The Digital Bridge to Europe: Ukraine’s and Moldova’s Path Forward

Written by Hannes Astok, Executive Director at eGA

When discussing the accession of countries such as Ukraine and Moldova to the European Union, attention typically focuses on politics, reforms, or the economy. Yet there is another critical element without which none of these can function effectively: the digital transformation of public administration.

Put simply, digital systems are the backbone of a modern state. Without them, very little moves. For countries advancing toward EU membership, the key question is whether they are prepared to connect to EU digital systems and operate within it.

For Ukraine and Moldova, this ultimately means connecting to around 30 critical EU systems. This is not optional. It is essential for enabling the effective movement of people, goods, and services within the European space.

Turning political will into practice

The role of the e-Governance Academy in this process is pragmatic. In supporting Ukraine and Moldova on their path to EU integration, the eGA team focuses on what is necessary to make integration function in practice.

This begins with technical compatibility. National systems must be able to interoperate with those of the European Union. Equally important is the regulatory framework, as data exchange cannot function effectively without a solid legislative basis. Finally, institutional capacity is essential, since public sector professionals must understand how these systems operate and how to sustain them over time.

A clear example is the harmonisation of digital signatures. In the past, documents had to be exchanged by courier, a process that was both slow and costly. Today, most documents can be signed digitally within minutes. This is just one illustration of how long-term cooperation has delivered tangible results in Ukraine.

Moldova: making frameworks work in practice

For Moldova, digital integration with the European Union means aligning its legal framework, institutions, public systems, and technical capacity with EU standards and expectations.

This involves not only adopting new frameworks but also ensuring that they function effectively in practice. Sustainable reform depends on capable institutions that can implement and maintain these systems over time.

Through its support for legal reform, institutional development, operational capacity, and public awareness, the e-Governance Academy has helped Moldova take concrete steps toward this goal in recent years.

Over the past four years, cooperation with eGA experts has contributed to strengthening institutions responsible for cybersecurity and national defence, advancing regulatory frameworks, expanding training programmes for civil servants, and raising cybersecurity awareness among citizens.

Looking ahead, four new EU-supported projects, involving eGA expertise, will focus on key areas of public administration capacity building. These include strengthening trust and cooperation between communities, particularly across the Nistru River and in regions such as Gagauzia; improving institutional capacity and citizen-focused governance; supporting the digital development of the justice sector; and enhancing cybersecurity by aligning national frameworks with the EU’s NIS2 Directive and related legislation.

Cybersecurity reforms are becoming a central component of Moldova’s readiness to implement EU rules. They go beyond technical resilience, touching directly on state security and public trust.

For a candidate country, this means demonstrating the ability to apply European standards in areas such as risk management, incident reporting, supervision, crisis response, and the resilience of essential services. In this sense, cybersecurity is closely tied to Moldova’s European path.

Taken together, these efforts show that the EU-support to Moldova goes beyond individual laws, institutions, or project cycles. It is part of a broader, long-term effort to build a secure, capable, and European digital state.

Ukraine: speed and resilience

In Ukraine, the pace of digital transformation has been notably faster. Digital services have become an integral part of everyday life and, despite the ongoing war, the country has already achieved significant results in digital integration with the European Union. In several areas, Ukraine is progressing faster than many of its peers.

Cooperation with the eGA has played an important role, particularly through EU-supported initiatives such as DT4UA and EU4DigitalUA. A key focus has been electronic identification and trust services, including the alignment of digital signatures with European standards to ensure mutual recognition. While this may appear technical, it has a direct impact on efficiency, reducing processes that once took days or weeks to just minutes.

Cooperation with eGA has played an important role in this process, particularly through EU-supported initiatives such as DT4UA and EU4DigitalUA. One key area has been electronic identification and trust services, including the alignment of digital signatures with European standards to ensure mutual recognition. Although it may sound technical, it directly improves efficiency, turning document signing processes that once took days or weeks into tasks completed within minutes.

Another critical area is interoperability, the ability of systems to exchange data. In Ukraine, this is supported by the Trembita data exchange platform, which enables the integration of data from different registers and supports comprehensive digital services, including those provided through the Diia application.

Despite this progress, several challenges remain. Data quality is a key issue. Even when systems are technically connected, their value depends on the reliability of the data they contain.

Digital transformation also remains uneven. While Ukraine national systems are relatively advanced, the level of digitalisation at the local level varies, leading to unequal access to services. At the same time, resource constraints, particularly in wartime conditions, limit investment in infrastructure, maintenance, and further system development.

Human capacity is another critical factor. Systems require skilled people to operate and maintain them. And here there are two problems. On the one hand, a shortage of skilled personnel exacerbated by the war; on the other hand, a continuous need for upskilling as technologies evolve rapidly.

After more than a decade of supporting Ukraine’s digital transformation, the eGA team will continue to work closely with Ukrainian partners to strengthen digital links with the European Union.

The year 2026 is expected to be a turning point, moving from preparation to real, practical alignment. This will include support in implementing key EU legislation, improving interoperability between Ukrainian and EU public sector systems, and expanding cross-border digital services. Together, these steps will make digital integration a stable and practical part of Ukraine’s path to EU membership.

In short, Ukraine and Moldova’s digital path to the EU is about making institutions work better and building trust in everyday digital services. This is where practical cooperation matters most.

Working closely with partners, the eGA team turns ambition into action and helps both countries move steadily closer to the European Union.