The Commission presents its report on the findings and recommendations of the interim evaluation on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA2).

As provided for in the ISA2 Decision , on 1 January 2016 the five-year programme on interoperability solutions and common frameworks for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (ISA2 programme) was launched as a follow-up to the ISA programme.

This report presents the findings and recommendations of the interim evaluation of the ISA2 programme. Under this Decision, the Commission is required to carry out this evaluation and communicate its results to the European Parliament and the Council by 30 September 2019. Data was collected from 129 consulted stakeholders, extensive desk research, and expert assessments

Overall findings

The interim evaluation confirms that ISA2 performs well in all the evaluation criteria. However, the evaluation is confined to actions funded between 2016 and 2018. Hence, the results of ongoing actions as well the longer-term outcomes of ISA2 can only be captured after the programme finishes.

Relevance

The objectives pursued by ISA2 are still pertinent in relation to the evolving needs and problems in the field of interoperability of digital public services, confirming the programme’s relevance. Most of the consulted stakeholders agree that the problem of administrative e-barriers and related needs originally identified by the programme are still valid.

Further collaboration and exchanges with regional and local administrations are needed in order to increase awareness of interoperability and the take-up of ISA2 solutions at the subnational level. Raising public administrations’ awareness on interoperability was the first of the three recommendations in the final evaluation of the ISA programme.

The ISA2 programme acted upon this call by adopting its communication strategy and engagement plan in 2017 and by organising 10 major events between 2016 and 2018, with an average of 211 participants per event. The programme should continue its awareness-raising activities targeting regional and local administrations and possibly indirect beneficiaries, like citizens and businesses.

Effectiveness

The results achieved so far by ISA2 are aligned with the programme’s objectives. Nevertheless, they still do not fully match the expected results, as most of the actions are still ongoing and solutions are still being developed. The duration of the programme also influences the take-up rate of solutions. There is one specific ISA2 objective where the evaluation found that the programme on its own is less effective: the development of a more effective, simplified and user-friendly e-administration at the national, regional and local level. Here Member States can in fact have a great impact, and complement the EU-level initiatives on interoperability and digitalisation. External factors can improve but also jeopardise the way in which the programme achieves its objectives and delivers its results.

Efficiency

The programme’s implementation is progressing as planned; all actions are either on track or close to achieving the planned level of work. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of performance indicators makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the programme’s overall cost-effectiveness.

For those ISA2 packages where it was possible to aggregate performance indicators of different actions, costs per end-user (e.g. businesses, citizens) have been estimated as very low. The process for selecting actions funded by ISA2 is considered relatively efficient.

EU added value

The level of coordination ensured by ISA2 is crucial to improving the overall interoperability among European public administrations. In addition, 91 out of 109 respondents emphasised that ISA2 is able to achieve its objectives at a lower cost than comparable national or sub-national initiatives.

ISA2 has also helped to further common EU policies: it plays a central role in implementing the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and supports the establishment of the digital single market

Recommendations

The interim evaluation paints a positive picture of the ISA2 programme’s performance so far. However, it also identifies areas for possible improvement.

- Awareness-raising beyond national administrations : the Commission, through the ISA2 programme, will continue its efforts to raise the European public sector’s awareness of interoperability, which is a key enabler of digitalisation, especially ensuring more collaboration with the regional and local administrations during this work. In the ISA2 programme’s final stage, even more emphasis should be put on ensuring that public administrations, academia and interested professionals share best practices among themselves.

- From user-centric to user-driven solutions : to increase the programme’s utility, ISA2 could improve the quality of its existing solutions by better considering user needs. This approach could prevail during the implementation of the last ISA2 work programme, thus promoting the EIF principle on user-centricity both in the Commission and in the Member States. However, in the coming years it is advisable to move from a user-centric to a user-driven paradigm, where users become involved in the design phase of an interoperability solution. An interoperability incubator could foster such a co-creation process, which would allow for new, user-oriented solutions to be experimented with and prototyped in a safe environment.

