Press Advisories
29. 3. 202219:42
Digital9+ countries met in Prague to discuss the Transatlantic cooperation in the digital area
Prague, 29 March 2022 – Under the auspices of Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization Ivan Bartoš and in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, the informal group of digitally advanced EU countries, so-called DigitalD9+ (D9+), met in Prague. The meeting’s topic was Transatlantic relations in the field of the digital agenda. The delegations agreed, among other things, that the current geopolitical situation calls for a response in terms of increasing the resilience of the digital economy, developing a digital society and strengthening cyber security.
The meeting of the Digital9+ countries was opened with a working breakfast with representatives of business associations (so-called Business9+) from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands led by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and attended by the representative of the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Jennifer Bachus. During the meeting, representatives of Business D9+ presented a joint document which served as an input to the following ministerial discussion.
"I am pleased to welcome representatives of the most digitally advanced D9+ countries in the European Union to Prague. The current situation around us also shows that cooperation and sharing common values and the same approach are the right way to go. We will continue the discussion on transatlantic cooperation, resilience and the relationship between the digital agenda and people from July onwards during our Presidency in the Council of the EU," said Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalisation Ivan Bartos after the meeting.
It was agreed that strong transatlantic relations are crucial to address our most pressing strategic challenges. The establishment of the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is therefore a welcomed new platform that can facilitate and foster EU-US bilateral cooperation. D9+ supports the principle of openness and the creation of global standards build on a human-centric approach. The emphasis was put especially on the common EU-US approach toward responsible and sustainable digital transition. D9+ countries highly appreciated the agreement in principle that has been found between the EU and the US on flows of personal data. More about the discussion can be found in Chair’s Summary.
“I am glad that the need to help Ukraine and the fight against disinformation were highlighted in the debate. In these difficult times, it is important to cooperate with countries that share the same democratic values. I am therefore convinced that this meeting helped to deepen future digital cooperation in transatlantic relations,” was added by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Petr Očko.
During the working lunch, Roberto Viola, Director General of DG CONNECT of the European Commission, presented examples of the use of European electronic identity. In the next part of the meeting, there was a presentation by Polish State Secretary Janusz Cieszynski, who shared his experience of dealing with the refugee wave in Poland.
About Digital D9+
The informal group of Digital9+ countries was established in 2016 on the initiative of Swedish Minister Ann Linde and brings together the following countries (Czech Republic, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden) that are active and progressive on the digital agenda and promote a common position and approach in the European negotiations. Slovakia and Slovenia participate in the group's work as guests.
Contact for media:
Nikola Bukajová
communiaction and PR
Cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister for Digitalization
bukajova.nikola@vlada.cz
+420 720 435 754