Comparing EU Regulations in the Field of Digital Competences and Practices in Different Countries

Abstract

Digital competences have become a strategic priority for the European Union in the context of digital transformation, labour market restructuring, public service digitalisation and the rapid development of artificial intelligence. The EU has created a complex regulatory and policy framework that includes the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030, DigComp 2.2, DigCompEdu, the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027, Council recommendations on digital skills, and the Artificial Intelligence Act. However, the practical implementation of these instruments differs significantly among EU Member States. The objective of this article is to compare EU regulations in the field of digital competences with national practices in selected countries and to identify the factors that influence differences in digital competence outcomes. The study applies qualitative comparative policy analysis, document analysis and secondary statistical analysis. The research is based on official EU regulatory and policy documents, Eurostat data, and selected national practices from Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Ireland, Estonia, Spain, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria. The results show that EU regulation has established a common conceptual and strategic framework for digital competence development. Nevertheless, national outcomes remain uneven. Countries with strong education systems, developed digital public services, effective lifelong learning policies and high labour market demand for digital skills demonstrate better results. In contrast, countries with weaker digital infrastructure, lower participation in adult learning and stronger socio-economic inequalities remain below the EU average. The study also shows that AI literacy is becoming a new and essential component of digital competence regulation. EU digital competence policy is moving from general skills development toward an integrated governance model combining education, labour market policy, public administration, inclusion and technological regulation. Further research should focus on the effectiveness of national digital skills strategies, the assessment of AI literacy, the reduction of digital divides, and the impact of digital competence policies on employability and social inclusion.