DIGITALIZATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES IN THE FIELD OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY: EUROPEAN STANDARDS AND UKRAINIAN PRACTICE

Abstract

The article examines the administrative and legal foundations of the digitalization of administrative procedures in the field of entrepreneurial activity within the context of the contemporary transformation of the public administration system. The study analyzes theoretical approaches to the interpretation of the category of “digitalization” in legal scholarship and public administration theory and substantiates the necessity of distinguishing this concept from the related notions of digital transformation and digitization. It is established that the digitalization of administrative procedures should not be reduced merely to a technological process of converting document circulation into electronic form; rather, it constitutes a comprehensive mechanism for transforming administrative and legal relations between public administration bodies and business entities. The paper explores the leading European standards and the principal directions of digitalization of administrative procedures in the field of entrepreneurship, including the development of electronic administrative services, electronic interaction between public authorities, and the use of digital platforms and information systems in the exercise of managerial functions. It is substantiated that the contemporary digital transformation of public administration is associated not only with the simplification of administrative procedures, but also with the transformation of the very model of interaction between the state and private individuals. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the current state of legal regulation of the digitalization of administrative procedures in Ukraine. The role of legislation on administrative procedure, electronic trust services, state electronic resources, and digital administrative services in the formation of the national model of digital public administration is characterized. It is established that Ukraine has witnessed the gradual development of digital administrative infrastructure and the expansion of administrative services provided in digital form in recent years. At the same time, it is argued that the further digitalization of administrative procedures in the field of entrepreneurial activity requires comprehensive improvement of administrative and legal regulation. The study identifies such pressing issues as the fragmentation of the regulatory framework, insufficient integration of electronic systems, unequal access to digital services, as well as the legal regulation of automated administrative decision-making and the use of artificial intelligence technologies in public administration. Based on the findings of the study, the author formulates general directions for further improvement of the legal framework governing the digitalization of administrative procedures in the field of entrepreneurial activity, taking into account contemporary trends in the development of digital governance and the transformation of public administration.