In 2018 Estonia was the chair of the European Union, as the leadership switches every six months on a running schedule, so all countries get to be chair. Estonia is deeply engaged with the digital transformation and has been an inspiration for many.

During their presidency, all the European Union Member States and EFTA countries signed the ‘eGovernment Declaration’ in Tallinn on 6 October 2017. The so-called Tallinn Declaration, with its seven principles, focuses on high quality, user-centric digital public services for citizens as well as seamless cross-border public services for businesses. In December 2020, the Tallinn Declaration was further underpinned by the Berlin Declaration, which re-affirms Europe’s deep commitment to fundamental rights and European values and emphasises the importance of digital public services. The Berlin Declaration takes the principles formulated in the Tallinn Declaration further by enhancing the role of public administrations in driving Europe’s digital transformation.