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EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Strasbourg, 6.10.2026 C(2026) 7098 final

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 6.10.2026

on the request for registration, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European

Parliament and of the Council, of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Creation of a

European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI Governance’

(Only the Spanish text is authentic)

EN 1 EN

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION

of 6.10.2026

on the request for registration, pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European

Parliament and of the Council, of the European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Creation of a

European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI Governance’

(Only the Spanish text is authentic)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/788 of the European Parliament and of the Council of

17 April 2019 on the European citizens’ initiative1, and in particular Article 6(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) A request for registration of a European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Creation of a

European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI Governance’ was submitted to the

Commission on 19 August 2026.

(2) The aim of the initiative as expressed by the organisers is to ‘call on the Commission

to propose a framework for high-trust digital spaces and to take the initiative at

European level to negotiate with ISO and ICANN with a view to safeguarding the .IA

domain’. The organisers set out three objectives: ‘1. To propose an EU framework that

promotes “High-Trust Digital Spaces” and testing environments (sandboxes) for

ethical AI in the EU’; ‘2. To exercise its external representation powers and negotiate

with ISO (3166 Agency) and ICANN/IANA with a view to the reservation, protection

and allocation of the namespace .IA as an asset of European digital sovereignty

(pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/517)’; ‘3. To ensure that the registration and

resolution of the .IA domain incorporate the Sovereign Digital Identity (eIDAS 2.0),

transparent algorithmic auditing (AI Act) and the protection of personal data (GDPR),

thereby establishing a global ethical and legal standard.’ An annex to the initiative

provides further details on its background, its subject matter and its objectives.

(3) The Commission considers that it could adopt proposals for legal acts on regulating

data space and infrastructures, including domains, based on Articles 16, 114, 172 or

173 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

(4) For that reason, the Commission considers that none of the parts of the initiative

manifestly falls outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a

proposal for a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.

(5) That conclusion does not affect the assessment of whether the concrete substantive

conditions required for the Commission to act, including compliance with the

1 OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 55, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/788/oj

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principles of proportionality and subsidiarity and compatibility with fundamental

rights, would be met in this case.

(6) The group of organisers has provided appropriate evidence that it fulfils the

requirements laid down in Article 5(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/788 and has

designated the contact persons in accordance with Article 5(3), first subparagraph, of

that Regulation.

(7) The initiative is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious, nor is it manifestly

contrary to the values of the Union as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European

Union or to the rights enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European

Union.

(8) The initiative entitled ‘Creation of a European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI

Governance’ should therefore be registered.

(9) The conclusion that the conditions for registration under Article 6(3) of Regulation

(EU) 2019/788 are fulfilled does not imply that the Commission in any way confirms

the factual correctness of the content of the initiative, which is the sole responsibility

of the group of organisers of the initiative. The content of the initiative only expresses

the views of the group of organisers, and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of

the Commission.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The European citizens’ initiative entitled ‘Creation of a European Digital Space (.IA) for

Sovereign AI Governance’ shall be registered.

Article 2

This Decision is addressed to the group of organisers of the citizens’ initiative entitled

‘Creation of a European Digital Space (.IA) for Sovereign AI Governance’, represented by

Eloy LÓPEZ SÁNCHEZ and Aristeidis TSITIRIDIS acting as contact persons.

Done at Strasbourg, 6.10.2026

For the Commission

Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ

Member of the Commission