—

having regard to Articles 2, 3(3) and 6 of the Treaty on European Union,

—

having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 19, 26, 36, 67(4), 114 (3), 153, 165 169(1) and 174 thereof,

—

having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and in particular Articles 3, 8, 11, 21, 26, 34, 38 and 52 thereof,

—

having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

—

having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights, and in particular Principles 3, 17 and 20 thereof,

—

having regard to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) definition of ‘digital divide’, which refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard both to their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICTs) and to their use of the internet for a wide variety of activities (1),

—

having regard to its resolution of 27 November 2014 on supporting consumer rights in the digital single market (2),

—

having regard to Directive (EU) 2015/2366 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on payment services in the internal market (3) (PSD2),

—

having regard to Directive (EU) 2016/2102 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 October 2016 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies (4),

—

having regard to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/389 of 27 November 2017 supplementing Directive (EU) 2015/2366 with regard to regulatory technical standards for strong customer authentication and common and secure open standards of communication (5),

—

having regard to Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (6),

—

having regard to the European Central Bank (ECB) 2020 Study on the payment attitudes of consumers in the euro area (SPACE),

—

having regard to the article in issue 5, 2022 of the ECB Economic Bulletin entitled ‘Guaranteeing freedom of payment choice: access to cash in the euro area’,

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 9 March 2021 entitled ‘Digital Compass 2030: Europe’s approach to the Digital Decade’ (COM(2021)0118),

—

having regard to the proposal of 15 September 2021 for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the policy programme ‘Route to the Digital Decade’ for 2030 (COM(2021)0574),

—

having regard to the report of May 2022 on the final outcome of the Conference on the Future of Europe,

—

having regard to the deliberations on petition No 1123/2021 during the meeting of the Committee on Petitions of 17 May 2022,

—

having regard to its resolution of 7 October 2021 on the protection of persons with disabilities through petitions: lessons learnt (7),

—

having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, achieving which will entail narrowing the digital divide,

—

having regard to Rule 227(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas the Committee on Petitions has received a petition expressing justifiable concern at the impossibility of accessing basic banking services, such as to confirm a payment or access a personal bank account, without having a mobile phone despite there being no legal obligation to possess such a device; whereas a divide exists between people who are increasingly using digital means of payment and others who cannot or are reluctant to use them; whereas this petition raises the broader issue of the impact of digitalisation on citizens and customers and users of public and private services;

B.

whereas cash is the payment instrument most frequently used in the euro area; whereas according to recent ECB data, the total number of cash dispensers in the euro area decreased by 4,2 % to 0,28 million in 2021 (8); whereas, there has been a parallel decrease in the number of bank branches per inhabitant across the euro area; whereas EUR 127 billion has been earmarked for digital related reforms and investments in the national recovery and resilience plans (9); whereas Member States made progress on their digitalisation efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, but are still struggling to narrow the gaps in digital skills and in the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises;

C.

whereas the Committee on Petitions has received a petition expressing concern that most service providers only make information available online and often through channels only compatible with smartphones, which puts older people, persons with disabilities, persons on low incomes, the digitally unskilled and people with limited internet access at a disadvantage;

D.

whereas although digitalisation and the appropriate use of digital tools have brought many economic and societal benefits and opportunities, a number of ethical, legal and employment challenges have emerged which may cause serious disadvantages or harm to individuals and society as a whole; whereas the potential of new technologies is ambivalent, as depending on how they are used and regulated, they can either help create a more inclusive society and reduce inequities, or they can amplify existing inequalities and create new forms of discrimination;

E.

whereas digitalisation is having a profound impact on the daily social, economic, political and cultural life of citizens, workers and consumers and is affecting all areas of society; whereas digitalisation is at the root of a number of social differences, with a new digital divide emerging, not only between well-connected urban areas and rural and remote areas, but also between those people who can fully benefit from an enriched, accessible and secure digital space with a wide range of services, and those who cannot do so; whereas the increasingly widespread use of digital payments, including cards, digital wallets or mobile apps, is resulting in some retailers no longer accepting cash;

F.

whereas declining use of cash transactions might result in deterioration of cash infrastructure and therefore reduce people’s access to cash; whereas it is necessary to address deficiencies in cash access without delay and to provide freedom of payment choice;

G.

whereas the excessive use of technological devices can aggravate mental and physical health phenomena such as isolation, technology-use-related addiction problems, sleep deprivation, emotional exhaustion, anxiety and burnout;

H.

whereas digitalisation can adversely affect people who lack sufficient digital skills or do not have access to an internet connection or to digital devices; whereas it may accentuate social differences by reducing some workers’ opportunities to obtain quality employment; whereas it is necessary to raise the question of the negative impact of the digitalisation of public and private services on workers and people such as older people and persons with disabilities, low-income, socially disadvantaged or unemployed citizens, migrants and refugees or people in rural and remote areas;

I.

whereas the EU’s digital skills indicator currently stands at only 56 %; whereas, the EU’s digital objectives aim for this skills indicator to rise to 80 % by 2030 (10); whereas the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities including the digital divide, making it imperative to ensure that all European citizens and businesses can take advantage of the digital transformation for a better, safer and more prosperous life; whereas the pandemic has shown the effects of the digital divide in education, with some teachers and students finding themselves left out of the loop because they lack sufficient technology and digital skills and access to equipment;

J.

whereas an estimated 87 million people in the EU have some kind of disability (11); whereas the accessibility of online forms is often neglected, such that users relying on a screen reader may not be even able to detect the ‘send’ button; whereas web accessibility should be ensured so as allow everyone, including persons with disabilities, to perceive, understand, navigate and interact with the internet;

K.

whereas the effective protection of personal data, privacy and assets, the security of networks and electronics, as well as citizens’ perception that their data, privacy and assets are protected and secure are fundamental to ensuring citizens’ trust and enabling them to overcome their reluctance to use digital services;

L.

whereas the proposal for a European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles of 26 January 2022 (COM(2022)0027) underlines that everyone should be able to effectively choose which digital services to use on the basis of objective, transparent and reliable information;

M.

whereas the Conference on the Future of Europe addressed digital education, recommending that the EU put effort into making technology more accessible to the older generation by fostering programmes and initiatives, for instance in the form of classes tailored to their needs; whereas the EU should guarantee the right to use digitalisation for those who wish to do so and propose alternatives for those who do not;

N.

whereas 5,3 % of school-aged children in Europe are digitally deprived, with big differences being observed between EU countries (12), and children whose families live in poverty or in severe material deprivation who cannot afford to have a computer and/or to have an internet connection are the worst affected;

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.