Estonia has taken over the chairship of the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) from the Netherlands, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports. During the one-year term as chair, Estonia will focus on sharing its experience in e-government and on bridging the global digital divide. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stressed the importance of like-minded countries and…
Estonia’s state IT agency, the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), has launched a mobile application for accessing the Eesti.ee state services portal, ERR reports. The new application will allow users to access the portal’s most popular services on their smartphones. The application’s use for official identification still requires a legislative amendment. The application is available…
Estonia will chair the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) in 2025, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced, ERR reports. He said that Estonia’s primary objective would be to share its know-how in building an e-state. Also, Estonia’s chairmanship would focus on values of openness, transparency, access to information, and inclusion, Tsahkna added. The FOC is a group…
The Latvian government is unlikely to satisfy the Health Ministry’s request for EUR 153.3mn of additional funding for hospitals in the 2025 state budget, LSM reports. Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri said that the money was needed for human resources, medicines, infrastructure, emergency services, digitalisation, and data security. However, the government has listed external and…
The Estonian government has agreed on switching to need-based social benefits in 2028, Education Minister Kristina Kallas announced, BNS reports. She argued that the state and taxpayers could no longer afford distributing equal support to everyone, and that doing so was not even necessary. Better data would allow the state to provide better personalised services, Kallas…
Latvia’s State Digital Development Agency (VDAA), which was formerly called the State Regional Development Agency (VRAA), has picked Jorens Liopa as its new director as of 4 October 2024, LSM reports. Currently, Liopa is director of the department of information systems and technologies at Latvia’s Court Administration and head of the inter-institutional electronic case (e-case)…
Latvia’s State Revenue Service (VID) is implementing changes to make the institution more customer-friendly towards both residents and businesses, Prime Minister Evika Silina stated, Baltic News Network reports. Speaking after a meeting with VID director general Baiba Smite-Roke, Silina said that VID should become more efficient by reducing tax administration costs. VID plans to develop…
Estonia ranks third on Estonian non-profit organisation e-Governance Academy’s updated National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), LSM reports. Estonia ranks third out of 31 countries on the index, with 85.83 points. Latvia is fifth with 79.17 points. Lithuania’s data is not included in the updated index. Estonia scored 80.02 points and Latvia 71.88 points in terms…
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Lithuania have signed a EUR 300mn financing agreement to support investment in long-term competitiveness, job creation, and the green and digital transitions in the 2021-2027 period, Devdiscourse reports. Lithuania will use the money to finance its national contribution to EU-funded priority projects. The loan is the first tranche of…