Digital trade regulatory readiness : a global database

Title page 1

Contents 4

Abbreviations 7

Acknowledgements 8

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 10

1. INTRODUCTION 13

A. Digital trade and regulation 14

B. Existing databases 17

2. DTRR REGULATORY AREAS 21

A. Policies and measures covered 23

i. Regulatory solutions 24

B. Regulation on electronic transactions 25

i. Electronic documents 26

ii. Electronic signatures & digital authentication 26

iii. Paperless trade 27

C. Trust building regulation 27

i. Online consumer protection 27

ii. Data protection 28

iii. Artificial intelligence 28

iv. Cybersecurity & cybercrime 28

D. Platform regulation 29

i. Cross-border data 29

ii. Intermediary liability 30

3. DTRR DATABASE METHODOLOGY 33

A. Data collection and review methodology 33

i. Traceability to its original source 34

ii. Scope of the data collection 34

iii. Interpretation 35

iv. Deviations I. Restrictions on crossborder data flows 37

v. Deviations II. Paperless Trade and Digital ID 37

B. Geographical scope 38

C. Caveats 38

i. Sub-set of regulation 39

ii. Legal interpretation 40

iii. Implementation / de facto Regulation 40

iv/iii. Different legal systems 40

v. Presenting regulatory "Readiness" trends: quintiles 42

D. Next steps 42

i. Data update and validation 42

ii. Expansion of data coverage 43

iii. Uses 43

iv. Analytical and Quantitative work 43

v. Feedback 44

4. LOOKING AHEAD 45

Bibliography 47

Annex I. List of Regulatory Solutions Captured in DTRR Database 49

Tables 18

Table 1. Comparison of digital regulation databases 18

Table 2. Regulatory pillars and areas covered by DTRR database 23

Table 3. Regulatory solutions on intermediary liability. Selected countries 25

Table 4. Common legislative sources 36

Table 5. Economies covered in DTRR database 39

Boxes 16

Box 1. Defining digital trade 16

Box 2. The EU's eIDAS Regulation: A framework for cross border E-ID and Trust Services 26

Box 3. Federalism versus unitary systems of government 41

Box Figures 16

Figure B.1. Types of digital trade I 16

Figure B.2. Types of digital trade II 17