Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2003)406 - Interoperable Delivery of pan-European eGovernment Services to Public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens (IDABC) - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2003)406 - Interoperable Delivery of pan-European eGovernment Services to Public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens (IDABC). |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2003)406  |
| date | 08-07-2003 |
2. In the context of the eEurope initiative, launched as part of the Lisbon strategy and underpinning the strategy of the European Union in the field of eGovernment, governments all over Europe have been actively engaged in improving their way of working with their citizens and enterprises, using IT to deliver services that are safer, quicker and better, easier to use and more accessible. It is important that the national efforts take place giving the necessary consideration to the priorities of the European Union, as otherwise there would be a risk that the development of eGovernment services may inadvertently result in the erection of barriers to the continued development of the Internal Market and the associated freedoms of movement. This would happen if, for example, citizens and businesses that need to interact electronically with public administrations in Member States other than their own, were unable to do so. For the European Union, this would mean failing to promote mobility across national borders, as a means of both creating a competitive and flexible workforce and forging awareness of European citizenship and identity.
3. The second phase of the Interchange of Data between Administrations Programme i (hereinafter IDA II), expiring on 31 December 2004, has been instrumental to achieve a steady progress in the co-operation between European Commission and Member States public administrations, as well as between Community institutions.With respect to enlargement, it should be recalled that IDA has been identified by the Commission in its annual policy strategy for 2003 as contributing to the application of Community legislation, programmes and surveillance procedures and the open method of co-ordination in the new Member States. The programme has in fact provided a forum for exchange of ideas and experiences, and has led to the establishment of a wide portfolio of operational trans-European networks, which have underpinned the development of pan-European eGovernment services, notably between national public administrations as well as between these, the European Commission and the other European Union Institutions. These are now being opened up to the participation of the Acceeding Countries and the Candidate Countries, hence facilitating the implementation of the 'acquis communautaire' by these countries.
4. The IDA II Programme has been effective and efficient to lend support to the execution of Community policies in traditional policy areas such as agriculture, fisheries, employment, and statistics, as well as to new policy areas, like home and justice affairs, novel food safety, organic farming, communicable diseases, environment and maritime safety, civil protection, and humanitarian aid. The administration of the Internal Market has also received an important boost, notably as the Programme has contributed to facilitating the mobility of European citizens and businesses across borders. Apart from the progress achieved in support of specific sectors, such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, a co-ordinated set of services supporting citizens and businesses is being put in place. This encompasses the delivery of information services (notably via the portal of the EU administration, also known as 'public-services.eu.int' and currently in its pilot phase, and specific portals like PLOTEUS on learning opportunities) and the provision of assistance in cases of misapplication of Community legislation by the Member States (via the SOLVIT network). The necessary synergies and integration with other relevant initiatives from the European Commission (like Dialogue with Citizens, Dialogue with Business, Signpost, the Euro Info Centres) are also in the process of being addressed.
5. Finally, IDA II has been providing several administrative sectors with generic services and common tools, comprising guidelines, a communication platform known as TESTA and characterised by a high level of security and availability, and several complementary software tools aimed at achieving interoperability between the back-office administrative systems and processes, as well as between back- and front-office services. In several sectoral policies, the 'IDA way' has contributed to achieving results faster (the best example being the Home and Justice Affairs policy area), with higher quality and meeting business requirements, capitalising on the availability of these services and tools and adding value over what could be obtained from separate and unharmonised implementations. Last but not least, the Programme has also contributed to promote the dialogue between public administrations on strategic issues like open source software and electronic procurement and to launch related co-operative actions.
6. The Action Plan for eEurope 2005, endorsed by the European Council meeting in Seville in June 2002, in particular the chapter on eGovernment, underlines the importance of the Interchange of Data between Administrations (IDA) programme in fostering the establishment of pan-European eGovernment services in support of cross-border activities thus complementing and providing a framework for initiatives regarding eGoverment at national, regional and local levels. In this context, the Commission now proposes a follow-on Programme called IDABC (Interoperable Delivery of pan-European eGovernment Services to Public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens) which will ensure continuity, as many of the IDA II projects of common interest and horizontal measures most recently undertaken will need to evolve from the current preparatory and feasibility phases to the full deployment of the corresponding networks. But, much more importantly, the proposal for the succeeding Programme, positioned as an eGovernment programme, comes from the consideration that eGovernment is today a key vehicle for the implementation and achievement of higher policy objectives. In this context the deployment of trans-European telematic networks should not be considered as the end, but as the means to achieve interoperable information and interactive eGovernment services at the pan-European level, building on and extending to citizens and businesses the benefits resulting from the co-operation between public administrations across Europe.
