Experts in interoperability and digital transformation from the Eastern Partnership countries and the Western Balkans joined together at an event dedicated to the exchange of experience and learning - “Digital Transformation and Interoperability Week”, held on June 24^th - 28^th, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium.  The Republic of Moldova was represented by a group of specialists from the Electronic Governance Agency (EGA), comprising Director Andrei Prisacar, Chief Information Systems Architect Artur Reaboi and Integration Architect Maxim Calpacci.

During the event, 40 public officials from the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova) and the European Union shared best practices and explored digitalization and interoperability in public services at national, regional and international level. The aim was to connect experts for exchange of views and training, to align participating countries to EU standards in e-governance, improve digital public services and interoperability, and to promote digital cohesion in the EU and neighbouring regions.

Topics covered included:

- EU interoperability standards, eID, eIDAS 2.0, “one time only” data recording;

- e-wallet and trust services;

- digital identity, artificial intelligence and data management, highlighting AI advances and their impact on digital public services;

- national adaptation strategies and preconditions for mutual recognition of electronic signatures.

Therewith, the participants familiarized themselves with the Interoperable Europe Act and discussed its importance for the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership regions and the readiness of the authorities of the countries concerned to meet the new standards. Participants also explored cross-border interoperability and data spaces and discussed challenges, opportunities and practical solutions to improve regional digital public services and interoperability.

Representatives of the Republic of Moldova also participated in the international conference “Interoperable Europe: from vision to reality”, organized by the European Commission on the margins of the “Digital Transformation and Interoperability Week”. The event focused on the promotion of semantic interoperability between interconnected e-governance systems, marking the beginning of a new step towards a unified European administration in line with the Interoperable Europe Act.

The Moldovan delegation’s visit to Brussels was organized with the support of the OECD/SIGMA Programme, implemented with the financial support of the EU and the Regional E-Governance and Digitalization Project in the Eastern Partnership Countries, implemented by GIZ with the financial support of BMZ, in order to align our country to the EU objectives set in the 2030 Digital Decade Policy Agenda to ensure 100% of key public services accessible online, and increased interoperability is essential, allowing cross-border data exchange in accordance with the recommendations of the European Interoperability Framework.