29. 11. 2021 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
Mengeš, 29 November – The digital portfolio is one of the top priorities of Slovenia’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and upcoming Three Seas Initiative Ministerial Conference on digital transformation, organized by the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of European Union, will feature discussions around key strategic challenges and digital policies.
Recognizing the importance of engaging in the ongoing debate on EU’s digital future, Centre for European Perspective – CEP is proud to announce a new publication titled ‘Paving the digital path in Central and Eastern Europe – Regional perspectives on advancing digital transformation and cooperation’, featuring articles from expert authors Theodore Christakis (AI-Regulation), Fredrik Erixon and Oscar Guinea (ECIPE – European Centre for International Political Economy), Soňa Muzikárová (GLOBSEC Policy Institute), Christian Kvorning Lassen (EUROPEUM), Ewelina Kasprzyk and Kamil Mikulski (Kosciuszko Institute), Katja Mohar Bastar and Jaka Repanšek (Slovenian Digital Coalition), Márton Ugrósdy (IFAT – Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Mindaugas Ubartas (Infobalt) with a foreword by Minister of Digital Transformation of Slovenia, H.E. Mr Mark Boris Andrijanič.
Digital technologies are the future of our everyday life. The Covid-19 pandemic further increased the pace of adoption and penetration of digital solutions into all pores of our society, from our workplaces to our social interactions. Engaging in the ongoing debate on the EU’s digital future is crucial because of the impact it will bring for decades to come. It is, therefore, crucial to look at digital development from two perspectives – what the EU as a whole needs (for instance, what kind of digital standards will prevail in the future and whether or not they correspond to EU’s values) and what individual member states need, what challenges they face and where opportunities lie.
This publication aims to continue our quest to enhance cooperation in CEE and bring regional perspectives on digital transformation. Théodore Christakis affirms that the EU already is a digital regulatory superpower with international cooperation and strategic partnerships helping to secure digital standards that protect and support its values. Fredrik Erixon and Oscar Guinea alert us to the often-overlooked aspect of the new digital regulations that are still unknown but may prove to be critical for Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, while Katja Mohar Baster and Jaka Repanšek focus on two factors crucial for ensuring a digital future for Slovenia, the CEE and the entire EU: smart digital regulation and unified, competent and innovative digital environment.
Catching up with developed European countries requires the countries of the 3 Seas Initiative (3SI) to grow faster, become more competitive and build on its potential and synergy effects, write Ewelina Kasprzyk and Kamil Mikulski. They argue that increasing connectivity should be the centre point of such efforts. Soňa Muzikárová tackles the importance of skill development and posits that the shortage of relevant skills, talent and brains is likely to be the number one bottleneck for further growth; therefore, governments may want to stay open to collaboration with the private sector and other economic actors on skill enhancement. Márton Ugrosdy takes an honest look at what he calls a too optimistic approach to the CEE digital potential and highlights some of the current challenges through the Hungarian case study. Christian Kvorning Lassen discusses the challenges facing Czechia in digital development, explores policy solutions for a successful digital transformation and outlines key priorities of the upcoming Czech Presidency in support of such transformation – progressing the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Market Act (DMA), continuing work on making e-commerce part of the EU commercial policy and to further develop the Digital Compass. Finally, Mindaugas Ubartas makes a case for creating a digital environment that enables a real-time economy and moves away from document management in favour of data management as a means of avoiding the middle-income trap.
We are thankful for contributions from prominent European think tanks and organizations and find their perspectives invaluable.
Read and download the publication HERE.
In case of any questions, please contact:
Mr Tine Šušteršič
CEP Project Manager
![[Invitation] November 23 – Europe’s Digital Regulations – What’s The Impact On Slovenia?](https://www.cep.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/90ffcacf-710a-1f4d-a04f-f4c6304d67f4-1080x675.png)
15. 11. 2021 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
The Centre for European Perspective – CEP and the European Centre for International Political Economy – ECIPE invite you to a webinar:
Europe’s Digital Regulations – What’s the Impact on Slovenia?
Tuesday, 23 November, 14.00 CET
Europe’s digital regulations are changing, and the EU is now considering the shape and restrictiveness of the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act and a new AI regulation. These regulations will have an impact on Slovenia and the wider region. It will impact on the continued efforts to digitalise our society and prosper from investments in digital capacity. What is the likely impact and how will it affect different sectors?
We invite you to join an event during which we will look at the effects of the DSA, DMA and the AI regulation on Slovenia’s economy and discuss the regulation from the CEE perspective.
Join our panel of experts to discuss:
- How will these regulations impact local digital players?
- Would it reduce digital investments into the local economy?
- What would be the consequence for consumers and businesses when technology openness is restricted in the EU?
Speakers:
Mr Fredrik Erixon, Director of ECIPE, will present a new report analysing the impact of new digital regulations on CEE countries, including Slovenia.
The presentation will be followed by a discussion with industry and government representatives:
- Dr Til Rozman, Secretary, Government Office for Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia
- Igor Zorko, President of Management Board of Slovenian Digital Coalition
- Alina Dimofte, EU Policy and Political Campaigns Manager, Google
Moderator: Jaka Repanšek, Founder of RePublis d.o.o.
or follow us live on November 23:
5. 10. 2021 | Danube, PR
The TalentMagnet consortium is happy to present the third eNewsletter of the project!
Fifteen months of the project have already gone by and the consortium has created important outputs and achieved great progress with the Practical Guide to Talent attraction and retention and the training for writing the Local Talent attraction and retention plans.
The most important activity in this period happened this September: the partnership of project TalentMagnet met in person for the first time at the 3rd SC meeting, in Nyíregyháza. Until this meeting, we only had online meetings, which are – as we all know – not the same as meetings in person.
