Romania’s Digital Future: CRPE launches its 2nd monitoring report on the National Digital Decade Roadmap
CRPE organised a debate on the future of Romania’s digital transformation to mark the launch of its second annual independent assessment of the National Digital Decade Roadmap. The event brought together representatives of public institutions, experts, the private sector, civil society and academia to discuss progress, persistent challenges and the priorities Romania should pursue in the coming years.
The discussion started with a fundamental question: What is Romania’s actual ambition when it comes to digital transformation, and what targets do we want to achieve?
CRPE’s 2nd monitoring report: Limited progress and persistent structural challenges
CRPE’s first independent assessment, published in 2025, had already highlighted significant weaknesses: the lack of a coherent and ambitious strategy, insufficiently substantiated national targets and an excessive reliance on EU-funded projects originally designed for other purposes.
One year later, the structural challenges persist. Progress in implementing the national roadmap has been limited, government-level coordination remains insufficient, and Romania continues to lag behind other European countries, particularly in terms of citizens’ digital skills, the adoption of digital technologies and the quality of public services.
CRPE’s monitoring also highlights the importance of establishing a clearer link between EU-funded investments and Romania’s strategic objectives. Individual projects and investments are necessary, but they cannot replace an integrated national strategy with clear priorities, meaningful indicators and transparent mechanisms for monitoring progress.
Romania’s Digital Future: Where do we want to go and how?
The presentation of the report, Romania’s National Digital Decade Roadmap: Second Annual Assessment – Some Progress, but Greater Ambition Is Needed, was followed by an informal discussion on the direction of Romania’s digital transformation and the lessons learned during the first years of implementing the Digital Decade framework.
Participants discussed the challenges of implementing the national roadmap, the role of public institutions in coordinating digital transformation and the need to define clearer objectives for the next stage. Particular attention was given to the opportunity to rethink Romania’s priorities as several projects funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) approach completion and the European Digital Decade 2030 programme enters a new phase.
Updating the National Roadmap: An opportunity Romania cannot afford to miss
Romania is at an important turning point for the future of its digital policies. Updating the National Digital Decade Roadmap is necessary, but it should not be merely an administrative exercise or a formal revision of existing objectives.
CRPE believes that the process should start with a genuine debate on Romania’s priorities and the results the country aims to achieve. A credible digital strategy requires clear objectives, political commitment, coordination between institutions and meaningful consultation with all stakeholders involved in digital transformation.
The business community, academia and civil society should participate in defining the new priorities, alongside the responsible public authorities. Public consultation was largely absent from the development of the initial roadmap, and this experience should not be repeated.
Important opportunities remain available, including EU funding, valuable initiatives within public administration, particularly at local level, and solutions developed by the private sector and civil society. To make the most of this potential, however, Romania needs a shared vision of the digital transformation it wants to achieve.
What comes next?
CRPE’s second annual monitoring report provides a new starting point for assessing the implementation of the Digital Decade in Romania and opening a broader discussion on the future of the country’s digital policies.
The challenge ahead is not simply to update a strategic document, but to establish a clear and shared direction that connects investments and reforms with the actual needs of citizens and the economy.
Read the full report: Romania’s National Digital Decade Roadmap – Second Annual Assessment.
This project is funded by the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) under the EURECA Plus 2026 project, co-funded by the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or ECAS. Neither the European Union nor ECAS can be held responsible for them.