Finnish Government proposes Finland’s participation in the European Digital Commons EDIC

On 27 November 2025, the Government submitted a communication proposing Finland’s participation in the Digital Commons European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (DC-EDIC) to Parliament. Finland would initially join the consortium as an observer member while reserving the option to apply for full membership at a later stage.

The European Digital Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs) are governed by the EU’s Digital Decade policy programme 2030. These consortia have been established to accelerate and streamline multinational projects to help the EU achieve its common digitalisation objectives.

On 29 October 2025, the European Commission decided to establish the Digital Commons EDIC (DC-EDIC). Its founding members are France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

The task of the DC-EDIC is to implement a multinational European project for the development, maintenance and scaling of digital commons across the EU and to facilitate their use in the Member States. The consortium will create a sustainable funding mechanism enabling the long-term production, maintenance and dissemination of digital commons.

Digital commons refer to digital solutions and services that are produced, owned and governed in a decentralised and community-based manner. Examples include Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, the DNS and internet protocols, Linux, and Mastodon.

Finland would initially join the DC-EDIC as an observer member. This does not require the payment of a membership fee but allows Finland to follow the consortium’s activities. If sufficient funding for membership fees is secured, and the project implemented by the consortium matches Finland’s objectives, Finland may later apply for full membership.

Promoting digital autonomy as the underlying objective

The establishment of the DC-EDIC is driven by concerns about Europe’s dependence on imported technologies and closed digital solutions. Such dependence increases vulnerabilities that affect Europe’s economy and democratic systems. Digital commons are based on open and interoperable solutions, thereby supporting Europe’s digital sovereignty and secure and transparent digital infrastructures.

By participating in the DC-EDIC, Finland seeks to strengthen its own digital autonomy and support the development of open digital infrastructure in line with European values.

Inquiries:

Maria Rautavirta, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 564, [email protected]