7. In the timeframe covered by the new Programme (2005-2009), the enlarged European Union will have to make a steady progress towards the achievement of the Lisbon objectives. This and the other priorities of the European Union will underpin major challenges, in particular increases in mobility across borders, which will require increased co-operation between public administrations and reinforce exchanges of data and services across borders. Even more importantly, at a time when the Convention has drawn up a Draft Constitutional Treaty for the European Union, IDABC would be a particularly suitable programme to contribute to the progress of the construction of the European Union via the setting up of pan-European eGovernment services enabling citizens' and businesses' more direct participation in this construction.
8. The new Programme will act, as for the IDA II Programme, in support of the implementation of acts of Community legislation and contribute to improving interinstitutional co-operation, with the delivery of services from public administration to public administration as its core business. This not only because in a number of policies, the implementation of the legal acts only concerns the co-operation between the public administrations, but also because, without co-operation at the administrative level, there would be no way to develop pan-European services to citizens and businesses. Among other considerations, this approach allows the Programme to have a very well defined remit, and act in full complementarity with the other eGovernment related Community Programmes.
9. Drawing on the unique combination of insight and expertise gathered in IDA II from different departments of Member States, Community institutions and European Agencies, the new Programme is expected to strengthen its role in the development of policies, notably on interoperability and eGovernment related issues, and will continue providing guidance and infrastructure services underpinning the development of pan-European eGovernment services.
10. The new Programme will comprise two strands, namely projects of Common Interest in support of sectoral policies and horizontal measures in support of interoperability, mainly infrastructure services. However, in line with the conclusions of the IDA mid-term evaluation, the procedures within the proposed new Programme will be considerably streamlined with respect to IDA II: only one Decision, similarities between operational implementations of projects of common interest and horizontal measures, simplifying the implications of double comitology and providing for increased decentralisation of responsibility to the sectoral policy areas, allowing the Programme management committee to concentrate more on policy and strategic matters.
11. The main objective of the infrastructure services is to facilitate interoperability between systems, information and processes at the pan-European level, as this is a fundamental requirement from both the technical and the economic perspectives. The interoperability of the information systems, the sharing and re-use of the information, and the joining-up of the administrative processes are essential for the provision of high quality, seamless and interactive, user-centric eGovernment services.
12. Interoperability of systems, content, and processes across different levels of government, from local to European, is also fundamental to achieving services of a really pan-European nature and reducing the risk of fragmentarity in eGovernment developments.
13. In order to establish a dialogue with other stakeholders representing regional and local authorities as well as consumers' and businesses' associations, an Advisory Board might be established by a Commission Decision in the coming months.
14. With a view to strengthening the selection of projects of common interest and horizontal measures to be funded under the Programme, a comprehensive global implementation plan will be required from each of them. To ensure the viability, the plan must contain concrete plans for ensuring the financial and operational sustainability of the project during the post-implementation phase. In respect of horizontal measures, the Programme foresees that the Commission in co-operation with the Management Committee defines, within two years following the entering into force of the Decision establishing the Programme, a mechanism that will ensure the financial sustainability of horizontal measures related to infrastructure services, e.g. through public-private co-operation or by transferring some of the services to an agency.
15. A work programme covering the full duration of the Programme is envisaged in order to allow a speedier and smoother execution of projects of common interest, the duration of which may normally not exceed four years. Budget is suggested to be allocated virtually to projects of common interest and horizontal measures for their full duration and released on achievement on milestones foreseen, mainly in the global implementation plans.
16. Having experienced an interest for infrastructure services presently provided by the IDA II Programme, e.g. the communication platform TESTA, from sectors working in areas not comprised by the Treaty establishing the European Community, the new Programme permits the use of infrastructure services in the framework of common foreign and security policy and police and judicial co-operation in criminal matters.
17. The need for pan-European eGovernment services as well as interoperability in general, and more specifically in relation to the underlying telematic networks, does not stop at the borders of the European Union. Therefore, the possibility of extending the scope of the Programme to third countries as well as international organisations or bodies is envisaged, consequently adding an international dimension to the delivery of eGovernment services.