Opening 2025
12 May 2025 | 15:00 - 15:30 CEST | Hemicycle | 
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Consolidated programme 2025
- Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe
- Elisabeth Margue, Minister of Justice, Luxembourg
- Michael Falzon, Minister for Social Policy and Children's Rights of Malta
- Sandra Hoferichter, Secretary General and Thomas Schneider, President, EuroDIG Support Association
Video record
Transcript
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Moderator: Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the 2025 edition of EuroDIG. I know you already started this morning, but we’re very happy to have now the opening session with our high level speakers. I’m delighted to see so many of you here. It is now 27 years since the Council of Europe organized the first EuroDIG in 2008 here in the Council of Europe. And I’m so happy to be here again with EuroDIG to prepare also the message that we have for global gatherings such as the IGF. This is a multi-stakeholder gathering. We have states, we have also non-state actors, we have civil society organizations, organizations that are specialized in the field. So it’s really the place to discuss the governance of the Internet. And for that, I’m delighted to give the floor and to welcome the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Monsieur Alain Berset, and I’m very happy to give him the floor. Secretary General, you have the floor from the rostrum. Thank you.
Alain Berset: Ministers, colleagues, friends, great pleasure to see you today. It’s a pleasure really to be here today and also to share the stage today with Minister Elisabeth Mark. Thank you for being here. Minister Michael Falzon, thank you also for being here with us today. Let me also acknowledge Sandra Oferichter with us this afternoon and Thomas Schneider. Thank you also for this occasion to meet again. I think your commitment to open to democratic rights-based digital governance is what brings us together and it is also what sets EuroDIG apart. I thought I would start with a story that happened to me during the AI Action Summit in Paris back in February. I joined President Macron and a group of the world’s leading tech leaders for a dinner at the Elysee Palace and what I remember is not this gold trimmer salon and Louis XIV furniture, but it is a line, what I remember is a line from Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, because someone asked him, where do you think AI will be in five years? And Sam Altman paused and answered, I have no idea, five years is an eternity. And that moment captured our reality when even the people building this technology say it is impossible to know what is next. What does that mean for the rest of us? We used to measure progress in generations. A child born 100 years ago in 1925 lived to see empires fall. Man walk on the moon and machines begin to think. And today, history no longer unfolds across lifetimes, it unfolds in years or even less. And this is not the end of history, this is the acceleration of history and we feel it also here in this room. Every session touches a burning issue, disinformation for example, digital inequality, AI and free expression, cyber risks, youth rights, justice, war. And in times like this, we need something solid to hold on to. That is where the Council of Europe comes in. We developed, you developed and we developed together the Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, the world’s first legally binding treaty on AI rooted in human rights, democracy and the rule of law. So far, 14 states and the European Union have signed this convention, from Japan to Canada, Switzerland to Liechtenstein. Momentum is growing because we all face the same choice or we can say two paths, if you will. One where technology protects, connects and lifts people up. Another where it divides, exploits and erodes trust. Our convention draws the line, it takes a risk-based approach, it offers practical tools, it is built not just for Europe but for every country that believes AI must work for people and not over them. We have seen what happens when digital power goes unchecked. On another day, like today, exactly eight years ago, the WannaCry ransomware attack infected computers across 150 countries. Hospitals were shut down. Ambulances were rerouted. It cost more than 4 billion euros in damages globally. But it was not a one-off. Today, this information is undermining elections. Algorithms reward outrage over truth. Cyber attacks target schools, parliaments, hospitals. And AI risks repeating and even amplifying the same injustices we have fought for decades. Sexism, racism, exclusion. But these challenges are not accidental. They are the result of design choices and they demand courageous corrections. This is not about censorship. This is about responsibility. And responsibility looks like this. Human rights built in the technology. Transparency on how content is promoted or silenced. Labels on AI-generated content. And a public that knows how to question what it sees. Because in a world of information, so much information, trust is everything. And democracies need informed citizens. I mean, and you agree with me, I mean, the Council of Europe has been preparing for this moment. We were there in 2001 with the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which is still the cornerstone of international cooperation. We are here now with the AI Convention, opening the door to inclusive debate. to Ethical and Globally Relevant AI Governments. And we are going further with tools like Huderia, risk assessment methods to help governments understand and manage AI’s real impacts. We know that no country, really no country, no company, no organization can navigate this landscape alone. Today, I take this opportunity and this occasion to call on you to join us in shaping guardrails for AI, in building resilience to disinformation, in protecting our democracies from digital threats. Regulation and innovation are not enemies. They should be partners. Let us remember how EuroDIG began in 2008, in a café in Paris. Just a handful of people with a shared vision. And just look at where we are now. A real community, still united by the same belief that the future of technology must be governed together and that we must do this openly, ethically and democratically. So let us lead, let us lead together, let us make this next phase of digital transformation not just fast, not just fast, but fair, human and just. So I wish you good meetings, productive meetings, exchanges. It’s a real pleasure to welcome you in Strasbourg this afternoon. Thank you for your attention.
