The Contribution Of European Countries To Global Trends In Trade In Digitally Delivered Services

Considering the advance of digital technologies used in services traded at a global level, the objective of this paper is to highlight the contribution of the European countries in the global trends of trade in services delivered by digital means, due to their high participation in the global exports of digitally traded services. To define the scope of our analysis, we focus on the primary categories of digitally delivered services traded globally. These categories are recognized in international practices and by organizations responsible for establishing regulatory frameworks for these emerging transaction types. Based on the data published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Trade Organization and United Nations Trade and Development, our research emphasises the dominant role of the European countries in the trade in digital services (with more than 50% of the world flows), due to their advanced level of economic development, favourable conditions in using the new digital technologies, as well as the supporting regulatory framework to these transactions (the digitization being a strategic objective of European Union Agenda).