(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 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,