The ten Southeast Asian countries remain highly interested in EU’s approach and experience in digital economy and connectivity, including policy, regulation and digital innovation ecosystem in general, as well as specific issues such as international roaming, data governance and disinformation. To this end, DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology (Connect) provided an overview of completion of the Digital Single Market, as well as the latest Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) results on EU’s digital performance in 2014-2019.
As for digital cooperation, we exchanged on the state-of-play of the joint initiative - launched end last year - aiming to develop a basis for an ASEAN digital benchmarking index. This project taps into EU’s experience in measuring digital economy, in particular the world-class DESI index and its methodology, being financially supported by the EU-ASEAN Regional Dialogue Instrument (E-READI). Currently, the ASEAN and its members are largely lacking a measurement tool to track their digital performance at the regional and national level. A conjoined workshop and study tour is organised in Brussels for all ASEAN authorities in order to delve deeper into the topic through training sessions and round table discussions.
In the joint media statement of 25 October, the ASEAN ministers welcomed the ASEAN-EU work plan, in particular regarding the cooperation on developing a digital index for ASEAN.
Connect had furthermore several informal bilateral meetings with the ASEAN members. With the host country, Lao PDR, we explored - together with the EU Delegation in Vientiane - the possibilities to introduce “Digital4Development” within the EU-supported development cooperation initiatives and projects, such as those on governance and health. The EU is one of the most important partners of Laos in terms of grant aid for development cooperation and humanitarian help, and also one of its most important trade partners.
The next meeting will be hosted by Malaysia in 2020.