Increased sustainability

When assessing the EU added value and sustainability of the ISA2 programme, the interim evaluation found that it plays an essential role in setting up a uniform interoperability landscape in the European public sector. After the ISA2 programme ends, it is vital to preserve and increase the ability of European public administrations to work together towards attaining mutually beneficial goals, involving the sharing of information and knowledge, which is at the core of interoperability at large. For that, strong political commitment and solid funding are needed.

Funding

Concerning the future funding for interoperability, it is envisaged in the Digital Europe Programme (DEP), which is one of the Commission’s sectoral proposals under the MFF 2021-2027 legislative package. In addition, the Commission should act upon the synergies created between ISA2 and other EU programmes to promote the EIF and interoperability in general and to facilitate the broad reuse of ISA2 solutions.

Follow up

The interim report noted that in the ongoing implementation of the ISA2 programme, the Commission will pay the utmost attention to the above findings and recommendations, analysing them to validate and address the issues raised, wherever appropriate in close cooperation with the Member States. The findings and recommendations of the ISA2 programme’s interim evaluation will also inform the transition to the new MFF programmes.

This Commission staff working document accompanies the report on the results of the interim evaluation of the ISA2 programme.

As a reminder, ISA2 is a European funding programme offering interoperability solutions and common frameworks for European public administrations, businesses and citizens. It is the fifth in a series of European instruments fostering interoperability in the European public sector since 1995. It follows the ISA programme, which terminated in 2015, and covers the 2016-2020 period.

ISA2 was established by Decision (EU) 2015/2240 of the European Parliament and of the Council (‘ISA2 Decision’), which legally requires the European Commission to carry out an interim evaluation of the programme by 30 September 2019, and to communicate the results.

Overall findings

The Commission noted that although the evaluation was able to draw robust conclusions for all evaluation criteria based on the collected data, there were two limitations:

(1) Timing: as this is an interim evaluation, the analysis covered only the first three years of the programme (2016, 2017 and 2018). The ongoing ISA2 actions are expected to produce further results in the coming years, which will influence the programme’s overall achievement of objectives.

(2) Reach: ISA2 is a very technical programme, and mainly involves interoperability experts. This explains the rather low participation in the stakeholder consultation activities. Another reason stems from the stringent confidentiality and data protection rules: without their specific consent, the evaluation team could approach ISA2 solution users only through the action owners acting as intermediaries.

Based on data collected from 129 consulted stakeholders, extensive desk research, and expert assessments, the interim evaluation confirms that ISA2 performs well in all the evaluation criteria.

Relevance : the original needs and problems that the programme intended to address are still fully relevant and the objectives of ISA2 address them. One additional need that deserves special attention is the request to ensure more collaboration and exchanges with regional and local administrations in order to increase awareness of interoperability and the take-up of ISA2 solutions at the sub-national level.

Effectiveness : the results that ISA2 has achieved so far are aligned with its objectives. There is one specific ISA2 objective where the evaluation found that the programme on its own is less effective: the development of a more effective, simplified and user-friendly e-administration at the national, regional and local level.

Efficiency : the programme’s implementation is progressing as planned, all actions being either on track or close to achieving the planned level of work. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of performance indicators makes it difficult to draw conclusions about its overall cost-effectiveness.

Coherence : substantial synergies and limited overlaps among ISA2 actions paint a positive picture of the programme’s internal coherence. This strong internal coherence is in line with the second recommendation of the final ISA evaluation, which called for taking a holistic approach to interoperability within ISA2.

Synergies were established with the Connecting Europe Facility, Horizon 2020 and the Structural Reform Support Programme.

Improvements

The interim evaluation identified several potential measures that may improve the performance of ISA2 and its successor instruments. It is up to the programme’s management to assess the feasibility of these actions and put forward specific recommendations, which the Commission could then put into practice in the future.

The Commission presented a report on the main results of the final evaluation of the ISA programme, the six year programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations) which was launched on 1 January 2010.

The ISA programme was established building on progress under its predecessor (IDA and IDABC) programmes. As the ISA Decision3 made clear, the main objective of the ISA programme was to support cooperation between European public administrations with a view to enabling the delivery of electronic public services supporting the implementation of EU policies and activities.

