Belgium remains a top-tier performer in the EU, ranking 6th overall in the 2024 DESI thanks to strong connectivity and digital adoption. Its fixed broadband (≥100 Mbps) uptake is 67%, significantly above the EU’s 55% average, and very high-capacity network (VHCN) coverage reaches 78% of households.
In terms of internet speed, Belgium performs strongly: median fixed broadband speed was 107.01 Mbps at the start of 2025, while median mobile speed stood at 88.69 Mbps. This places Belgium among the top ~20–30 countries globally for both fixed and mobile speeds. Additionally, mobile penetration exceeds 125%, and 90% of the population uses mobile broadband, reflecting high digital access.
Belgium also excels in digital skills and e‑government: 93% of individuals are internet users, and 54% possess at least basic digital skills. Moreover, 88% of citizens utilise online public services, well above the EU average of 74%. These factors, combined with robust connectivity and strong infrastructure, firmly position Belgium among the most advanced digital economies in Europe.
Consult Belgium’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Spain’s digital profile is anchored by very high fibre coverage and strong interconnection. The FTTH Council Europe ranks Spain among Europe’s leaders for FTTH/B penetration (≈78.9% as of Sept 2023), which underpins fixed speeds and 5G backhaul. Major IXPs such as DE-CIX Madrid and ESpanix provide dense domestic and international peering, while new and legacy subsea cables, MAREA and Grace Hopper on the Atlantic side and 2Africa landing in Barcelona, give diverse, high-capacity routes into both the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins.
On cloud supply, Spain is one of the few EU markets with all three hyperscalers operating local regions: AWS Europe (Spain) in Aragón, Google Cloud Madrid, and Azure Spain Central near Madrid. Such a footprint is being reinforced by large-scale capex commitments (e.g. AWS’s €15.7 bn plan in Aragón and Microsoft’s €6.69 bn for additional data-centre capacity), supporting low-latency workloads and data-residency needs for public and private sectors alike.
Latvia’s public-sector digital infrastructure is robust and widely utilised. National e-ID and qualified e-signature tools (eParaksts) were used 22.4 million times in 2024, representing a 60% year-on-year increase, indicating to strong uptake of trusted digital identity in everyday services. In the EU monitoring for the Digital Decade, Latvian respondents also report high satisfaction with digitalisation (75% say it makes life easier). Together with GDPR enforcement by the Data State Inspectorate and an updated cybersecurity framework, this underpins a mature, EU-aligned governance model.
On infrastructure, the state-owned operator LVRTC operates a nationwide optical backbone and data centre network, known as the ‘Baltic Data Hub’. Its Riga TV Tower colocation site is listed in PeeringDB as the largest and most connected facility in Latvia and the Baltics, and the country maintains an active internet exchange footprint (LIX-LV tracked by Internet Society Pulse). These assets help keep traffic local and resilient while providing diverse paths to Nordic cloud regions.
In emerging technologies, Latvia stands out regionally for defence-grade 5G experimentation: NATO’s multi-year DiBaX campaigns have been hosted at the Ādaži test range, trialling 5G, drones and LEO satcom at scale. In AI, Riga-based Tilde won the European Commission’s Large AI Grand Challenge (2024), securing EuroHPC compute to build multilingual models, an EU-level recognition that places Latvia on the map for language-technology research and development.
Consult Latvia’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Romania stands out in Europe for the quality of its fixed digital infrastructure. It is consistently ranked at or near the top in fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) coverage, with around 95–97% of households passed by fibre networks, one of the highest rates in the EU. This extensive fibre footprint underpins very high fixed broadband speeds, which regularly place Romania among the fastest countries globally in independent speed tests, while retail prices remain relatively low by the EU standards. A dense network of Internet exchange points (InterLAN, RoNIX and others) keeps a large share of traffic local, improving performance and resilience.
