Moldova's accession agreement to the Digital Europe Programme permits businesses and authorities to access EU funding for digitalisation projects with a budget of €7.5 billion for 2021-2027.

On 14–15 December 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. This was a landmark moment for the people of both countries, who have consistently shown their European conviction. EU leaders also decided to grant Georgia candidate country status.

Health professionals and consumers of medications in the Republic of Moldova will be able to report adverse reactions to specific drugs using a new digital application, ‘Med Safety’. The Moldovan Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (AMDM) launched the innovative app on 4 December 2023. This launch represents a crucial step for ensuring drug safety in the country.

How can doctors obtain the medical records of new patients who have moved between countries? Digital health systems that allow for cross-border exchange of information and access to services are more important than ever in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region. The EU4Digital eHealth thematic area works with Eastern partner countries to build their eHealth strategies as a vital step towards improving healthcare for their residents. Two eHealth Network workshops, online on 16 and 24 November, covered diverse topics including financing, innovation and activism in digital health.

Digital has become central to everyday life in the Eastern Partnership (EaP), so a coordinated approach to strategic planning, policy and legislation alignment and investment are now crucial. This was the key message that emerged from the 5th annual meeting of the EU4Digital Steering Committee held online on 15 November 2023.

Human-centred needs and benefits must be kept in mind as we aim for digital transformation, agreed participants in the EU4Digital Digital Conference for the Eastern Partnership (EaP) on 14 November 2023. The event theme, ‘Digital strategic autonomy: leveraging digital technologies to empower societies and economies’, provided scope to explore how digital connectivity and newer technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can unlock innovation in working towards resilient government, economy and society.

Registration is open for the 2023 Digital Conference for the Eastern Partnership. EU4Digital Facility is organising this online event at 10:00-12:00 CET on 14 November to highlight and support digital transformation in the Eastern partner countries. This year, the conference’s central theme is ‘Digital strategic autonomy: leveraging digital technologies to empower societies and economies’. Anyone interested in participating will be welcome: please sign up!

The activities of the EU4Digital Facility are driven by the needs of countries in the Eastern Partnership region—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. These activities are carried out in close cooperation with bilateral activities managed by EU Delegations as part of the EU-Eastern Partnership joint agenda. To maximise results during the EU4Digital Facility’s current, second phase, EU4Digital hosted a workshop in Brussels with key EU and Eastern partner country stakeholders on 18 October 2023. The meeting provided an opportunity for participants to review the project results, give feedback and explore how to accelerate the adoption of EU4Digital activities at national level.

On 8 November 2023, the European Commission recommended that the Council of the European Union opens EU accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and grants candidate country status to Georgia on the understanding that a number of steps are taken. The Commission also adopted the 2023 Enlargement Package, in which the progress of these countries was assessed for the first time.