Mapping digital trade regulations in Central Europe: Regional Trends and the Czech Case
paper
Within the Think Visegrad – V4 Think-Tank Platform, Tomás Rogaler has published a policy paper analysing how regulatory frameworks in the Visegrad countries shape digital trade integration. The paper maps both EU-wide and national measures affecting ICT goods, digital services and data governance, and pays particular attention to the Czech case and its implications for businesses and policy-makers.
Digital trade is becoming a key driver of the global economy, but its rapid growth also raises new regulatory challenges, especially in areas such as data governance, privacy and cybersecurity. This policy paper maps restrictive and enabling measures across Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia using the DTI methodology and shows that, although EU legislation creates a shared baseline, national implementation still shapes how open each country’s digital trade environment is in practice. Alongside this regional comparison, the paper offers an in-depth case study of Czechia, drawing on legal analysis and interviews with entrepreneurs and fintech actors. It finds that Czechia is broadly open in areas such as ICT tariffs, investment and telecommunications, yet faces bottlenecks linked to data compliance costs, public procurement transparency and the absence of a modern framework for digital contracts. The study concludes with concrete recommendations aimed at making regulation more proportionate and strengthening the competitiveness of Czech digital firms within the EU.
The policy paper was published within the Think Visegrad – V4 Think-Tank Platform and supported by the International Visegrad Fund. You can read the full paper here or find it attached.
