Harmonizing Digital Markets - HDM Initiative
Harmonization of the Digital Markets in the Eastern Partnership
"HDM Initiative”
"HDM Initiative”
Historical background
The EU strategy for the creation of the Digital Single Market (DSM) https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/the-strategy-dsm will require greater harmonisation across policy and national marketplaces to eliminate existing obstacles and barriers to the provision of pan-European e-Business services and digital trade.
Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries are getting actively involved in the development of the pan-European digital market space and are playing an important role in formation of the united EuroAsian digital market. One of the main EaP programme platform is dedicated to economic integration and convergence of Eastern European countries with EU policies.
In respect of all the above INFOPARK together with Lithuanian ICT Association INFOBALT proposed in November 2013 the following area of project activities - "Harmonizing Digital Markets of the EU and Eastern Partnership Neighbors” - as the new strategic initiative for the next period of EaP programme development in 2014-2020.
This project area sounds for harmonization and convergence of EU-EaP digital markets by means of multilateral projects to be implemented by partners from the countries involved. In May 2014 INFOPARK delegation presented HDM initiative at 11th meeting of EaP programme 2nd platform and found strong support from fellow partner countries, EU Member States representatives and European Commission Directorates – DG Connect and DG DEVCO.
In the course of 2014-2015 INFOPARK initiated a series of inter-regional projects and invited the interested parties from the EU and EaP countries to join HDM initiative activities. We took an active part in organisation of three thematic HDM Workshops held by the European Commission in Brussels and provided support for the preparations of the HDM Study project in the Eastern Partner countries.
HDM Initiative Progress in 2015-2016
January 2015 - HDM Working Group has been formed and led by INFOPARK (Belarus) with the national HDM coordinators acting in all Eastern Partner countries;
May 2015 - HDM Study project has been implemented with the gap analysis and HDM road maps developed for all EaP countries;
May 2015 - HDM Initiative and Panel got the official support in the Declaration of the EaP Summit held in Riga;
June 2015 - EaP Ministerial Declaration on the Digital Economy was approved in Luxemburg with the list of the priority HDM topics covering digital infrastructure and services areas;
November 2015 - 1st HDM Panel was held in Brussels with the Action Plan developed and approved for 2016-17;
January-May 2016 - The portfolio of HDM project actions had been under active development and the first 24 proposals were been considered at HDM Coordination event in Brussels
HDM initiative presentation
EaP Ministerial Declaration on the Digital Economy
HDM Action Plan for 2016-17
Regional HDM cooperation
INFOPARK has been actively developing the regional HDM cooperation with Central-Eastern European ICT Associations as well as selecting the topical market segments for HDM projects portfolio. Such cooperation is based on bilateral Memorandums of Understanding and Agreements signed in 2014-2016 with the following partners:
Armenia – UITE national association;
Azerbaijan – Academy of Research & Innovative Technologies;
Moldova – ATIC national association;
Ukraine – IT-Ukraine national association;
Lithuania – INFOBALT national association;
Latvia – LIKTA national association;
Estonia – eGovernment Academy
Bulgaria – BITE national association;
Romania – ANIS national association
INFOPARK is committed to invite the leading industrial EU and EaP Associations and professional organizations in the implementation of HDM initiative as well as to provide the coordination of HDM project activities.
As result of HDM Cooperation event in June 2016 it was proposed to create permanent EaP regional networks for the exchange of best digital practices and lessons learned between the partners and with the EU. These networks will include participants both from partner countries and EU Member States and their operating practice will draw from the experiences of EaPeReg, the ongoing network of EaP regulators for electronic communications, which since its establishment in 2012, is successfully addressing the topic "Telecom Rules". The following EaP networks are to be established:
a) The EaP network on "Digital Skills", named EaP.eSkills;
b) The EaP network on "Infrastructures for ICT Research and Innovation", named EaP.ICTinnovate. The activities of this network will be also supported by the results of EaPConnect, the ongoing project aiming to connect the partners' research and academic communities to GEANT, the pan European research and education network;
c) The EaP network for "Electronic Identification and Trust Services" and "Network and Information Security and Cybersecurity", named EaP.Trust&Secure;
d) The EaP network on «ICT Infrastructures for eTrade” (uniting the topics eCommerce, eCustoms and eLogistics), named EaP.eTrade.
Action Plan for 2016-2017
5-6th October 2016 – organizational Workshop of EaP.ICTinnovate network;
12-13th October 2016 - organizational Workshop of EaP.ICTinnovate network;
13-14th October 2016 - organizational Workshop of EaP.eSkills network;
17-18th October 2016 - 2nd HDM Panel where HDM thematic networks and their work plans shall be discussed and endorsed;
18th October 2016 - High Level Meeting of the Digital Ministers from EaP countries with the EC Commissioners - Mr Oettinger and Mr Khan - to discuss the formation of the Digital Community
May 2017 – 2nd EaP Ministerial meeting on the Digital Economy