Member States are now required to align their food labeling laws according to a new proposal accepted by the Commission.
The recent Numerique en Commun(s) event has shed light on the significant impact digital commons are having on education and digital sovereignty. This annual gathering brings together professionals from public actors, collectivities, associations, companies, and service providers to discuss the future of general interest digital services.
One of the key digital commons discussed was Eléa, a platform where teachers can propose and share digital content and pedagogical scenarios. Part of the digital strategy for education 2023-2027, Eléa is based on Moodle and aims to foster open, shared digital resources and infrastructures that empower educational communities to collaboratively create, manage, and use knowledge and technology.
Another digital common mentioned was Capytale, a platform that allows students to learn computer coding and is compatible with GDPR and hosted in France with mastered data centres. Capytale offers activities in Scratch and Python development, giving teachers the opportunity to take ownership of the platform.
The event also highlighted the importance of digital commons in promoting student agency and participation in learning processes. By leveraging shared digital spaces, students—especially from marginalized groups—can have more influence and voice within educational systems. This aligns with research promoting cultural shifts that incorporate student input and power-sharing between students and educators, which leads to better engagement and academic outcomes.
Digital commons contribute to digital sovereignty by allowing communities to retain control over their digital resources, data, and infrastructures. Initiatives like Eléa and Capytale reclaim digital governance, fostering a commons-based digital ecosystem that encourages greater autonomy, resilience, and alignment with local values and needs.
Beyond education, digital commons nurture inclusive digital cultures that encourage collaboration, open innovation, and shared responsibility. These principles extend to educational administration and pedagogy, aligning with efforts to develop competencies like collaboration and critical thinking needed for future success.
Mathieu Wellhoff, head of the Digital Sobriety service at ADEME, discussed the impact of artificial intelligence at the event. He emphasized the importance of questioning our real need for AI and considering its necessary uses. Wellhoff also mentioned the publication of the frugal AI reference framework, with the goal of its use by administrations, local authorities, and companies, and its rise to the European level.
The event also focused on discussions about the impacts of digital, including the next steps to make the sector more virtuous. With high expectations for politicians and parliamentarians to continue efforts in responsible digital and allocate budget to these issues, many professionals engaged on the issues of responsible digital are making progress on them.
Numerique en Commun(s) allows professionals to share experiences and present new digital solutions. Examples of digital commons discussed at the event include OpenFisca / LexImpact, used by the National Assembly to calculate the impact of reforms on the French budget, and Scaphandre, a tool for analyzing server electrical consumption.
The event also addressed the complex issue of online videos and streaming, with efforts being made to find out how to calculate the environmental footprint and potentially create an eco-label or environmental rating.
In summary, the Numerique en Commun(s) event demonstrates that digital commons transform education by expanding access, empowering students, and promoting participatory learning while simultaneously advancing digital sovereignty by encouraging community control and collaborative governance of digital resources and infrastructures. This dual impact supports resilient, open, and equitable digital environments in education and society at large.
- Theplatform Eléa, part of the digital strategy for education, is based on Moodle and aims to utilize technology to foster open, shared digital resources and infrastructures that empower educational communities to collaborate in creating and managing knowledge.
- Another digital common, Capytale, provides students an opportunity to learn computer coding, with its compatibility with GDPR and French data centers, and offers activities in Scratch and Python development.
- Digital commons contribute to education and self-development by promoting online learning, student agency, and participation in the learning process, particularly for marginalized groups, which aligns with research encouraging cultural shifts that incorporate student input.