Moderator: Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary General. Thank you for your words and for your encouragement. Thank you also for having outlined the work of the Council of Europe in this area and for giving some ideas for the future. Now it is my pleasure to give the floor and welcome to the Minister of Justice of Luxembourg, to the President of the Council of Europe. We are delighted to have you here.
Elisabeth Margue: You have the floor, Madam. Dear Secretary General, dear Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, it’s my pleasure to be here to say a few introduction words to the 2025 EuroDIG event, which is one of the last events of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. And I’m happy to discover that the program of EuroDIG 2025 reflects the priority also of the Luxembourg Presidency, namely the rule of law and democracy. And during the next days you will be exchanging views and experiences and explore new ways to shape the digital governance that upholds human rights, that enables innovation and that is inclusive. These challenges also resonate with the two topics that I have in my portfolio, be it justice on the one hand and media and connectivity and digital policy on the other hand. With the rise of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, we are really entering a new era. We are seeing AI shape industries from healthcare to transport, from public services to education. But for AI to be truly a force for good, it needs to work for the people and not the other way around. All new technologies present new opportunities and threats that we need to be careful about. The opportunities are driving efficiency in operations, enabling greener and more sustainable business models and improving decision-making through advanced analytics. Both of them, all of them can have a huge impact. In Luxembourg we are committing to striking the right balance between innovation and regulation. Overregulation can slow down innovation, but innovation without safeguards can undermine trust and human rights. This is where law and ethics meet. Lawyers are traditionally focusing on existing law, case law and well-established doctrine, rather than preparing for the future. The law is by definition slow, formalistic and rigid. It struggles to keep pace with technological development and above all respond appropriately to the human, social and cultural changes that we are currently facing with the rise of artificial intelligence. Where the law is slow to its environment and where it faces new challenges, ethics are a tool which could be invoked to draw a line between what is good and what is evil, between what is tolerable and what is not, between what is beneficial to humans and what is not, and what is beneficial to society and what is not. And of course, ethics are the core of our democratic values and principles. For a long time, humanity was thought as opposed to animality. Today, we define humanity as opposed to digital technology and machine learning. During the EuroDIG 2025 edition, you will be exchanging views and best practices to make sure that digital freedom will always rhyme with dignity, equality and humanity. It is our duty to ensure that future generations will be able to use technology in a way that they can trust it, in a way that is human-centered and in a way that preserves their fundamental rights and freedoms. It is clear to me that the answers to all those complex questions can only be delivered at an international, multilateral level. The Internet does not know any borders, and so do our answers need to be coordinated at an international level to make sure that we put the right mechanisms into place altogether. The framework on artificial intelligence, it has already been mentioned by the Secretary General, was a huge step. It is in this way that we make sure that we can actually protect humans facing the technological development. I’m sure that in the next days you will find a lot of inspiration to develop new safeguards that preserve human rights and that protect our shared values for digital tools in order to enhance transparency, trust, while fostering innovation. I wish you fruitful discussions.
Moderator: Thank you very much, Minister. Thanks a lot and thank you very much also, and especially for the support that we have had from the Luxembourg Presidency throughout your time in the Chair of the Committee of Ministers. We are really grateful to you and all your colleagues. Let me now turn to the incoming Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, and we are very happy to have today with us Michael Falzon, the Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights of Malta. Malta will ensure the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers actually starting from the day after tomorrow. So, Minister, you have the floor.