The country also performs strongly in terms of data centre and interconnection capacity, relative to its size and GDP. Bucharest has emerged as a regional connectivity hub in South-Eastern Europe, with multiple carrier-neutral facilities and diverse fibre routes to neighbouring markets. Such an environment supports a growing cloud and content ecosystem and makes Romania an attractive location for regional hosting and transit. Combined with high fibre coverage, this positions the country as a strong infrastructure base for emerging services such as AI, cloud computing and content delivery.
On the skills and innovation side, Romania is recognised for its strong pool of ICT specialists and competitive labour costs, which fuel a vibrant software and digital services sector. The country has produced globally visible tech companies (for example, in automation and AI-related fields), and its engineering workforce is frequently cited as one of the strongest in Central and Eastern Europe. While overall digitalisation indicators (such as e-government use or SME digital uptake) still trail the EU average, Romania’s top-tier connectivity, robust interconnection fabric and solid ICT talent base make it one of the regional leaders on core digital infrastructure and technical capabilities.
Consult Romania’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Ireland’s digital profile is strongly shaped by its role as an EU regulatory hub for large tech firms, alongside steady investment in ‘digital government.’ In the EU benchmarking, Ireland has regularly placed near the top of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), reflecting strengths across connectivity, skills, business digitisation and e-government.
On rights and accountability, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) is a central actor: under GDPR’s one-stop-shop, it often leads cross-border cases while working through the EU coordination and dispute-resolution via the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). That EU-facing role was most visible on 22 May 2023, when the DPC concluded its Meta inquiry with a €1.2bn decision on EU to US data transfers, following an EDPB binding decision, highlighting how Irish enforcement can influence global data flows.
Ireland’s DPC, a key enforcer of EU’s GDPR
Dublin’s digital rulebook:Ireland sits near the centre of Europe’s digital rule-making because many major tech firms base key operations there, making the Data Protection Commission (DPC) a frequent EU ‘lead regulator’ under GDPR’s one-stop-shop system and in close coordination with other authorities and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB). That role became especially evident on 22 May 2023, when the DPC issued a €1.2bn decision against Meta and required changes to EU-US data transfers, underscoring how cross-border enforcement can affect global business models and people’s privacy. Ireland’s remit has also widened beyond data protection: under the Digital Services Act 2024, Coimisiún na Meán is the national Digital Services Coordinator, helping oversee platform transparency, systemic-risk processes, and accountability mechanisms, with the consumer authority (CCPC) involved for online marketplaces. Looking ahead, Ireland has opted for a multi-regulator approach to the EU AI Act, naming 15 competent authorities across sectors and planning a National AI Office to coordinate, build expertise, and support controlled experimentation. Together, these steps show a governance model that is increasingly ‘whole-ecosystem’: privacy, platforms, and AI supervision, balancing innovation aims with rights, safety, and regulatory consistency.
Ireland has also expanded its digital governance toolkit beyond privacy to include oversight of platforms and content. Under the Digital Services Act, signed into law in February 2024, Coimisiún na Meán is designated as Ireland’s Digital Services Coordinator, with the CCPC designated as a competent authority for online marketplaces, which is essential given the concentration of major platforms’ EU operations in Ireland.
Ireland’s ‘hard infrastructure’ agenda combines domestic connectivity targets with international links. The Digital Connectivity Strategy targets gigabit coverage by 2028 and 5G in populated areas by 2030, alongside resilience of international connectivity. This matters because Ireland is also promoting itself as a subsea cable gateway: the IRIS cable between Galway and Iceland was presented by the government as increasing the capacity and diversity of Ireland’s routes to Northern Europe.
Ireland’s Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva represents Ireland at the UN Office in Geneva and other international organisations based there, focusing on areas such as human rights, disarmament, humanitarian action, global health and trade. It serves as a liaison between the Government of Ireland and UN institutions in Geneva, advancing Ireland’s foreign-policy priorities through multilateral diplomacy. The Mission is headed by Ireland’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva.
