This year the event took place in Sofia, Bulgaria on the 25 and 26 June. It was organised by both the European Commission and the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It provided a forum for stakeholders to debate, take stock, and look ahead at how Europe and its partners around the world are preparing for the main digital policy challenges of the future. It also presented an opportunity for dialogue on how to reap the benefits for citizens and businesses in a rapidly changing world.
The event covered various thematic areas on a wide range of topics related to digital policy. The themes circulated around:
•Digital in the upcoming Multi- annual Financial Framework
•Free flow of non-personal data and the April 2018 Data package
•European Electronic Communications Code
•Promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online inter mediation services
Mohamed Abbes, Public Policy Director for the MENA region participated in a panel alongside Mariya Gabriel, (Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, European Commission, Belgium), Francisco Velázquez de Cuéllar (President, Axon Partners, Spain), Yahya Al-Salqan (Chairman of Palestinian IT Association of Companies and CEO of Jaffa.Net Software, Palestine, State of) and Ameni Mansouri (CEO and co-founder, DABCHY).
He gave an overview of digitization in the South Mediterranean Region. “Mobile technology represents 4.3% of the GDP of the Middle East and North Africa Region and it employs over 1 million people. We still see a vast digital divide but there is clearly a growth and investment opportunity.”