Michael Falzon: Good afternoon, everybody. Secretary General, colleagues, friends, may I start by thanking not only the organizers of this conference but also Luxembourg’s Presidency for having pushed forward on this issue, an issue which we all, I believe, strongly believe in. Well, this year’s theme captures something which is very topical. If we go back a few decades, we all remember when Internet was heralded as a weapon. as a tool of liberation, as a means of acquiring wide knowledge quickly and freely, of making us closer, of getting cultural ties. That is true. But it has also become one of the pitfalls, if you like, which we all face. And perhaps I will make a particular emphasis here on the pitfalls which our younger generations, our children face. When Alfred Nobel came across or invented, the Swedish scientist who invented nitroglycerin, his aim was to bring children out of the coal mines and the other mines. But we all know what nitroglycerin led to over the years. And perhaps here, we are facing somewhat of a similar issue. It is undoubted, it is uncontested that children are at particular risk in the digital space. Whether it is sexual grooming, whether it is hate speech, whether it is haste crime, whether it is the thoughts of self-harm and suicide, which are unfortunately being pushed there. And that is something which we need to do collectively. On our own, we will fail. It is something where we must all be stakeholders. And our cooperation must not only be in detecting or in, if you like, taking steps against the offenders. But I believe more importantly so is that we protect. I would like to emphasise the word protect. Without a clear and strong and also, if I may say, regulated digital governance, we can talk, today we talk about dual use of goods, mainly in the sphere of warfare. But digital use can have a lot of dual uses. And that is something where we must aim, where we must think forward and look ahead. As a country, we strongly support initiatives taken. The Octopus Convention, we are strongly committed and we will, in our presidency, which starts in a few hours, I believe, we’ll push forward that aspect. The Lanzarote Convention is something which we also strongly support and we will be hosting a ministerial at the end of June, beginning of July on this topic, with particular emphasis on, if you like, or particular mention of the Lanzarote Convention. It will be the 15th year anniversary of this convention. But we are not there to make remembrances. Remembrances are talking about something which is dead. We must be there to commit ourselves to going forward. It is on going forward, on regulating where we must, that we can achieve better results for our societies, all of our societies. And that is something which we will focus on during our presidency and something which we believe in. We are, both on our national and our international policy agendas, strongly dedicated to the protection, to the governance of use, with the protection of the younger generations. What is true? I mean, we are not young anymore, I am not young anymore, but if you go on digital space, you do not know what to believe is true or is not. Disinformation, misinformation, call it what you like, cyber attacks, electrical rigging as well, or if you like, electrical influencing, not to use the word rigging. They are all a reality which we must all face. And this is a reality which we must face together. I think that we all know the famous dictum of, well, in English they say that the way to hell is paved with good intentions. And we must have, we must have the good intentions to make sure we do not reach the end, which can be hard for people, which can affect negatively. It is something crucial which we must do together, but if you would permit me, I would like to share one last thought with all of you. The issue of urgency. We all tend to say children are tomorrow’s society. I think that’s wrong. Children are tomorrow’s adults, but they are an integral and important part of today’s society, and it is our duty here to make sure that we protect all members of the societies, even more our younger ones. Let us not forget that when we are at a younger age, we are formed at a younger age. We are all the result, the product of our, if you like, youthhoods and children and all that. So I would like once again to thank the organisers, once again to thank the Luxembourg Presidency for having pushed this forward. Our commitment is definitely on protecting children, on governing Internet, and I hope that we can work all together from the start of our Presidency, and hopefully we’ll meet again in Malta. It’s beautiful weather at the end of June. Thank you very much.
Moderator: Thank you very much, Minister. Thank you for your support. Your presence here actually shows very much the support of the incoming Presidency for the work that we’re doing in this area, and also for showing particular aspects of this discussion which relates to the protection of children and young people on the Internet. Thank you for that. We’re going to give the floor to the representatives of our partners in this endeavour, the EuroDIG Support Association. It is my pleasure to welcome and give the floor to the Secretary-General of the EuroDIG Support Association, Sandra Hoferichter. Madame, you have the floor. And of course to the President of the Association, Thomas Snyder, who has been sitting quietly on the first row. Thank you, John. Look, those that have been to past EuroDIGs know that, Sandra, we are not yet married, but we are actually a very good team for 17 years now, so we also do this together here.
Thomas Schneider: Dear Secretary-General, dear Anna, dear Gianluca, Ministers, Excellencies, as I said, it’s great to be back to the place where EuroDIG has started. And in fact, in summer 2008, we were a handful of people that had a vision that after the experience of the global IGF that we should have a space, a European space, a dialogue space, a European IGF, but we had no resources, we had no order from above, we had no money, we had no space, and fortunately at that time Jan Hibbard and Lee Hibbard and Jan Malinowski convinced the superiors here at the Council of Europe to actually get them to organise the first EuroDIG. We put a small team together, created an inclusive programme process and had 100 people participating physically in the first EuroDIG. Now, of course, we have grown also with the virtual participation. And since then, in those 17 years, many things have happened. Back then, we were fully confident, probably a little naively, that the internet and digital technologies would contribute to more inclusive digital governance, would help us promote peace, fair competition, democracy, human rights and rule of law. That was a few years before the Arab Spring. Unfortunately, we have learned that digital technologies are are not different from any other technology. They can also be used to concentrate power by a few big actors. They can be used to abuse power. They can be used to incite hatred, to threaten democracy and the rule of law. And new technologies like AI can also be used for crime and warfare. But one thing that has not changed is the need for dialogue. On the contrary, it is more necessary than ever that we have an inclusive dialogue at the Council of Europe, in EuroDIG, anywhere else, to make sure that because technologies are never good or bad per se, it is what people do with the technologies, what governance model we apply to a technology, whether it’s being used for the good and the bad. And like the Secretary General has said, I also believe that it is possible to use AI and other digital technologies for economic growth, for fair competition, for societal innovation and at the same time strengthen human rights, democracy and rule of law and live together peacefully. But we must admit that this does not happen by itself. We need to fight and make our voices heard and make sure that our leaders, political and industry leaders, understand that the rules-based world order on the principles of human dignity, democracy and freedom, as well as fair economic competition, is the better option than to fight against each other economically or with arms. So technical progress must not be a zero-sum game where every winner creates a loser. Together we must fight for a digital world where everyone is on the winning side. And this is possible. So we must sit together, have a dialogue about how to make this vision a reality. With this I would like to thank the Council of Europe, the Secretary General, Albina’s team and everyone in this house. I also thank the European Union, the Commission, the Swiss Government, ISOC, ICANN, RIPE NCC, Connect Europe for their support, also financial support to make the Eurodic Conferences happen every year. And I’m looking forward, also given the difficult times that we’re facing, that we have a little bit of pleasure and fun also tonight at the reception. With this I hand over for the second half of the speech to Sandra. Thank you.
