SMEs form the backbone of our economies; therefore, digital economy is vital to small- and medium-sized businesses in particular. It is also important to consumers using digital solutions and driving the demand for them. This was the key message from Romāns Naudiņš, Chairman of the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee of the Saeima, to colleagues representing parliaments of all the European Union member states who gathered at the Saeima on Monday, 20 April.

On Monday, 20 April, parliamentarians of the European Union member states will gather in the Saeima to discuss the topicalities in the area of digital economy. The agenda of the meeting covers such topics as the Big Data, cloud computing, privacy and security of the cyber space, as well as employment in digital economy.  The Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Committees on the Economic and Digital Affairs is the fifth event hosted by the Saeima within the framework of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

On Monday, 30 March, a Conference on workplace practices in EU enterprises was held at the Saeima. During the Conference, the results of the 3rd European Company Survey were analysed in order to find workplace practices that are best suited to the needs of both employers and employees.

On Monday, 16 March, the highest officials of the Baltic and Nordic parliaments, including Gundars Daudze, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, met with the Speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, Volodymyr Groysman, and agreed on a joint initiative aimed at sharing their parliamentary experience with Ukrainian MPs and thereby contributing to the effectiveness of the Verkhovna Rada.

German politicians and people are very well aware of current challenges faced by the Baltic countries in failing to shield the minds of their people against intrusive propaganda coming from its neighbour. German politicians raised this issue during all the meetings, and that clearly attests to their readiness to offer practical support in strengthening the media landscape of the Baltic countries and of Europe as a whole. This is how Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, summarised her visit to Bavaria that concluded on Tuesday, 17 March.

“This is a very special day for me. I am standing in the very heart of a proud, beautiful and inspiring country. I feel the closeness of the warm blood which runs through its veins and has always linked us with you – the mighty Lithuanian nation. We are standing underneath the fluttering Baltic flags, recalling what has been achieved during the past quarter of a century and looking with confidence at future challenges,” said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Wednesday, 11 March, in her address at the raising of the flags of the Baltic States at the Independence Square in Vilnius during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania. 

On Thursday, 5 March, Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, at the opening of a high-level foreign policy and defence conference emphasised: “Europe has sobered up during the last year. Over a relatively short period, the international society realised that some international agreements are actually ineffective, as was the case with the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances signed in 1994, which, among other issues, stipulates Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The sanctity of its borders is violated. The values are challenged”.