State Secretary Peter Geršak at the meeting of the digitally most advanced European countries: “We have to ensure unlimited access to digital infrastructure”
- Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Digital Transformation
State Secretary Peter Geršak attended the meeting of the ministers of the D9+ countries | Author Vlada Velikega vojvodstva Luksemburga
He stressed the importance of accelerating the development of a digital society in the European Union in order to take advantage of the development opportunities provided by information and communication technologies to improve the quality of life for all EU citizens. He also presented the Slovenian Presidency’s achievements on digitalisation so far and the state-of-play in discussions of legislative acts.
According to Peter Geršak, the COVID-19 pandemic showed how important good connectivity really is. "In these crucial times, connectivity is the key factor in teleworking, e-learning and online social communication. That is why the digital gap issue should be addressed immediately, as 15% of people in Europe still don’t have access to high-speed internet. Our goal should be to ensure availability and unhindered access to digital infrastructure, the necessary competences and skills to use it and trust in digital solutions, through transparent communication, for all EU citizens," pointed out the State Secretary.
Digital transformation, together with the green transition, is one of the two key elements of the EU’s economic renewal. The objective of making Europe more environmentally friendly, digital and resilient and cyber secure involves digital transformation management, particularly in the areas of data, technology and infrastructure. Good connectivity and equal access to digital services and competences for all EU citizens, appropriate working conditions and AI development are particularly important in this context. Another aim is to build a society resilient to cyber and hybrid threats.
On the margins of the meeting, Peter Geršak met with the Estonian Digitalisation Minister, Andres Sutt, for a mutual exchange of experience in the digitalisation of public administration services.
The D9+ group is a ministerial group of digitally advanced EU countries promoting implementation and exchange of best practices in digitalisation area. The group comprises the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Estonia.