The CEE Digital Coalition, which represents digital organizations from 13 Central Eastern European countries, has opened its permanent representation in Brussels. This is a result of an agreement between Business & Science Poland and the Digital Poland Association, the project leader. Together, they will create a platform for exchange of experiences and views between digital companies and EU decision-makers.

The CEE Digital Coalition was founded in 2020 in Warsaw on the initiative of the Digital Poland Association, which represents the Polish digital sector. Today, the organization consists of partners from 11 CEE countries belonging to the European Union and 2 non-EU countries - Ukraine and Moldova.

The main mission of the coalition is to accelerate the digital transformation of the economy and society in Central and Eastern Europe and to represent the region effectively on the international stage. The newly opened office of the CEE Digital Coalition, located at the headquarters of the Business & Science Poland Association in Brussels, will help to achieve the latter goal.

‘In order to better understand the European Union and more effectively influence the laws that are made within it, it is necessary to act every day, here, in Brussels,’ says Michał Kanownik, President of the Digital Poland Association, representing Poland within the CEE Digital Coalition. ‘That is why we are investing in the Brussels office, in the hope that it will make the voice of our region even clearer. The fact that the opening of the office is taking place during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU is both symbolic and significant, because now is the best time to act,’ emphasizes Michał Kanownik.

The new office has been established in premises of the Business & Science Poland Employers' Association - the largest Polish business organization in Brussels, representing the interests of Polish companies among representatives of EU institutions in order to develop a favorable legislative environment. ‘The creation of a competitive and secure digital environment in the EU is one of the priorities of the new European Commission. The presence of the CEE Digital Coalition and the Digital Poland Association in Brussels will allow us to effectively bring Poland's voice to the legislative work in this area, which is in line with the mission of Business & Science Poland,’ says Witold Strzelecki, Managing Director of Business & Science Poland.

Europe far behind the US
According to statistics, there’s a big need for action to improve Europe's innovative potential and digital capabilities. U.S. technology companies are now worth $46 trillion. Twice as much as European companies. What's more, the U.S. invests more than five times as much in technology as Europe. It is just a comparison with the United States; players from other parts of the world are also joining the game of technological dominance.

‘We pay special attention to the issue of legal and institutional reform of the EU in the field of digitalization. When it comes to digital services, many companies are faced with the need to operate under different legal frameworks. Some issues are governed by EU law, others by the laws of individual member states. Maneuvering between different regulations is difficult and costly. Ultimately, this harms European innovation,’ says Michal Kanownik.

Therefore, according to the president of the Digital Poland Association, EU law should create conditions for comfortable technological cooperation between public administration, science and business. It is also important to have a bolder approach to artificial intelligence technologies, which will set market trends for many years to come. The Brussels office of the CEE Digital Coalition will also focus on these issues.