The EU is once again supporting the biggest digital event in the region – the Western Balkans Digital Summit (WBDS) – the fourth consecutive annual event on regional digital cooperation. This year, WBDS is hosted by the Montenegrin government and is being held in hybrid mode from 11 to 13 October, closing with a ministerial panel in Podgorica.

This series of events have produced significant results, notably the second Digital Summit marked by the signing of the Regional Roaming Agreement. This led to the roaming-free Western Balkans as of 1 July 2021. This year’s WBDSwill cover four main platforms: Network and Services Connectivity, Trust and Security, Digital Skills, and the Digital Economy.

This Summit brings together high-level representatives from the governments of the Western Balkan economies, the European Commission, the Regional Cooperation Council, the business community and other relevant stakeholders, and will end on 13 October with a panel including Olivér Várhelyi, EU Enlargement Commissioner.

The first ever Western Balkans Digital Summit was held in Skopje in April 2018, while the second took place in Belgrade in 2019 and the third in Tirana last year. The summits are held in the framework of the Berlin Process and the Common Regional Market Action Plan for the Western Balkans adopted in Sofia in November 2020.