Commission registers European Citizens' Initiative for sovereign European AI domains

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.

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.