The final evaluation of the ISA programme was based on quantitative and qualitative data collected in a variety of ways, involving a broad range of representatives from Member State and EU services, and a limited number of stakeholders from civil society and private organisations with which the programme interacted. It focused on the following seven main criteria : (i) relevance; (ii) efficiency; (iii) effectiveness; (iv) utility; (v) sustainability; (vi) coherence; (vii) coordination of activities.

Conclusions and final evaluation : the final evaluation was largely positive , concluding that the ISA programme was aligned with the Union policy priorities and Member States’ needs. It found that:

it was implemented efficiently and coherently , delivering results that are re-used by both Commission services and Member States; it has been effective in achieving its objectives and delivering operational solutions facilitating effective collaboration between European public administrations, including the assessment of ICT implications of new EU legislation.

The achieved and anticipated results and impacts of the ISA programme largely address the business needs identified . The programme sufficiently addressed that on improving interaction with stakeholders, and made consistent progress in addressing the others.

However, the evaluation concluded that the following areas require ongoing effort under the new ISA2 programme:

communication with public administrations and raising their awareness on interoperability; enhancing the holistic approach and horizontal cross-cutting view of interoperability; cooperation with other EU policies and initiatives.

Recommendations : the Commission noted that the ISA Decision did not provide for action to address the needs of end-users, but experience of implementing the programme and consultation with action ‘owners’ and Member States made it clear that this was necessary. This limitation is addressed in the recommendation to extend the scope of the new ISA2 programme to businesses and citizens .

The evaluation found that the ISA² programme should develop a more systematic ‘business-case’ approach , which would also serve to highlight further the role of interoperability in producing economic and societal benefits.

In addition, the Commission should endeavour to respect its staffing targets , particularly as the actual allocation of human resources was always lower than that originally envisaged in the programme.

The evaluation concluded that concerted efforts should be continued in the following areas under the new ISA2 programme:

1) Communication with public administrations and raising their awareness on interoperability : between 2010 and 2015, approximately two thirds of the events that the ISA programme organised and held with Member State representatives, and 63 % (25) of the 40 events organised by Member States in which the ISA programme participated, were held after 2013, i.e. after the interim evaluation.

The ISA2 programme should update and implement a communication strategy, with a focus on targeted engagement, including with sector-specific stakeholders.

2) Develop the holistic approach and cross-cutting view of interoperability : the European Interoperability Reference Architecture (EIRA) and the European Interoperability Cartography (EICart) have a vital role in the dissemination of results and better identification of needs.

Now that the assessment of the ICT implications of new EU legislation has been included in the impact assessment process, the ISA2 programme should continue to play its intended role and deploy its expertise to promote this exercise and support the DGs and services undertaking such assessments.

The ISA2 programme should develop a more systematic approach to supporting and monitoring the use of common services and generic tools, but also the application and implementation of common frameworks.

3) Cooperation with other EU policies and initiatives : the ISA programme should build on the clear improvements in the coordination of activities relating to interoperability and e-government across the Commission that the ISA programme has brought about since the interim evaluation. This includes:

the ongoing cooperation with DG CNECT (communication networks) on the CEF and the new 2016-2020 e-Government Action Plan; plans to cooperate with DG EMPL and DG REGIO to identify existing or new ISA/ISA2 actions that have the potential to contribute to the ESIF thematic objectives 2, (‘enhancing access to, and use and quality of ICT’), and 11, (‘enhancing institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders and efficient public administration’). This is in addition to work on evaluating national operational programmes and identifying conditions; the ISA programme has shown strong potential for greater cooperation with, inter alia, DG HOME (Migration and Home Affairs), DG JUST (Justice and Consumers), DG MARE (Maritime Affairs and Fisheries), DG FISMA (Financial services), DG GROW (Internal market) and the Joint Research Centre.

The final evaluation sees the new Inter-service Group on Public Administration Quality and Innovation as the main driver to achieve consistent cooperation and coherence among EU policies and initiatives contributing to public sector modernisation.

In accordance with Decision No 922/2009/EC on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA), the Commission presents a report on the findings and recommendations of the interim evaluation of the ISA programme which was launched on 1 January 2010 as a follow-up programme to the IDABC programme.

