The Philosophical and Legal Aspect of the Unified Information and Digital Area in the Eurasian Economic Union: The Fifth Freedom of the Single Market

Abstract

The article deals with the philosophical and legal foundations of the formation of single information and digital area as one of the contemporary objectives in the Eurasian Economic Union. It is pointed out, that the concept of information society spreads over the integration processes and makes to go beyond traditional approaches to the common market and its four freedoms of movement of goods, services, capital, labor. Freedom of information is the fifth freedom of the common market, and digital agenda is included currently in strategies of many integration associations. However, economic issues are not the only that should be referred to, while implementing the latter. The following elements should shape any information and digital strategy of an integration such as security and data protection, trade and competitiveness, management transparency and accessibility, dispute resolution. To regulate the processes of implementing the digital agenda in the EAEU by 2025, member states have chosen the method of coordination. It is justified to harmonize national policies for the digitalization of the economy and governance, while it is necessary to ensure the digital sovereignty of EAEU states as well as to create a market for their own digital solutions in the region.