Since the pandemic, telework has been on the rise and is here to stay. In 2023, nearly 1 in 4 employees in the EU worked from home at least part of the time, and almost 75% want to continue teleworking at least several times a month. While teleworking within member states has become relatively easy, cross-border remote work remains fraught with administrative hurdles, costs, and uncertainties —especially for SMEs. In her latest Policy Paper, EUROPEUM Institute Research Fellow Silke Maes explores why remote work is still difficult, why regulating telework isn’t yet a priority, and how tax, social security, and labour law could be adjusted to the era of digital work.

Boosting European productivity and competitiveness hinges on both the development and uptake of technology, especially AI. Europe has a chance to place itself centrally in the AI value chain if the EU and its member states ensure access to computing power, data and finance as well as improving citizens’ basic and advanced digital skills. Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute Silke Maes, among other contributors, writes in this Policy Brief.

The rapid uptake of telework, facilitated by digitalisation, has upset a system based on physical presence in the workplace in the EU. Especially since the pandemic, telework has become increasingly prevalent and an integral part of employees’ working and expectation patterns. Our research fellow Silke Maes covered this topic in her policy paper, highlighting the challenges and opportunities telework presents for cross-border coordination.

The European Parliament elections are less than a month away. One of the issues that will affect not only them, but also the next five years, is digitalization and the rise of technology. According to experts, the challenge will be to protect the elections from misinformation and to tame technology so that it benefits citizens above all. What does Europe need to do to ensure that it does not fall behind the rest of the world in technology? What needs to be regulated and how? Silke Maes, researcher at EUROPEUM Institute, comments for TN.cz.

This year, the EU marks the anniversary of the biggest wave of enlargement in its history, when the Czech Republic joined the Union along with nine other Central and Eastern European countries. One of the main promises associated with enlargement was that the new Member States would catch up with Western Europe in terms of living standards. Read more in Silke Maes' policy paper.

In the global competition for technological dominance, this policy brief sets out six principles for the next Commission on how to play the digital power game with limited resources. Despite the size of its market, the EU lacks common fiscal capacity, capital markets and labour market dynamics. Writes Silke Maes, Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute.

Our researcher Silke Maes in her latest report addresses issues of cyberviolence on women and examines whether women in the CEE benefit from digitalisation (and AI). The report looks into how women use and contribute to the digital space, examines opportunities and challenges and proposes recommendations for a more inclusive digital space.

As the final phase of negotiations between the European Parliament and the Member States on the EU Platform Work Directive approaches, the fate of millions of workers hangs in the balance. Time is running out to protect Czech and EU workers from the Turbo Shvarc system. Read the full article by Silke Maes Junior Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute.

There is a row in Brussels over the upcoming regulation of AI. Our junior research fellow Silke Maes assesses what arguments are being put forward by individual member states and what impact they will have on future developments in her commentary.

In her policy paper, our Junior Researcher, Silke Maes, discusses the challenges posed by the increasing digitalization of the economy to tax systems. It highlights the problems of tax avoidance and competition arising from the increasing reliance on intangible assets and the emergence of highly profitable digital business models. The paper focuses on the efforts made at the OECD, EU, and national levels to address these issues.