EU DIGITAL SECURITY: ANALYSIS OF SECURITY DEFICITS AND ASSESSMENT OF DIGITAL RESILIENCE

Abstract

In the context of global geopolitical shifts and rapid technological progress, digital security and technological sovereignty have become pivotal elements of national and regional stability. At the intersection of the 2019–2024 and 2024–2029 programming periods, the European Union has increasingly integrated digital transformation as a cross-cutting instrument to guarantee its strategic autonomy. However, the practical implementation of these ambitions faces significant challenges. Assessing the actual progress of the EU towards its digital goals is crucial for understanding its vulnerability to external shocks and identifying structural gaps in its security. The purpose of this article is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current level of digital security in the European Union by analyzing progress and identifying disparities in achieving the strategic goals of the "Digital Decade 2030" through the prism of key security and technological determinants. Based on an in-depth analysis of the State of the Digital Decade reports for 2023–2026, a profound cross-sectoral asymmetry in the EU's digital development was revealed. It is established that while the digital public services sector demonstrates exemplary progress (with the average target achievement rate reaching 87.5%), critical zones of security deficits persist in the architecture of the EU's technological sovereignty. The most threatening trends identified include a regression in semiconductor manufacturing, where the target deficit stands at 56 percentage points (p.p.), and a systemic lag in the adoption of artificial intelligence by enterprises, showing a deficit of 73 p.p. To address these gaps, a qualitative classification of security deficits is proposed based on their role in ensuring digital security: critical deficits (directly determining digital sovereignty); structural deficits (shaping the long-term capacity of the economy to create, implement, and scale digital technologies); and operational deficits (affecting the efficiency of digital transformations without directly determining the level of digital sovereignty). The study proves that the current model of the EU's digital development heavily gravitates toward an «infrastructure-and-service» type, which fosters chronic import dependence on hardware from third countries. The research concludes that the identified security deficits pose a significant threat to the EU's geopolitical standing and economic security. Overcoming these critical, structural, and operational deficits is a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring the digital resilience of the EU's critical infrastructure. To achieve genuine strategic autonomy, the EU must transition from its current model to a robust, self-sufficient technological framework by actively bridging the gaps in hardware manufacturing and advanced technology adoption.