Digital skills are more essential than ever: in 2023, only 56% of adults in the EU had basic digital skills, while the spread of AI and new digital opportunities and risks increases the need for a shared understanding of what it means to be digitally competent.
In response to these needs, the Joint Research Centre in collaboration with Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, published DigComp 3.0, an update of the European Digital Competence Framework. The framework describes the digital competences people need for learning, working and participating in society. This new edition reflects significant technological and societal developments since the previous 2022 edition, and embodies the human-centric values of the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade.
What’s new in DigComp 3.0?
DigComp 3.0 introduces substantial content developments, including a new set of over 500 learning outcomes – an important policy and practical tool that can be used to help bridge digital skills gaps. These, along with other new features such as an extended Glossary and flexible formats, result in a framework that is relevant, clear and agile. The revision also includes a systematic integration of AI competence across all areas of digital competence. At the same time, the structure of the framework remains the same, which means that DigComp continues to act as a stable reference point in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
The new edition of the framework has been shaped by the priorities emerging from policy, research and extensive consultation involving around 300 experts and stakeholders. The update integrates five major themes:
- Artificial Intelligence (including generative AI) competence
- Cybersecurity and safety competence
- Digital rights, choice and responsibilities
- Wellbeing and inclusion in digital environments
- Competence to tackle misinformation and disinformation.
A practical tool to support EU policies and digital transformation
By describing competence in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes, the framework is designed to help policymakers, educators, training providers and employers to develop curricula, assessments, upskilling pathways and sectoral competence profiles. The framework influences and inspires digital skills policies at international and European levels. It is widely used in the EU with both children and adults, and covers a range of competences, from basic to highly advanced.
As digital technologies continue to evolve, DigComp 3.0 offers a stable yet future-ready and flexible foundation for strengthening digital capacity across Europe. Its publication comes at a critical time: 92% of EU workers now use digital technologies in their jobs, 30% use AI systems, and yet only 15% have received AI training. DigComp 3.0 provides the basis for addressing these gaps in education, lifelong learning, and workforce development.
Background
The European Commission first published DigComp in 2013 and subsequently updated it in 2016, 2017 and 2022. Since its launch, it was translated into 20 EU languages and has become a cornerstone for digital skills development in at least 22 Member States and used as a basis for 27 digital skills certification schemes in 25 countries.
DigComp 3.0 is the fifth edition. The framework supports several EU policies, including the Digital Education Action Plan, Digital Decade Policy Programme and its Digital Skills Indicator (DSI), the Union of Skills and related Action Plan on Basic Skills, and the recent Apply AI strategy. It also showed substantial academic impact over the years.
