safeguarding fundamental rights in the digital sphere. It sets out a vision for a human-centric digital transformation in Europe, focusing on digital rights such as privacy, freedom of expression, digital inclusion, and data protection.
While the Declaration provides a significant policy framework, it remains a non-binding document. This means, despite outlining clear guidelines and principles, it cannot be enforced by law. As a result, its full implementation requires practical action at the local, national and European levels. The challenge, therefore, lies in moving beyond a theoretical framework to ensure that these rights are actively protected and promoted in everyday life.
As the digital divide continues to widen, many residents still lack the skills and capacity to fully harness the benefits of digital technologies. Additionally, there are growing concerns about trust, the spread of misinformation, and cybersecurity. These challenges require cities to be proactive in developing solutions that protect citizens’ rights while promoting digital inclusion.
“The news constantly reminds us of the importance of data security and ethical technology use, but we also face growing challenges in cyberspace safety, from hate speech to misinformation,” acknowledged Delphine Jamet, Digital Councillor in Bordeaux Metropole and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Digital Inclusion. “While regulation is crucial, we, the cities, are the first line of defense. We must equip everyone with the cultural understanding to become immune to online manipulation. Who is better positioned to do this than cities?”
What are cities doing on the ground to safeguard digital rights
In 2023, Bordeaux launched its Metropolitan Observatory on Digital Inequalities, surveying over 5,000 residents to assess the extent of digital exclusion. The findings revealed significant concerns about digital literacy and the ability to navigate online spaces, with nearly 50% of the population worried about recognising misinformation.
Building on this, Bordeaux has launched a qualitative research project in 2025 to capture people’s personal experiences of digital suffering, shedding light on the emotional impact of digital exclusion. Christine Bost, President of Bordeaux Metropole, explained: “In a world that is becoming increasingly connected, where digital tools are essential for accessing rights, searching for a job, or simply staying in touch, digital exclusion is a reality we cannot ignore.”
Rotterdam is tackling the digital divide through its Digital Inclusion Programme, which includes initiatives like the Teatime project. This project provides digital literacy training for migrant women, ensuring they are not left behind in the digital age. “We aim to unite strengths with different societal forces to fight the digital divide,” said Miranda Saunders, Programme Manager for Digital Inclusion in Rotterdam. Their efforts to expand access to devices and secure internet connections ensure that everyone, regardless of their background, can engage with digital services.
Porto has taken steps to increase transparency by implementing an open-source communication system that explains the purpose and function of public technologies, such as environmental sensors and CCTV cameras. This initiative not only improves public awareness but also encourages citizen participation, allowing residents to understand and have a say in how technologies are used in their communities. “We are now planning to scale up the project in partnership with colleagues from urban development department, encouraged by the fact that citizens are now more aware of the city’s approach,” explained Paulo Calçada, CEO of Porto Digital.
“Everyone should have access to safe, secure and privacy-protective digital technologies, products and services,” said Guillermo Obispo, Head of the Coordination Service of the Cybersecurity Centre of Madrid City Council. The Centro de Ciberseguridad (CCMAD) plays a key role in ensuring these protections are in place. The centre focuses on cybersecurity, providing continuous monitoring and auditing, and swiftly responding to cyber incidents and protecting citizens from data breaches.
Helsinki is empowering residents by allowing them to control their personal data throught their MyData principles. Using consent-based services, they city ensures that personal data is used to improve public services, such as personalised public transport and energy efficiency programmes. Residents can keep full control over how their data is used and shared.
Eindhoven has introduced an Algorithm Register to ensure that all AI systems used in the city are transparent and ethical. By testing algorithms for fairness and ensuring that they align with public values, Eindhoven is leading the way in building trust in AI technologies. “Ethics in technology must be seen as a foundation, not an afterthought, said Mieke van Schaik, Strategic CIO Advisor for Eindhoven, “so we ensure that digital transformation serves public values.”
Building collaborative and inclusive ecosystems
For digital transformation to succeed, stronger cooperation across all levels of government is essential. “Empowering cites means empowering citizens, and for that we need support from the EU,” stated Faouzi Achbar. The EU and national governments must provide the necessary support, both in terms of funding and policy, to enable cities to continue their digital transformation.
The EU’s vision of a Digital Decade provides an ambitious roadmap for a fully digital Europe by 2030, but achieving these goals requires that cities receive the necessary financial support and infrastructure.
The alignment of local strategies with the Digital Decade’s objectives will be essential in addressing the digital divide and ensuring that cities remain at the forefront of this transformation. “The next revision of the Digital Decade is a great moment for cities to provide feedback,” announced Philippe Gérard, Adviser for Capacity Building in DG CNECT, European Commission, who reminded cities not to underestimate the power they have in shaping EU digital policies.
Programmes such as the Digital Europe Programme can help municipalities overcome funding gaps and accelerate their digital initiatives. However, local leaders call for EU funds to be made more accessible.
National governments and the EU must also work together to harmonise the implementation of digital legislation across borders, to ensure that cities have clear guidelines for implementing the principles of digital rights. For instance, creating a common framework for data protection and AI governance will allow cities to adopt technologies safely and securely, knowing they comply with EU-wide standards.
Cities are increasingly focusing on open standards and working with the EU to improve data sharing and digital services. Tools such as Local Data Spaces and Digital Twins are helping cities such as Leipzig or Barcelona take control of their data infrastructure, ensuring that the data is managed responsibly and securely and cities can improve urban planning, while offering better public services to their citizens.
“Decoding the EU landscape is no easy task because of the many initiatives going on. Cities need a platform to ask their questions and guidance on the different tools available at EU level,” explained Gabriela Ruseva, Coordinator of Living-in.EU. “And even more, they need to be involved in the design of those tools from the start. The data spaces, GenAI, digital twins… all of this is connected, and the EU initiatives need to be connected between each other, and connected with cities. And Living-in.EU is doing just that.”
Cities need to stand together
By sharing innovative solutions, cities can inspire each other and contribute to the development of scalable and sustainable practices that benefit local communities and uphold European principles.
At the same time, they must remain united in defending their core values. “We need a strong alliance between mayors and EU leaders to ensure that, despite external pressures, we will not compromise on our values or on the existing EU legislation governing digital platforms and services,” said André Sobczak, Eurocities Secretary General.
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The Eurocities Digital Forum 2025, ‘Digital rights at the heart of cities” took place 2-4 April 2025 and was hosted by Bordeaux Metropole. The event reinforced the idea that cities are not just implementing digital solutions, but leading the charge to ensure that digital transformation is inclusive, ethical, and beneficial for all. However, cities cannot do it alone. There is a need for stronger collaboration across all levels of government to ensure that the digital rights of citizens are protected.
You can read the outcomes of the political discussions from Day 1 here: Eurocities Digital Forum places digital rights at the heart of cities
All the pictures from the event can be found here.