Main Findings: the evaluation was largely positive, describing the ISA programme as aligned with the policy priorities of the European Commission and the needs of Member States and implemented efficiently and coherently, delivering results that are reused by both Commission services and Member States.

Relevance: the Commission has demonstrated that 88% of the ISA actions facilitate efficient cross-sectoral interaction between European public administrations and 94% facilitate electronic cross-border interaction between public administrations across Europe.

The ISA programme is closely aligned with both the Digital Agenda for Europe and the eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015 . The improvement of coordination between the ISA programme and both Member States and Commission services and the increased reusability of ISA solutions were additional needs identified by Member States.

Efficiency: overall, the ISA programme is considered to be efficient. In addition, the budget allocated is almost equal to the budget committed, and the total budget for the period 2010-12 is very close to the estimated financial cost for that period. Therefore, the budgetary resources are allocated and consumed efficiently. As to programme performance, this is generally on track, despite some delays in meeting some milestones. Some aspects of the ISA programme are not perceived as efficient: (i) the engagement of stakeholders is not considered efficient, particularly that of national interoperability experts. This can partly be explained by a lack of resources at national level; (ii) the allocation of human resources is only partially adequate.

Effectiveness : whilst a specific assessment of the results achieved by the programme is not yet feasible as the ISA programme is still in its early stages, common frameworks were perceived as the most effective solutions provided by the programme as compared to common services or reusable generic tools.

Utility: the results of the ISA programme are partially reused at both Member State and Commission level. Although concrete solutions could not always be named, some 24% of the ISA solutions are reused, representing roughly 65% of the total budget of the programme.

Recommendations

The evaluation report also highlights additional shortcomings and makes recommendations with regard to certain issues.

Communication and raising awareness : the ISA programme must ensure that all stakeholders involved in the ISA programme are well aware of the objectives of each action. It should reinforce promotion and communication activities regarding the ISA solutions that have produced concrete results by continuously participating in events at national level, organising ISA events, and issuing publications on these solutions, as well as by playing an active role in other EU activities or programmes supporting opportunities for the reuse of ISA solutions.

The Commission is revising the communication strategy and will complement the overall strategy by pursuing dedicated communication activities in specific areas.

Engagement of stakeholders and project management continuity : the Commission will support Member States in implementing this recommendation by, for example:

making use of the established networks with EU regions; exploring means of remote participation in meetings (videoconferences) other means to be identified together with the Member States.

In addition, the ISA programme will give priority to activities to assess the ICT implications of EU legislation, which Member States consider to be an important issue that has not yet been addressed.

The Commission is exploring synergies among its services by promoting inter-service contacts and stronger cooperation between services.

Avoiding overlaps and duplications, of work, increasing reusability and ensuring sustainability: t he Commission takes a holistic approach to addressing the reusability and sustainability of interoperability solutions by acting at different levels:

at governance level, by improving the links between the Commission’s IT governance, the ISA programme and through the ISA committee with the Member States; at the strategic level, by putting more emphasis on reusability and sustainability in future ISA work plans and, if necessary, by a possible review of the European Interoperability Strategy (EIS); at operational level, by taking action to ensure better reusability of interoperability solutions and to develop sustainability enablers (e.g. European Interoperability Architecture (EIA), European Federated Interoperability Repository (EFIR), Assessment of trans-European networks supporting EU policies, Sharing and reuse strategy) and by considering possible means of financial sustainability including the proposed CEF.

Lastly, in line with the evaluator's recommendation, the ISA unit will identify actions producing concrete results by reviewing ISA solutions every two years as specified in the ISA Decision.

PURPOSE: to facilitate the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sectoral interaction between European public administrations enabling the delivery of electronic public services supporting the implementation of Community policies and activities.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision No 922/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA).

CONTENT: in accordance with a first reading agreement reached with the European Parliament, the Council adopted a decision establishing, for the period 2010-2015, a programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, including local and regional administrations and Community institutions and bodies, providing common and shared solutions facilitating interoperability (the ISA programme).

The ISA programme is a follow-on to the IDABC programme (interoperable delivery of pan-European eGovernment services to public administrations, businesses and citizens), which will end on 31 December 2009.

Objective : this programme aims to support cooperation between European public administrations by facilitating the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sectoral interaction between such administrations.

