The EU4Digital Facility organised a Trust and Security Network event on April 28, 2021, at which participants from the six Eastern Partner countries were brought together to discuss the progress and further plans of Trust and Security activities.

The event began with a presentation on the EU4Digital eSignature piloting results. During the pilot activities, the solution was deployed in a pilot environment between two pairs of countries – one between two EaP countries, Ukraine and Moldova, and the other between an EaP and an EU country, Ukraine and Estonia. The eSignature pilots aimed to test a qualified electronic signature solution, which included timestamping, validation mechanisms, and certificate status checking components, designed to enable the cross-border mutual recognition of qualified eSignatures (digital signatures). 

The event continued with a presentation on guidelines towards a mutual recognition agreement by European Commission representatives. This highlighted that with third countries often facing different starting points, the mutual recognition agreement aims to presents a set of recommendations and minimal requirements a third country should be aware of when seeking mutual recognition with the EU on qualified trust service providers (QTSP) and qualified trust services (QTSs). 

Next, the Trust and Security stream representatives presented the assessment for cross-border eServices interoperability. By focusing on cross-border eServices interoperability, countries can join forces to remove digital barriers and prevent further fragmentation of eServices. As a result of the assessment activities, the framework for cross-border eServices enablement will be developed providing guidelines of what must be performed on regulatory, organisational and technical levels to achieve harmonised and interoperable eServices. 

The event ended with a presentation on the eGovernance activity and related assessment activities. Particular attention in the activity will be given to evaluating the underlying conditions for eGovernance development in the Eastern partner countries. The activity aims to develop country-specific recommendations for eGovernance development and increased awareness of the importance of eGovernance driving public administration reforms.