Malta has established a growing presence in the field of digital diplomacy, leveraging its position as a small but influential state within the European Union. Its digital diplomacy efforts are focused on advocating for a rules-based digital order, promoting data privacy, and supporting the responsible use of emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. Malta actively participates in international forums that discuss internet governance, cybersecurity, and the digital economy, often aligning its diplomatic efforts with EU policies. Malta has made digital cooperation a core aspect of its foreign relations, working closely with international partners to enhance cross-border digital trade and the regulation of digital platforms.
Malta shows a good performance in research and innovation framework conditions, consistently outperforming the EU average in several key indicators, particularly in digitalisation. Notably, the country ranks first for high-speed internet access and 9th for the share of individuals with above basic overall digital skills, reflecting its effort in enhancing its digital infrastructure and digital literacy among its population. To support the further adoption and development of digital technologies, Malta has allocated a significant part of its recovery and resilience plan to digitalisation
Consult Malta’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
Hungary’s strongest digital headline is connectivity. Gigabit-capable fixed broadband already reaches most households (around 84% in 2023). FTTP is also widely deployed, placing Hungary well above the EU average and among Central Europe’s leaders for fibre reach. These figures come from the European Commission’s annual Broadband Coverage in Europe study and datasets for the 2023 reference year.
On payments and transaction infrastructure, Hungary is an early mover: nationwide instant account-to-account payments went live on 2 March 2020, operating 24/7/365 and designed as a mandatory rail for domestic credit transfers (with rules issued by the central bank). The launch places Hungary among the first countries globally to implement an always-on instant payment system at a national scale, with the Magyar Nemzeti Bank documenting the regime and its legal underpinnings.
Regionally, Budapest also punches above its weight as a peering hub. The Budapest Internet Exchange (BIX) lists more than 130 networks and reports >1.4 Tb/s peak public traffic, anchoring diverse paths to neighbouring capitals and major European hubs, an important complement to Hungary’s high fixed-line coverage and improving mobile footprint tracked in the regulator’s annual State of the Open Internet report.
Consult Hungary’s AI and digital strategies and regulations
In terms of measurable ‘strength’ indicators, Slovakia stands out regionally in its adoption of online shopping. In 2024, 85% of internet users in Slovakia shopped online, placing it among the higher-performing Central/Eastern European countries cited in EU-wide comparisons. In the Commission’s Digital Decade assessment, Slovakia is described as having high ambition (targets aligned mainly with the EU goals) and being on track on most monitored trajectories (as summarised in the 2025 State of the Digital Decade annexe material).
Italy’s digital state is described in Italia Digitale 2026, the PNRR, and the Three-Year Plan for IT in Public Administration 2024–2026, with cloud, identity, interoperability and public-service platforms at the centre. The IT-Wallet project is integrating digital credentials into the IO app, while Strategia Cloud Italia and the Polo Strategico Nazionale aim to migrate public-sector data and services to more secure, resilient cloud infrastructure.
AI all’italiana
Italy has become the first EU country to adopt a comprehensive national law on AI, turning the EU AI Act into a domestic governance framework. Law No. 132/2025, published in the Official Gazette on 25 September 2025 and in force from 10 October 2025, designates AgID (Digital Italy Agency) and the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN) as key authorities for implementation and oversight. The law adds sector rules for AI use in public administration, health, labour, finance, justice, education, and sport. It introduces safeguards for minors, including parental consent for children under 14, and addresses risks linked to AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes, while Italy’s AI Strategy 2024–2026 frames AI around research, enterprise, public services and training. Misuse of AI to cause harm can lead to prison sentences of one to five years, while copyright rules recognise protection only where human intellectual contribution remains meaningful. The framework also seeks to support innovation, with up to €1 billion in state-backed investment for AI, cybersecurity, and telecom companies.
