UKRAINE'S DIGITAL AUTONOMY ACHIEVING AS A STRATEGIC VECTOR FOR EU INTEGRATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56197/2786-5827/2023-2-1-3Keywords:
strategic autonomy, digitalization, European integration, defense capability, economic recovery, sustainabilityAbstract
Introduction. The article substantiates directions for achieving digital and technological autonomy of the Ukraine for integration with the EU in the context digital transformation of the EU's strategic priorities. The authors systematized the phases of adoption the strategic documents on EU digital autonomy. The components of European strategic autonomy were identified. The importance of the digital and technological sphere in strengthening the sustainability of the European economy was substantiated. The conceptual foundations for achieving digital autonomy in the EU are the factors that have led to the need to implement this priority in the strategic development of countries were identified. The main components of digital autonomy are highlighted, namely cybersecurity; awareness raising, digital skills acquisition; industrial policy, research, investment and supply chain strengthening; building alliances and promoting international cooperation. The obstacles to digital development in Ukraine in the context of military operations were identified. Possibilities of overcoming the threats to the formation of digital autonomy in Ukraine were identified and ways of consolidation with the European principles of digital space formation are outlined.
Materials and methods. The purpose of the article was achieved using the methods of systematic, critical and scientific analysis, methods of scientific generalization, induction and deduction. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is formed by information and statistical materials of international, European and Ukrainian statistic agencies, regulations, in particular EU regulations, national development programs and strategic documents for the restoration of Ukraine, scientific works of foreign and domestic scholars.
Results and discussion. The authors defined that an important factor in enhancing economic and technological competitiveness, the ability to protect the public interest and define rules and standards in the digital age is the achievement of strategic autonomy. This is proved by the experience of the EU, which has been implementing approaches to achieving strategic autonomy and digital sovereignty in a wide range of areas: defense, security and trade, as well as in industrial, digital, economic, migration and financial policies based on fundamental European values - democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and standards of the European security system, as well as creating conditions for the development of new high-tech industries and innovative ecosystems, taking into account the Sustainable Development Goals. The article proves that it is important for Ukraine, as a candidate for EU integration, to implement the strategic principles of the European community, in particular in terms of digital transition, into the strategic documents for the economic recovery.
Conclusions. Achieving digital autonomy in Ukraine in the short term depends on solving critical problems caused by the hostilities, namely, restoring destroyed telecommunications capacities, reconstructing infrastructure to modernize the communication network, access to the Internet, creating incentives for innovative entrepreneurial development, and intensifying joint projects to develop and implement modern digital products. Acceleration of European integration processes in the field of digital autonomy for Ukraine depends on the adoption of strategic documents, roadmaps, and other regulations in the field of improving cybersecurity; raising awareness and acquiring digital skills of citizens; industrial, innovation, and financial policies; promoting research, investment, and strengthening supply chains; and facilitating international cooperation.
References
Borrell, J. (2020), “Why European strategic autonomy matters. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy”, URL: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/why-european-strategic-autonomy-matters_en
Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine (2022), “The main drivers of Ukraine's recovery are national security and European integration”, URL: https://mspu.gov.ua/news/premier-ministr-holovni-vektory-vidnovlennia-ukrainy-natsionalna-bezpeka-ta-ievropeiska-intehratsiia (Accessed 12 January 2023).
European Policy Centre (2022), “EU candidate status for Ukraine is a geopolitical and moral imperative”, URL: https://www.epc.eu/en/publications/EU-candidate-status-for-Ukraine-is-a-geopolitical-and-moral-imperative~497c80 (Accessed 12 January 2023).
Cervi, G. (2022), “The Brussels Effect in Digital Policy: Why Does It Matter? The Ventotene Lighthouse”, URL: https://www.theventotenelighthouse.eu/the-brussels-effect-in-digital-policy-why-does-it-matter/
The European External Action Service (2021), “The Common Security and Defence Policy”, URL: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/common-security-and-defence-policy_en (Accessed 16 January 2023).
The European Commission (2023), “Europe’s Digital Decade: digital targets for 2030”, URL: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/europes-digital-decade-digital-targets-2030_en (Accessed 16 January 2023).
Google.Trends (2022), “European strategic autonomу”, URL: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=European%20strategic %20autonomy, Digital%20autonomy (Accessed 16 January 2023).
The European External Action Service (2019), “The European Union’s global strategy three years on, looking forward. Strategy”, URL: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/%20sites/default/files/eu_global_strategy_2019.pdf (Accessed 17 January 2023).
