The idea of economic growth and local development based on the arts and culture takes a solid root in the Central Europe. Cultural and creative industries are now often perceived as tools that can not only enliven vacant and underutilized infrastructures but also generate jobs and retain inhabitants in, until recently, unattractive localities. 

In early June, the European Commission issued guidelines on how to regulate the functioning of sharing economy platforms on the EU internal market. Is it possible to create a single horizontal definition of the phenomenon? In what aspects is the regulatory approach of the V4 countries different from the other EU member states? And what are the tax risks associated with the diffusion of such platforms?

In the near future, nearly all jobs will require some level of digital skills and the Digital Single Market could contribute €415 billion per year to the EU economy. Digital skills are therefore vital for innovation, growth, jobs and competitiveness. The European Commission estimates that there will be 18,000 ICT professional vacancies in the Czech Republic in 2020. More than 40% of Czechs have  no or low digital skills and around one-third of Czechs active in the labor market have no or low digital skills, the European Commission says.   

Last week, OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office, published its 2015 Annual Report. It summarizes information on preventing and tackling fraud and corruption in the EU. As for the Czech Republic, there were 12 allegations of fraud or serious misconduct coming to OLAF from the Czech Republic in 2015,