But we won’t spoil more about the content of the eNewsletter – you can read it here.
For more about the TalentMagnet project, check out the Danube Transnational Programme website or TalentMagnet Facebook page.
![[Invitation] July 15 – The Future of the Transatlantic Relations – Priorities for the Slovenian Presidency](https://www.cep.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Webinar-CEP-ECIPE-1000x560px-1.png)
30. 6. 2021 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
The Centre for European Perspective – CEP and the European Centre for International Political Economy – ECIPE invite you to a webinar:
The Future of the Transatlantic Relations – Priorities for the Slovenian Presidency
Thursday, 15 July, 15.00 CET
There is a new energy in EU-US relations. Digitalisation played a crucial role during the pandemic to keep the society going, and its role will only grow in the coming years. China’s rise as a technological power and the desire to protect liberal values, such as democracy and human rights, have made it urgent to deepen the partnership with like-minded countries on technology and digital trade. The recently established Trade and Technology Council (TTC) demonstrates that both the EU and the US are keen to deepen their relations and promote faster tech-enabled growth.
Join our panel of experts to discuss:
- What should be the focus of the TTC? How to achieve better market access and streamline differing regulations?
- What role can transatlantic cooperation play in the EU’s recovery plan?
- How can the transatlantic partnership help transform the European digital environment?
- Can Europe’s unilateral (regulatory) actions or the quest for strategic autonomy hurt the reinvigorated cooperation and the newly established TTC?
- What are the core problems in Europe’s path towards a technologically advanced digital economy?
Speakers:
- Dr Stanislav Raščan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia
- Fredrik Erixon, Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy
- Joanna van der Merwe, fellow, Defense Tech Initiative, Center for European Policy Analysis
- Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Ambassador-at-Large, Director of Cyber Diplomacy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia
- Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Latvian Parliament (TBC)
Moderator: TBA
![[Invitation] June 2 – A brave new digital world: Regional Cooperation on Digital Transformation](https://www.cep.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Grafika-webinar-3-spletna-1080x608.png)
21. 5. 2021 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
The Centre for European Perspective – CEP and the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy invite you to a webinar titled:
A brave new digital world: Regional Cooperation on Digital Transformation
Wednesday, 2 June, 12.00 CET
Register here
The adoption of digital solutions skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic, accelerating the globalized existence of modern life even as the pandemic curtailed traditional manifestations of globalization, such as travelling. It increasingly affects the economy, public administration, education, and the daily lives of citizens. The digital world is growing and evolving, mandating the needs for the implementation of advanced infrastructure to ensure the safety and efficacy of this brave new world.
Our future depends on it.
Join our panel of experts to discuss:
- Why is regional cooperation important and in what setting (3 Seas Initiative, Visegrad 4 or other formats)?
- To what kind of digital environment (infrastructure, security, norms) are we aspiring?
- How will growing Chinese influence and US-China tech rivalry impact the CEE and the EU as a whole?
- How do we jump-start digital transformation in the region? Do we start with infrastructure and how do we cooperate more on developing it?
- How do we see the future of Europe? Can the EU unify around the development of future digital policies?
Speakers:
- Keynote speaker: Peter Chase, Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
- Michał Rekowski, Kosciuszko Institute, Poland
- Katharine Klačanský, Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic
- Márton Ugrósdy, Director at Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary
- Boris Koprivnikar, Head of Sincular, former Minister of Public Administration, Slovenia
Moderator: Danielle Piatkiewicz, Research Fellow at Europeum Institute for European Policy, Czech Republic
Join us and register here!
To learn more about the event, follow Centre for European Perspective on Facebook and Twitter, you are also invited to follow Europeum on Facebook and Twitter.
![[Webinar] Strategic Autonomy In A Globally Interdependent World](https://www.cep.si/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Save-the-Date-12.00-CET-1080x640.png)
21. 5. 2021 | PR, Transformative Power of Digital
The Centre for European Perspective and the Eastern Europe Studies Centre held a webinar on May 20 titled:
Strategic Autonomy in a Globally Interdependent World: What’s Next for Europe?
Strategic autonomy has entered the EU vocabulary in 2013 as a security and defence issue. Rapidly changing world balance and political changes in traditionally friendly countries forced the EU to expand strategic autonomy to new sectors. Nevertheless, member states still tend to view it in different terms, in part due to countries pursuing different development strategies and working independently from one another.
The current pandemic fully revealed the importance of digital technologies, which have taken centre stage in discussions on strategic autonomy.
Technologic rivalry among global players only exacerbates fears about the future EU dependence on foreign companies. On the other hand, underinvestment, market fragmentation and poorly designed regulation prevent European tech companies from competing on a global market effectively.
The expert panel discussed the following:
• How should we perceive the quest for strategic autonomy, and what does it mean for Europe?
• What impact will this concept have on digital development and the way we do business?
• What impact will technological rivalry have on Europe?
• What role can CEE have in bridging the differences within the EU?
• Where are we leading the way, and where are we lagging behind?
Expert speakers joining the discussion:
❖ Dr Giedrius Česnakas, Head of Political Science Study Programs, General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania
❖ Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chairman, Committee on National Security and Defence of the Lithuanian parliament
❖ Mindaugas Ubartas, Director, Infobalt
❖ Dr Uroš Svete, Director, Information Security Administration of the Republic of Slovenia
❖ Dr Marko Grobelnik, AI Researcher & Digital Champion of Slovenia at EC, Jožef Stefan Institute
Moderated by Katja Geršak, Executive Director, Centre for European Perspective (CEP)
