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Digital Day 2018: EU countries to commit to doing more together on the digital front

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Brussels, 9 April 2018 – Tomorrow the Commission will bring ministers, representatives of EU countries, industry, academia and civil society representatives together to encourage cooperation in artificial intelligence, blockchain, eHealth and innovation.

Discussions will focus on how the technological developments will shape the future of Europe and building a strong Digital Single Market with increased investment and digital skills is crucial.

After last year’s Digital Day in Rome that triggered successful cooperation in areas such as high-performance computing, connected mobility and the digitisation of industry, the Commission is repeating the initiative to encourage more cooperation on digital issues.

Within a year, major progress has been made towards a Digital Single Market. The end of roaming charges and the portability of online content are now part of the lives of Europeans. Stronger rules on the protection of personal data and the first EU-wide rules on cybersecurity will become a reality in May 2018.

Many proposals still need to be agreed. Europe should move forward, and building on the Digital Single Market, increase investments and foster cooperation in a series of key areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, eHealth and innovation.

Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said: “Europeans are starting to feel the benefits of the Digital Single Market on the ground. They can now travel across borders with their favourite video and music streaming services – and with no roaming charges. Soon geoblocking when shopping online will be a distant memory. Our personal data will be better protected as of 25 May. This year’s Digital Day is the perfect moment to recognise what we have achieved but to also encourage EU Member States to move forward quickly with the legislative proposals still on the table. We need to prepare our digital future together; we need to do more, joining forces and resources to grasp the opportunities offered by technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain.” (The opening speech will be available here at around 9:30 CET tomorrow).

Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Society, said: “Digitalisation is transforming our society and we can reap its full benefits only through close and fruitful cooperation. Coordinated EU-level commitment and investments are much needed to tackle the challenges ahead. I expect Digital Day 2018 to bring the digital cooperation in Europe to a new level regarding artificial intelligence as well as eHealth, and I encourage all EU Member States and stakeholders to contribute to our efforts to keep Europe a global player in the digital age.”

Highlights of Digital Day 2018 include declarations aimed at:

  • Joining forces on artificial intelligence (AI): AI can bring major benefits to our society and economy, such as better healthcare, safer transport and a more competitive industry. To fully benefit from the opportunities offered by AI, European countries need to work together, including for using the highest standards of data protection. The Commission will adopt a Communication on AI in the coming weeks. More about the declaration on AI will be available here at around 13:00 CET tomorrow.
  • Building a European partnership in blockchain technologies: The European Commission recently launched the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum in February 2018 and will invest some €300 million in projects supporting the use of blockchain. At the same time Member States have been very active in supporting blockchain ecosystems, launching experiments and announcing actions at the government level. In order to harness the many opportunities of blockchain and avoid a fragmented approach, tomorrow the Commission will lay the groundwork for establishing a European Blockchain Partnership to promote interoperable infrastructures that will enhance trusted digital services. More about the declaration on blockchain technologies will be available here at around 15:30 CET tomorrow.
  • Sharing data to personalise healthcare: Citizens’ needs are at the centre of data-driven healthcare innovation and should have an active role in their personalised treatment. The eHealth declaration aims at linking access to existing and future genomic databases across the European Union which will help to advance research in rare diseases, cancer, pharmacogenomics, disease prevention, brain related diseases and other conditions. Enhanced cooperation between Member States will help to overcome lack of interoperability and fragmentation of initiatives across the EU, while guaranteeing highest European standards for personal data protection. This will also keep the EU at the forefront of personalised medicine globally, fostering scientific output and industrial competitiveness. More about the declaration on genomic databankswill be available here at around 17:00 CET tomorrow.
  • Encouraging innovation with the help of a new online tool: The Innovation Radar can help match innovators with those who can help get their innovations to market. During Digital Day 2018, the Commission encourages the cooperation for supporting breakthrough innovations in Europe. The initiative also aims to develop the online tool further and enrich it with top national innovation projects.More about the declaration on Innovation Radarwill be available here at around 17:30 CET tomorrow.
  • 5G cross-border testing corridors to support connected and automated mobility: A first set of large-scale testing corridors was announced in September 2017. Tomorrow, Spain and Portugal will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to kick-start their cooperation. More about Memorandum of understanding will be available here at around 11:30 CET tomorrow.

Background

During Digital Day 2017, the focus was on five initiatives:

For More Information

Livestream of the Digital Day 2018

Digital Day 2017 in Rome

Cooperation for building European supercomputers

Timeline: Digital Single Market – Commission actions since 2015

#DigitalDay18

@DSMeu @Ansip_EU @GabrielMariya

IP/18/2902

Press contacts:

Nathalie VANDYSTADT (+32 2 296 70 83)
Inga HOGLUND (+32 2 295 06 98)

General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email

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Compliance Updates

European Union Updates Country List for Stricter AML Checks

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The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU), has updated its list of high-risk countries, from which players should be subjected to stricter customer checks by gambling operators.

