EU Political Party Positions on Protecting Fundamental Rights Online: Election 2024

As the 2024 EU elections approach, the Internet Infrastructure Coalition (i2Coalition) wants to help you better understand how the policies of the major European political parties align with the needs of those who build the infrastructure of the Internet. The i2Coalition is the leading voice for web hosting companies, domain registrars and registries, cloud infrastructure providers, managed services providers, and related technology. We have been monitoring the stances of major EU political parties and finding alignment on the issues that matter most to our members. 

This article is the first in a three-part series on how the i2Coalition’s mission and members fit into the EU election conversation. If your Internet infrastructure company is interested in getting more involved in shaping these discussions, please do not hesitate to contact our membership director at [email protected].

In this edition, we’ll explore how we believe Brussels should protect fundamental digital rights.

The i2Coalition shares the vision of the EPP, PES, Renew Europe, and the European Greens in advocating for a safe online environment. The i2Coalition’s EU Digital Policy Manifesto provides a guide for Internet infrastructure providers and policymakers alike as we collaborate to address the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. It states, “When setting rules for online services, it’s essential to ensure people’s fundamental rights are protected on the Internet. This includes integrating fair use principles to safeguard the freedom of expression and access to information. Care must be taken to ensure that enforcement actions avoid the excessive blocking of legitimate content.”

Here is how the major parties in election contention align with our stance regarding fundamental rights online:

• European People’s Party (EPP)
  Point 2.6 of the EPP’s manifesto states, “Fundamental rights in the digital world must be respected. We will do so by updating the EU charter of fundamental rights in light of the digital revolution.”
• Party of European Socialists (PES)
  Point 17 of the PES manifesto includes “The digital transformation of our societies must respect EU fundamental values,” to which end they profess to “ensure that what is illegal offline is illegal online.“
• Renew Europe
  Renew Europe’s Priorities 2019-2024 paper states in part, “We will request the Commission to strengthen the fight against online hate speech, while respecting fundamental rights.”

• The European Greens
  In terms of online content, i2Coalition calls for upholding copyright laws and respect of trade secrets when moderating content. As stated on page 35 of the Greens’ manifesto, the EU should “closely monitor the application of EU law, in particular EU laws on copyright, trade secrets, the data protection regulation, and the Audio-visual Media Services Directive to ensure they are not abused.” The manifesto also states on page 22 that “Europe needs a rights-based, decentralized approach to digitalization to reap its benefits.”

To see more of how the major EU parties’ stances on Internet infrastructure align with those of the companies that build our interconnected world, please read our two companion articles in this series:

• Preserving Online Privacy
• Internet Governance

Join Us in Shaping the Future of the Internet

The major policy areas that underpin our coalition—digital trade and Internet governance, privacy, encryption, cybersecurity, access to data, and intermediary liability—also form the cornerstones of a resilient and inclusive digital future. We seek to share our values in these areas in policy recommendations to ensure that Europe’s digital landscape thrives, innovates, and remains protected from threats that could compromise its potential. 

We invite all stakeholders in the Internet infrastructure industry to join our cause. Find out more on our website and contact our membership director at [email protected].