Regarding infrastructure, the European Commission’s 2025 Digital Decade profile says Italy made ‘remarkable progress’ in digital infrastructure and public services, with its roadmap containing 67 measures worth €62.3 billion. Italy’s Ultra-Broadband Strategy 2023–2026 covers fixed networks, 5G and innovative services; its geography also makes it a Mediterranean data route, with BlueMed linking Palermo, Genoa and Milan’s digital ecosystem.
Relating to the country’s digital economy, Netcomm–Politecnico di Milano estimates B2C e-commerce will exceed €62 billion in 2025, with 35.2 million online consumers and product e-commerce penetration at about 11.2% of retail purchases. At the same time, online markets are increasingly governed through consumer protection, privacy rules, platform oversight and content enforcement, including AGCOM’s Piracy Shield, which can trigger automated IP/FQDN blocking within 30 minutes and has been extended to live audiovisual content.
Italy’s Permanent Mission to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva represents Italy across Geneva’s multilateral system. The Mission’s official ‘About us‘ page serves as a diplomatic information and contact point established by Italy to maintain stable relations with the UN Office at Geneva and other international organisations; Italy also maintains a Permanent Mission to the Conference on Disarmament at the same venue. The current Permanent Representative listed by the Mission is Ambassador Luigi Maria Vignali.
Consult Italy’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
Digital public services are centred on e-Citizens, Croatia’s main portal for public-sector information and e-services, open to all EU citizens and foreign residents. Its identity layer, NIAS (National Identification and Authentication System), manages electronic identities for secure access to public e-services, supporting a more integrated e-government model. Croatia is also linking its services to the EU cross-border frameworks, including the Single Digital Gateway and evidence-exchange mechanisms.
Regarding infrastructure, HAKOM (Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries)’s 2024 report says 5G coverage reached 94% of the population, while almost half of rural households had access to gigabit networks, and that clearly places Croatia among the stronger regional performers on mobile coverage, though rural fibre and mid-band 5G remain policy priorities. Connectivity policy is guided by the National Broadband Development Plan 2021–2027, Digital Croatia 2032 and the EU recovery funding, while future Adriatic routes such as GreenMed could increase international cable diversity.
Relating to data governance, the 2025 Open Data Policy frames public-sector data as a basis for digital transformation, innovation, economic growth, transparency and accountability, while Croatia’s open-data portal provides public-sector datasets for free use and re-use. Together with AI, cybersecurity, DSA (Digital Services Act), GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and broadband reforms show a country moving toward a more regulated digital governance model, with implementation instruments, capacity development and integration in businesses and public institutions.
Croatia’s NIS2 turn
Croatia’s Cybersecurity Act, in force since 15 February 2024, marks a shift from a narrow critical-infrastructure approach to a broader model of national cyber resilience. By transposing the EU NIS2 Directive, the law expands cybersecurity obligations to a wider circle of essential entities, including sectors such as health, transport, energy, finance, digital infrastructure and public administration. It strengthens the role of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-HR) as a central actor for coordination, prevention and response, while introducing clearer duties on risk management, incident reporting and supervision. The new framework is complemented by a National Cyber Crisis Management Programme, which defines responsibilities across technical, operational and strategic levels. Its relevance became tangible in 2024, when cyberattacks on KBC Zagreb, Croatia’s largest hospital, and Split Airport exposed how digital disruption can affect public safety, mobility and economic confidence.
Croatia’s Permanent Mission in Geneva represents the country at the UN Office at Geneva and other international organisations based in the city. The UN Geneva Blue Book lists the mission under the formal name Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the UN Office and other international organisations in Geneva, with Croatia’s National Day recorded as 30 May.
Consult Croatia’s digital strategies and regulations
Here you can explore the country’s main digital strategies, laws, and regulations by simply asking the chatbot, which is designed to help you quickly find relevant documents and understand the country’s digital policy landscape.
Main digital policies and regulations in the country:
