News
10/17/2022 12:50
The Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs and chief negotiator with the EU, Bojan Maricik, said at today's explanatory screening meeting for Chapter 10, "Information Society and Media", that North Macedonia has already taken steps to align with existing EU policies and that the main goal of the Government is to provide high-quality public services for citizens and businesses.
In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the achievements so far in this area, stressing that we managed to introduce the emergency number EU 112, currently we are working on its proper implementation.
The main negotiator with the EU announced that the final versions of the National Strategy for ICT and Action Plan 2021-2025 have already been prepared, consulted with the public and will be finalized in the following months, as well as that the implementation of the National Operational Plan for Broadband Internet will continue. In that regard, the Agency for Electronic Communications, supported by the Office, is taking steps that will ease the conditions for the introduction of 5G and will stimulate the entry of new technologies and operators.
- Recognizing the importance of cyber security, we are also preparing the new National Strategy for Cyber Security 2023-2027, with an emphasis on building and improving national capacities for cyber security, security and resilience of critical information infrastructure, raising awareness and international cooperation, added Deputy Prime Minister Maricik.
Within the framework of the Regional Common Market (Berlin Process), Maricik said that we participate in the Report on the Implementation of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) in the Western Balkans region, in which North Macedonia is highly prepared with data on 87% of the DESI indicators which are accessible and compliant with the DESI Methodology.
Regarding the legislative agenda, Maricik emphasized that we are preparing the Law on Security of Networks and Information Systems, the text of which is expected to be finalized in the first months of 2023.
Maricik also said that it is planned to harmonize the Macedonian legislation with the EU directive on audio and audiovisual media 2018/1808 and that there is already an EU project that will help the authorities in that process.
- In addition to current activities to improve the legal framework, the Agency for Audio and Audiovisual Media Services will continuously contribute to the improvement of the media environment by organizing campaigns on relevant topics such as media literacy, hate speech, responsibility in the on-line space, as well as consumer protection, announced Maricik.
In addition, the chief negotiator with the EU said that amendments to the Law on the use of public sector data will follow, in order to comply with the EU Directive on open data and reuse of information from the public sector (2019/1024), in the direction of increasing transparency in public sector institutions, improving the efficiency of the work of the public administration and contributing to the reduction of corruption at all levels.
Today in Brussels with the opening of the explanatory screening meeting for Chapter 10, the explanatory screening for Cluster 3, "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth" has started.