Representatives of Member States, industry, academia and civil society are attending the EU Digital Assembly 2019 on 13 and 14 June.
The assembly, organised by the European Commission and the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will see attendees discuss the need to promote the digital transformation across the EU and retain the bloc’s competitive status in the global market. The Commission’s 2019 Digital Economy and Society Index, published this week, outlined the need for Member States to be more ambitious in implementing digital strategies.
Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel said: “Over the past few years we have worked tirelessly to advance the Digital Single Market which brings tangible achievements for Europe’s citizens and businesses. We have demonstrated that opting for an EU approach is the only way to face, together, evolving challenges and succeed the digital transformation. The Digital Assembly is our key event where we will discuss future digital opportunities and political priorities and renew our commitments based on our common values.”
The EU Digital Assembly 2019 will feature three key initiatives:
- A number of Member States are set to declare their commitment to working collaboratively to build an ultra-secure quantum communication network, using integrated quantum technology to enable users to share and store data securely;
- The European Union-African Union Digital Economy Task Force will adopt its report on strengthening partnership between the EU and Africa on the digital economy; and
- The Commission intends to launch the Digital Innovation and Scale-up Initiative, a new investment facility to support digital startups in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, with the aid of European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank’s International Financial Corporation.
Neven Mimica, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, said: “Digitalisation is a key driver of progress not only in Europe, but also in Africa. That is why, as part of the Africa-Europe Alliance, we are working with partners across both continents to develop policies that will best enable us to harness the power of technology to boost investment, create jobs and contribute to sustainable development. Today we are recommending concrete policies and actions to enhance the future digital cooperation of Africa and Europe.”
