2030
-
Underwater data centres: energy efficiency and environmental impact
The growth of data centres, driven by artificial intelligence, is increasing the consumption of energy and of water for cooling. Among the solutions being tested are underwater data centres, which place servers on the seabed and use seawater to cool them. This overview gathers data on the sector’s consumption, on the facilities built and on…
-
The Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and the European Union’s ratification
The Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law is the first international legally binding treaty devoted to artificial intelligence. Opened for signature in Vilnius on 5 September 2024, it was ratified by the European Union on 15 May 2026. This overview sets out its origin, scope, principles and…
-
Digital skills and work in the European Union: the figures from the State of the Digital Decade 2026
On 17 June 2026 the European Commission published the State of the Digital Decade 2026 report, which measures the European Union (EU) progress towards the digital targets set for 2030. Among the areas monitored, the digital skills of the population and the availability of a specialised workforce remain among those furthest from the intended targets.…
-
The Cyber Resilience Act and small and medium-sized enterprises: the 2026 ENISA maturity assessment model
The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is the European Union regulation that introduces cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements, both hardware and software. On 13 July 2026 the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) published a maturity self-assessment model designed for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This briefing gathers the content of the model, the…
-
Heatwaves and public health in Europe: the WHO response in the summer of 2026
In the summer of 2026 the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region faced prolonged and closely spaced heatwaves. Between late June and early July the WHO Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) issued two official statements and convened an emergency meeting among Member States. This factsheet gathers the data and measures made public on those occasions.…
-
Fewer than five years to 2030: the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, presented at the United Nations High-level Political Forum (7 to 15 July 2026), measures progress and shortfalls of the 2030 Agenda with fewer than five years to the deadline.
-
Beyond artificial intelligence: emerging technologies towards 2030
Public attention on innovation often settles on a single field, yet the landscape of emerging technologies is broader. This contribution offers a neutral overview of several sectors and of the European policies that accompany them towards 2030. Quantum computing and the Quantum Europe Strategy Quantum computing draws on the properties of quantum mechanics to process…
-
Cities that breathe: rethinking the urban spaces of tomorrow
Air quality, the availability of green areas and the way daily journeys are organised have become fixed items on the European urban policy agenda. International documents, new rules and pilot schemes of recent years point towards a rethinking of the places where most of the population lives. This piece gathers the main reference points, without…
-
Imagining 2030: strategic foresight as a tool of government
Strategic foresight refers to the set of methods that public administrations use to examine, in a structured way, the possible long-term developments of a given field. This piece outlines its definition, its main instruments and its limits, with reference to the practices adopted by the institutions of the European Union with a view to 2030…
-
Work in 2030: skills that do not yet exist
Several international reports estimate that, by the end of the decade, a substantial share of the professional abilities in demand will differ from those required today. Analyses carried out by global and European bodies agree in identifying continuous training as a stable feature of the labour market. The text below gathers the available estimates together…