The Surge Summit is a renowned event in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) region, and resonates strongly with the EU4Digital Facility's objectives in promoting digital transformation and harmonisation in the Eastern Partnership countries. Dedicated to fostering connections and collaboration among emerging start-ups and investors, the 2023 Surge Summit in Tbilisi, Georgia on 5-7 September, allowed start-ups from various countries to present themselves to potential investors.

The European Commission adopted a proposal on 1 September 2023 to incorporate roaming into the EU-Moldova Association Agreement. Once all necessary steps are completed, Moldovan visitors to the EU will be able to use their mobile phones under the same price conditions as in their home country, while travellers from the EU will benefit from the same rights when visiting Moldova.

The team that curates news, announcements, stories and other publications about EU4Digital and Eastern Partnership digital activities invites you to take stock of the growing number of ways you can access this content – in particular, a brand-new Twitter account : come and join the conversation!

EU4Digital Facility has published an updated report on the EU baseline for eCommerce in the Eastern Partnership (EaP). The report provides an overview of cross-border eCommerce in the European Union and EU best practices and norms as a benchmark for assessing the Eastern partner countries’ cross-border eCommerce. The report analyses three key areas - legal framework, standards and the eCommerce ecosystem.

Want to find out more about digital developments, future priorities and the policy agenda for Eastern partner countries? The EU4Digital Initiative is organising two events dedicated to the topic of digital transformation in the Eastern Partnership. On 14 November 2023, the Digital Conference for the Eastern Partnership will provide a space for wider discussion and anyone who is interested in participating will be welcome. On 15 November 2023, invited members of the EU4Digital Phase II Steering Committee will meet to discuss the flagship regional EU4Digital Initiative and projects.

The EU4Digital Facility is excited to announce the official kick-off of its national pavilion account pilot activity. This eTrade initiative aims to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from participating countries with an opportunity to test their products in the EU market, increase cross-border sales, and potentially create a base for further project development in their respective countries.

To boost the performance and growth of the innovation and start-up incubation ecosystem in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, EU4Digital Facility identified key priorities and shared them in two events. These online awareness sessions concluded intense study of Eastern partner start-up ecosystems’ performance, gaps and needs, which are detailed along with recommendations in a new report. Participants in the two events heard from regional ecosystem actors and learned the key findings of the study: Eastern partner countries should prioritise the empowerment of ecosystem builders and capacity building of incubators.

Representatives of government, business, consultancy and academic organisations gathered to discuss Georgia's economy and IT sector prospects at the 2023 Digital Transformation Forum in Tbilisi. The four-day event opened on 26 June 2023, organised by the Georgian ICT Cluster with the support of the USAID Economic Security Program.

Startups from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine met with representatives of the innovation ecosystem in France and the Eastern Partnership (EaP) at the event ‘Startup Bridge: East meets West’. EU4Digital Facility organised the ICT Innovation networking event in partnership with Expertise France. Held in Paris on 16 June 2023, the event was hosted by Wilco—an innovation accelerator dedicated to creating value for both startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Telecoms operators can apply to participate in an auction in August 2023, for introducing 5th generation (5G) internet technology in Georgia. The country’s regulatory authority for broadcasting and electronic communications, the Communications Commission announced the auction on 6 July. The deadline for applications is 28 July 2023 at 17:00 local time (GMT+4).

Over 4 million Ukrainian refugees have been registered across the European Union since 24 February 2022. In the face of this humanitarian crisis, telecom operators based in Ukraine and in the European Union share the conviction that displaced Ukrainians should continue to have affordable access to connectivity to stay in touch with family and friends and to access the Internet and reliable sources of information. An agreement between EU and Ukrainian telecom operators, supporting affordable or free roaming and international calls, was extended on 9 July 2023 for another year.

Registration is open for two online events addressing the need to advance the performance of innovation incubators in the Eastern Partnership (EaP). The aim is to increase the success rate of converting ideas into sustainable companies. EU4Digital Facility is organising the events to raise awareness about funding and promoting the activities of innovation ecosystem builders to empower incubation. Held on 18 July and 9 August 2023, the complementary sessions will highlight the role of innovation ecosystem actors and their partnerships in delivering high-performing incubation services to startups. All interested parties are welcome to participate.