Leyen, U., (2022), “The six policy priorities of the von der Leyen Commission. State of play as the Commission approaches mid-term”, URL: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2022/729351/EPRS_IDA(2022)729351_EN.pdf
Leyen, U., (2021), “State of the Union Addresses by President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary. Speech 15”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_21_4701
Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU (2020), “Independent, inclusive and innovative: Four goals of the German Presidency for the digital sector”, URL: https://www.eu2020.de/eu2020-en/news/article/digitalziele-eu2020/2405548 (Accessed 18 January 2023).
Charles, M., (2021), “Digital sovereignty is central to European strategic autonomy. Speech”, URL: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/02/03/speech-by-president-charles-michel-at-the-digitaleurope-masters-of-digital-online-event/ (Accessed 18 January 2023).
Cagnin, C., Muench, S., Scapolo, F., Stoermer, E. and Vesnic Alujevic, L., (2021), Shaping and securing the EU`s Open Strategic Autonomy by 2040 and beyond. JRC Publications Repository, URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC125994
The European Political Strategy Centre (2020), “Shaping Europe's digital future: Commission presents strategies for data and Artificial Intelligence”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_273 (Accessed 23 January 2023).
The European Commission (2020), “Making Europe's businesses future-ready: A new Industrial Strategy for a globally competitive, green and digital Europe”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_416 (Accessed 23 January 2023)
The European Commission (2020), “Digital Finance Package: Commission sets out new, ambitious approach to encourage responsible innovation to benefit consumers and businesses”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_1684 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2020), “Fair Taxation: Member States agree on new tax transparency rules on digital platforms”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2253 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2020), “Europe fit for the Digital Age”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2347 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2020), “New EU Cybersecurity Strategy and new rules to make physical and digital critical entities more resilient”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2391 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2021), “Europe's Digital Decade: Commission sets the course towards a digitally empowered Europe by 2030”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_983 (Accessed 24 January 2023)
The European Commission (2021), “Commission proposes a trusted and secure Digital Identity for all Europeans”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_2663 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2021), “European Chips Act”, URL: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-chips-act_en (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2021), “European Digital Rights and Principle”, URL: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-principles (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2022), “Data Act: Commission proposes measures for a fair and innovative data economy”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_1113 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2022), “New EU strategy to protect and empower children in the online world”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_22_2825 (Accessed 24 January 2023)
The European Commission (2022), “State of the Union: New EU cybersecurity rules ensure more secure hardware and software products”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_5374 (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2022), “The Digital Markets Act: ensuring fair and open digital markets”, URL: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/digital-markets-act-ensuring-fair-and-open-digital-markets_en (Accessed 24 January 2023).
The European Commission (2023), “Joint statement by President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Lee on the EU-Singapore Digital Partnership”, URL: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/STATEMENT_22_7743 (Accessed 02 February 2023).
Statistics Service of EU Statista (2022), “Statista Estimated cost of cybercrime worldwide from 2016 to 2027”, Statista, URL: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1280009/cost-cybercrime-worldwide/ (Accessed 02 February 2023).
Willett, M., (2019), “Cyber instruments and international security”, Analysis. the International Institute for Strategic Studies, [Online], URL: https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2019/03/cyber-instruments-and-international-security (Accessed 02 February 2023).
Smith, B. (2022), “Digital technology and the war in Ukraine”. Blog post Microsoft, [Online], URL: https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2022/02/28/ukraine-russia-digital-war-cyberattacks/ (Accessed 03 February 2023).
Shchygol, Yu, (2021), “It is difficult to protect critical infrastructure objects without direct influence on the information protection process”. Interview Interfax-Ukraine, URL: https://ua.interfax.com.ua/news/interview/777637.html (Accessed 07 February 2023).
National Recovery Council (2022), “Ukraine’s National Recovery Plan”, URL: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/621f88db25fbf24758792dd8/62c166751fcf41105380a733_NRC%20Ukraine%27s%20Recovery%20Plan%20blueprint_ENG.pdf
Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine (2021), “The Ministry of Digitization is going to teach 6 million Ukrainians digital skills in 3 years”, URL: https://www.kmu.gov.ua/news/mincifri-zbirayetsya-navchiti-6-miljoniv-ukrayinciv-cifrovih-navichok-za-3-roki (Accessed 07 February 2023).
State Statistics Service of Ukraine (2021), “Access to households of Ukraine to the internet in 2021”, [Online], URL: https://ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2022/zb/07/zb_dd_internet_21.pdf (Accessed 08 February 2023).
Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (2022), “Joint press conference of Denys Shmyhal, Josep Borrell, Oliver Vargea”, URL: https://www.kmu.gov.ua/events/5-veresnia-spilna-pres-konferentsiia-denysa-shmyhalia-zhozepa-borrelia-olivera-varhei (Accessed 08 February 2023).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Оксана Кушніренко, Євгенія Кушніренко

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.