• Rural Digital Europe
• 2018-2022close
• Open Access close
• Article close
• E-resource repository of the University of Latvia close
• Rural Digital Europe close

Digital skills are defined as a basic competence, the same level as reading or writing and it is important for country to provide successful digitalisation in regions as regional development is the basis for national development. Purpose of the study is to analyse digitalisation in the regions of Latvia. The tasks of the study: 1) to analyse theoretical background of digitalisation in context of regional development; 2) to analyse existing research of digitalisation in the regions in EU; 3) to analyse problems of digitalisation in the regions of Latvia. Research methods used in preparation of this article: scientific publication and previous conducted research results analysis, analysis of Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), EU-SILC results (in 2014–2017) and results of the survey realised in Latvia at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018 on internet shopping in cooperation with company iMarketing.lv, University of Latvia and Chamber of Trade and Commerce of Latvia (n = 2513). Data are compared with the results of other Eurozone and OECD countries. For data analysis there were used indicators of descriptive statistics (indicators of central tendency or location – arithmetic mean, mode, median), indicators of variability (indicators of dispersion – range, standard deviation and standard error of mean), cross-tabulations for regions in Latvia, for household members, for urban – rural living and analysis of variance – ANOVA are used. The results of analysis have indicated different challenges for decision makers on different levels. The research was supported by the NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMME “LATVIAN HERITAGE AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE STATE” project “CHALLENGES FOR THE LATVIAN STATE AND SOCIETY AND THE SOLUTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT" (INTERFRAME-LV, Project No.VPP-IZM-2018/1-0005)

An article about Jānis Ilsters (1851-1889), Latvian botanist, pedagogue, poet, farmer, folklorist, local historian and author of the first botany textbook in Latvian language, informative materials about which and part of his herbarium are stored in the Botany and Mycology collections of the Museum of the University of Latvia. Raksts par Jāni Ilsteru (1851-1889), latviešu botāniķi, pedagogu, dzejnieku, lauksaimnieku, folkloristu, novadpētnieku un pirmās botānikas mācību grāmatas latviešu valodā autoru, informatīvie materiāli par kuru un daļa no viņa ievāktā herbārija glabājas Latvijas Universitātes Muzeja Botānikas un mikoloģijas kolekcijās.

The Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) aims to regulate insurance distribution in the EU regardless of distribution channels and means. Although new technologies affect insurance distribution, the IDD does not explicitly regulate this digital transformation. Insurers and intermediaries must comply with detailed business conduct rules that aim to counteract distribution risks. However, the IDD exempts ancillary insurance intermediaries from its scope when they meet certain conditions. The article highlights the regulatory framework on insurance, requiring insurers and intermediaries to address distribution risks, and analyses how this exemption affects the management of distribution risks in online distribution from a legal perspective. The focus on online distribution depends on the scale such distribution can achieve. The consideration of the scale allows for challenging the political choice behind the exemption of ancillary insurance intermediaries, which consists of the principle of proportionality. A regulatory proposal to counteract these adverse effects is to remove the exemption from the IDD rules for ancillary intermediaries in online distribution. Such a proposal is compliant with the principle of technological neutrality and is in line with the new legislative proposals in the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. ---//--- This article is an open access article distributed under the terms andconditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Publikācija uzrakstīta un izdota Fundamentālo un lietišķo pētījumu programmas ietvaros: lzp-2020/2-0061 "Mazo un vidējo uzņēmumu (MVU) digitālā transformācija un ilgtspēja Latvijas ekonomikas restartēšanai un modernizācijai (DigiSMEs)"

Due to the implementation of new technologies and orientation on digital solutions the communication and sales channels have changed dramatically. Information and client service on-line availability presents strong advantages for business, state agencies as well as customers. However, lack of personal interaction during the communication and sales process can make it difficult for people to understand and even frustrate their desire for a product or service. The purpose of the research is to analyse the digitalization impact on voluntary savings for retirement in Latvia and make comparisons with other countries. The voluntary pension schemes are the part of pension system and its third pillar created to strengthen and foster sustainability and adequacy of people income level after retirement. Main stakeholders in voluntary savings for retirement are pension funds as well as government agencies carrying out the national pension system policy. Among other motivation factors the people knowledge level about the necessity to participate in third pension level causes their willingness to create voluntary savings. Service providers chosen marketing and governments realized legislation policy impact the level of people engagement in private pensions and make a basis for people retirement period living standards. Research methods used are analysis of scientific publications and previous conducted research, analysis of statistical data and sales and communication channels in Latvia. The results of analyses show the challenges that service providers are facing and steps that should be taken to promote the voluntary savings in a digital era. The research was supported by the NATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAMME “LATVIAN HERITAGE AND FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE STATE” project “CHALLENGES FOR THE LATVIAN STATE AND SOCIETY AND THE SOLUTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT" (INTERFRAME-LV, Project No.VPP-IZM-2018/1-0005)