Sandra Hoferichter: Thank you very much, Thomas. And I would like to continue with my thanks a little bit. First of all Luxembourg for including Eurodic in their presidency. That was a real honor. And of course also the Council of Europe, the Secretary General and everyone who was involved in making this possible. And also our sponsors, because Thomas mentioned the partners, which are an important part of our association, but we do have sponsors, and without them this would not be possible. I must say for me personally, this is a very special moment, because I returned to a place where it all began. Much more than just a Eurodic, I was at that time not familiar with this environment. And I have grown into the position just as Eurodic has grown. Today Eurodic as a regional forum is embedded in the business process, in the World Summit of the Information Society, and as we approach the review, the 20 years review, we find ourselves in a pivotal moment. The pace of digital transformation is accelerating, yet promises of inclusivity, trust, equability, and remain unevenly fulfilled. In this context, one critical question emerged. How can we ensure that the future of global digital cooperation is inclusive, relevant, and rooted in local realities? I believe the answer lies in part in the power of regional multistakeholder dialogue. Our program reflects this, reflects the collaborative effort embodied in the spirit of inclusivity and transparency that defines Eurodic. The agenda has been shaped through public consultations, ensuring that diverse perspectives contribute to our discussions, perspectives that are rooted in our region. It is no coincidence that we are continuing last year’s overarching theme on balancing innovation and regulation, and adding safeguarding human rights. We will discuss governance frameworks for several new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, but also quantum technology, virtual worlds, or neurotechnology. The question arises as to whether we need to agree on a new governance framework for each new technology, or whether the mechanisms established 20 years ago at the World Summit on the Information Society still apply. Later in the day, we hear about youth engagement. The youth program, which started already with webinars about a month ago, empowers young voices on internet governance, culminating in the youth messages and the intergenerational dialogue. The youth messages will be presented in the program to come. New in this year is the format for main sessions, which will take place here in that wonderful hemicycle. Wikipedia says about hemicycles, the circular shape is designed to encourage consensus among political parties, rather than confrontation. And this is exactly what EURODIC stands for. We have adopted a community dialogue format and moved away from traditional panel discussion to promote more interactive and inclusive conversation. Our main session will begin with keynotes from experts, followed by a community discussion where everyone at the table can use the microphone and is invited to make a contribution. At the end of each session, we will agree on the messages in the spirit of consensus. Let us engage wholeheartedly in this discussion, bringing your expertise and experiences to the table, and work together towards actionable outcomes that will resonate beyond this forum. Thank you for your commitment, and I wish you three days of fruitful discussions, new insights and networking.
Thomas Schneider: Normally in internal meetings, it’s her that has the last word, of course. Just one thing, to make one thing very clear. We know that WSIS Plus 20 in December, there’s going to be a decision of the General Assembly on the future of the Internet Governance Forum, whether the mandate is prolonged, that basically ends for now at the end of this year. We all assume and hope that this is going to happen. We don’t have that problem at EURODIC. We don’t have to ask the UN, we can just continue, but we have another challenge. Every year we need a host that is willing to spend time and energy and resources, and every year we need sponsors, we need donors that are willing to allow the Secretariat and everybody else to work. So we are still open for discussions about the next host, we are still open to receive more funds, in particular Sandra can give you the details, so thank you very much for your support. Dialogue may not be so sexy, but it’s the basis for a prosperous and peaceful future, so thank you very much.
Moderator: Thank you very much, thanks a lot Thomas, thank you very much Sandra, and thanks very much for partnering with us successfully. Now we have just two minutes, or one minute and a half of technical breaks to allow the Secretary General to leave us, I know he has other commitments, and I wish once again to thank you very much Secretary General for your support. Thank you, thank you.