The Council of Europe has announced the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025 (European Year 2025) to champion Digital Citizenship Education across its member states. This initiative aims to equip people of all ages with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world responsibly and effectively, addressing issues such as misinformation, online hate speech, and digital violence, while embracing the opportunities for inclusion and civic participation that technology offers.

Launching the European Year 2025

The European Year 2025 will kick off with a two-day conference in Strasbourg this Thursday and Friday, which will also be livestreamed online. This event will introduce the goals of the initiative, outline planned activities, and establish a roadmap for advancing digital citizenship education. In the lead-up to the conference, Ministers' Deputies will hold an informal meeting to discuss how young people engage with democracy in the digital age, aiming to better understand their communication styles and promote the Council of Europe’s values among them.

Throughout 2025, a series of key events will reinforce the campaign’s objectives. A major forum on digital citizenship education is scheduled for May in Strasbourg, while the year will conclude with a conference in November in Ljubljana. Under the slogan "Learn, Connect, Engage, Thrive Together!", additional activities will take place across member states to broaden the initiative’s reach and impact.

Challenges in the digital environment

Today’s digital world offers unprecedented opportunities for learning, creativity, communication, and self-expression. However, it also presents significant challenges, including disinformation, cyberbullying, online hate speech, and concerns about personal data misuse. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, add further complexity to this landscape.

To address these challenges, the European Year 2025 will bring together representatives from the public, private, and civil sectors to collaborate on common goals and share best practices in digital citizenship education.

The key focus is how to thrive in the digital environment while knowing how to mitigate its risks.

Objectives of the European Year 2025

The European Year 2025 seeks to raise awareness of the importance of digital citizenship education for all citizens, promote the understanding of the Council of Europe’s digital citizenship education framework, establish digital citizenship education as a long-term policy priority, foster collaboration and partnerships across sectors, and provide access to resources and innovative practices.

The Council of Europe’s approach to digital citizenship focuses on three dimensions

 Being Online: Understanding and navigating the mechanisms of communication and interaction in the digital space.

 Well-being Online: Safeguarding mental and physical health, ensuring safety, and maintaining balance in digital environments.

 Rights Online: Knowing and asserting one’s rights, respecting others’ rights, and acting ethically and responsibly.

Promoting democratic school culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council of Europe has long supported democratic school culture in line with its Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education. These efforts aim to nurture active and socially responsible citizens by providing teacher training, resources, and tools.

The "Quality Education for All" initiative, implemented under the Council of Europe’s joint programme with the European Union "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkiye," has established a Network for Democratic School Culture.

This includes resource centres in Kiseljak, Brčko, and Čelić, which serve as hubs for mentorship and promotion of democratic competences within schools. More centres are planned, ensuring the programme’s sustainability and long-term impact.

Conclusion: Working together towards a safer collaborative digital environment

The European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025 is an ambitious and timely initiative to empower citizens with the tools and knowledge they need to navigate the digital age. By addressing challenges and fostering collaboration, it aims to create a safe, inclusive, and participatory digital environment for all. For more information, visit the European Year 2025 website, available in English and French.

Learn more:

 Ministers’ Deputies meeting: Link to live broadcast (from 3.30 pm on 22 January 2025)

 Learn more about Digital Citizenship Education

 Learn more about the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture

 Learn more about the joint CoE/EU action "Quality education for all - Bosnia and Herzegovina"

 Designated page - European Year of Digital Citizenship Education