Digital spring winds in Prague - report from the DigitalEurope NTA Summit
It was stated that the Czech Republic will prioritize AI issues through the AI Act and the goal is to reach a general guideline (i.e. a majority of Member States coming together around a political agreement before negotiations with the European Parliament). The same applies to the recently presented Data Act, which aims, among other things, to give users more control over data and requires actors to share data - including with the public. In addition, the Czech government wants to make progress in the negotiations on a European digital wallet and e-identification(eIDAS).
France's recent success in finalizing negotiations on a comprehensive Digital Markets Act (DMA ) and Digital Services Act (DSA ) may mean that the Czech Republic (and subsequently Sweden, which takes over the presidency at the end of the year) has somewhat more room to bring in new discussions, perspectives and issues.
Encouragingly, the minister presenting the priorities stated that "regulation does not create innovation". He also expressed the need for "more open and transparent cooperation" and that the focus needs to be on implementation.
Cybersecurity is also high on the agenda and will be one of two themes at the high-level conference on November 3-4 this year. Day one will focus on cybersecurity and supply chains, while day two will be dedicated to the role of SMEs in digitalization legislation and challenges
Everyone suffers from skills shortages
Sweden's tech sector is not alone in facing skills shortages. At the NTA Summit, industry organizations from a wide range of countries testified about how they are struggling with skills supply and what measures they are taking to move forward. In Slovakia and Ukraine, for example, there is a cooperation program between universities that allows students to study and do internships in both countries. This initiative was launched by Slovakia in 2016 as a way to address skills shortages. The program has been strengthened and extended during the crisis, including allowing Ukrainian students to come to Slovakia with their families.
Other familiar issues in focus for most industry associations are sustainability, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity - so there are clearly opportunities for further exchange of experience and information.
Support for Ukraine
Russia's invasion of Ukraine was ever present during the NTA Summit. DigitalEurope prioritizes the issue and highlights the following six actions to support in the crisis:
- Humanitarian aid.
- Support against disinformation (both in Ukraine and abroad).
- Stop doing business with Russia.
- Continue doing business with Ukrainian IT companies.
- Share information from Ukraine.
- Concrete support in terms of communication equipment and cybersecurity.
Inspiration, information and new insights
Meeting in Prague this spring with industry colleagues from other Member States provided a great deal of inspiration, information and new perspectives on common issues at a challenging time. With new contacts and new insights in our luggage, we at the Secretariat are now taking on our work to raise digitization issues on the political agenda in Sweden. Let us hope that the Swedish government takes inspiration from the Czech government ahead of Sweden's presidency next year. Then it can be another spring to look forward to!
My Bergdahl, Industry Policy Expert TechSverige
Fredrik Sand, Industry Policy Expert TechSverige
* On July 1, the Czech Republic takes over the presidency of the Council of Ministers from France, leading all Council working groups until the end of the year when Sweden takes over. The three Member States - France, the Czech Republic and Sweden - also form what is known in the EU context as a trio. This means that they have discussed and agreed on certain common priorities during the 18 months that they lead the Council.