Based on Directive (EU) 2015/849, Article 9, the Commission identifies any high-risk third countries that have strategic deficiencies in their regime on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

As such, operators based in the EU that are offering services to these countries or dealing with players from these nations are obliged to carry out heightened vigilance checks.

The list was first published in July 2016 and has been updated a number of times as further countries of concern are identified and flagged by the Commission.

The latest countries to be added to this list – in an update published last month – include Burkina Faso, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, Jordan, Malo, Morocco, Myanmar, the Philippines, Senegal and South Sudan.

Other nations included on the list include Afghanistan, Barbados, Cambodia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran, Jamaica, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

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Baltics

Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

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Looking to take your career to the next level in the games industry? Then, Nordic Game Talents is the place to be! Games Factory Talents has teamed up with Nordic Game to bring you Nordic Game Talents.

From Oct 27-29, the online and interactive event is dedicated to recruitment and career building in the creative & games industry within the Nordic region. The event empowers participants to be part of a bigger community and motivates them to explore new paths in achieving their career goals.

Hiring creative & games studios – Supercell, Funcom, Panzerdog, Tactile Games, Gamecan, Fingersoft, Dazzle Rocks, Redhill Games to name a few from the Nordic region will be participating in the event. These studios will share information on their latest projects, work culture and what it takes to be part of their team. The individual games associations from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia will share insights through live sessions on the booming games industry in their respective countries. Career development topics pertinent to job seekers like – How to have a successful first interview, Creative Portfolio reviews will also be discussed.

Experienced game industry professionals and individuals beginning their careers from around the world are welcome to join the event. One-to-one interviews with the hiring studios can be scheduled through the event platform. A great opportunity to get to know the studios and network with game professionals from around the world.

Participating in the event

As a job seeker attending Nordic Game Talents, take a few minutes to fill out a simple registration form. After filling the registration form you will receive a link to the online event platform – PINE, to join the event on 27th October. Participants joining Nordic Game Talents will also receive a free-of-charge pass to the Nordic Game Conference.

To view the complete agenda, please click here and to learn more about the event please visit Games Job Fair

About Games Factory Talents

A Helsinki-based talent attraction agency dedicated to the games & creative industry. Our services include direct recruitment, organizing game job fairs and managing a community of game industry professionals through our GameDev Talent Board.

To learn more about Games Factory Talents visit – Games Factory Talents

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European Union

EC Rejects Call to Reform Expert Group on Gambling

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EC Rejects Call to Reform Expert Group on Gambling
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The European Commission (EC) has stated that will not support the re-establishment of an “Expert Group on Online Gambling” – a cross member state collaborative body supported by 14 regulatory agencies.

Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) published the EC’s response to a letter sent by KSA Chairman Rene Jansen on behalf of European regulators requesting to reinstate the group which had been decommissioned in 2018.

Regulators backed the reinstatement of an Expert Group to exchange knowledge and best practices with regards to governing gambling and protecting national consumers from risks and harms.

Jansen’s letter further stated that regulatory cooperation was required to secure greater oversight on technical requirements and to better evaluate the legislative outcomes of member-states governing their regulated gambling marketplaces.

“The work of the Expert Group was particularly successful. We achieved results that benefited consumers, national authorities and the gambling sector and the active participation in the group also demonstrated that member states are well equipped and willing to achieve positive outcomes together. And we still believe this to be the case,” Jansen said.

Issuing a response, the office of European Commissioner Thierry Breton referred to the EC’s original verdict to decommission the group taken in December 2017.

The expert group was deemed as no longer viable following the European Court of Justice (ECJ) arbitrating 30 cases related to gambling, in which all casework stated that national regulations superseded EU rules.

The EC underscored that gambling laws and standards would be maintained as the domain of the individual member state – which can choose to apply its legislative preferences to taxation, the licensing of market incumbents, industry standards and how a member state should protect its national consumers from harms.

The Commission can only intervene on member-states gambling laws if they are deemed to have breached the wider EU policies on market competition, fair business policies and state aid rules.

Replying to Jansen’s concerns, the EC responded that gambling regulators had the support of individual policy units carrying comprehensive oversight on “anti-money laundering (DG FISMA), consumer and youth protection (DG JUST), the prevention of addiction (DG SANTE) or issues of taxation (DG TAXUD)”.

“At this stage, our Directorate General does not intend to reverse this decision and to reinstate the Expert Group on Gambling Services under its responsibility,” the EC letter concluded.

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