The ISA programme shall support and promote:

the establishment and improvement of common frameworks in support of cross-border and cross-sectoral interoperability; the assessment of the ICT implications of proposed or adopted Community legislation and planning for the introduction of ICT systems to support the implementation of such legislation; the operation and improvement of existing common services and the establishment, industrialisation, operation and improvement of new common services, including the interoperability of public key infrastructures (PKI); the improvement of existing reusable generic tools and the establishment, provision and improvement of new reusable generic tools.

General principles : actions launched or continued under the ISA programme shall be based on the following principles: (a) technological neutrality and adaptability; (b) openness; (c) reusability; (d) privacy and protection of personal data; and (e) security.

Solutions : common frameworks shall be established and maintained by means of studies which shall also serve as a means of supporting the assessment of the ICT implications of proposed or adopted Community legislation and the planning for introduction of solutions to support the implementation of such legislation. Studies shall be published and forwarded to the European Parliament committees responsible as a basis for any future legislative amendments necessary to ensure the interoperability of the ICT systems used by European public administrations.

Implementation rules : in the implementation of the ISA programme due consideration shall be given to the European Interoperability Strategy and the European Interoperability Framework. Involvement of the largest possible number of Member States in a study or project shall be encouraged. A study or project shall be open for accession at any stage, and Member States not involved in a study or project shall be encouraged to join at a later stage. In order to ensure interoperability between national and Community systems, common frameworks, common services and generic tools shall be specified with reference to existing European standards or publicly available or open specifications for information exchange and service integration.

Monitoring and evaluation : the ISA programme shall be subject to an interim evaluation and a final evaluation, the results of which shall be communicated to the European Parliament and the Council by 31 December 2012 and 31 December 2015 respectively. In this context the responsible committee of the European Parliament may invite the Commission to present the evaluation results and answer questions put by its members.

Interaction with stakeholders : the Commission shall bring together relevant stakeholders for the purposes of exchanging views among themselves and with the Commission on issues addressed by the ISA programme. To this end, the Commission shall organise conferences, workshops and other meetings. The Commission shall also make use of electronic interactive platforms and may use any other means for interaction which it considers appropriate.

International cooperation : the ISA programme shall be open to participation, within the framework of their respective agreements with the Community, by the countries of the European Economic Area and the candidate countries. Cooperation with other third countries and international organisations or bodies shall be encouraged, notably within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and Eastern Partnership and with neighbouring countries, in particular those of the Western Balkans and of the Black Sea region. The ISA programme shall promote, where appropriate, reuse of its solutions by third countries.

Financial provisions : the financial envelope for the implementation of the Community action under this Decision for the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015 shall be EUR 164 100 000 , of which EUR 103 500 000 is for the period from 1 January 2010 until 31 December 2013. For the period following 31 December 2013, the amount shall be deemed to be confirmed if it is consistent for this phase with the financial framework in force for the period commencing in 2014.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23/10/2009.

APPLICATION: from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2015.

The European Parliament adopted by 648 votes to 12, with 17 abstentions, a legislative resolution amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA).

The amendments were the result of a compromise negotiated with the Council. The main amendments were as follows:

Subject matter and objective : the objective of the ISA programme is to support the cooperation between European public administrations by facilitating the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between such administrations, including bodies performing public functions on their behalf. Moreover, the ISA Programme shall be extended to include local and regional authorities.

The ISA programme should also support the interoperability of public key infrastructures.

General principles : in accordance with the wish of MEPs, actions launched or continued under the ISA programme shall be based on the principles of openness and reusability.

Solutions : common frameworks shall be established and maintained by means of studies. Studies shall be published and forwarded to European Parliament committees responsible and to the Commission as a basis for future legislative modifications to ensure the interoperability of the computer systems used by public administrations.

Implementation rules : a study or project shall be open for accession at any stage, and Member States not involved in a study or project shall be encouraged to join at a later stage. In order to ensure interoperability between national and community systems, common frameworks, common services and generic tools shall be specified with reference to existing European standards or publicly available or open specifications for information exchange and service integration.

Committee : the Commission shall be assisted by the committee on Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (the “ISA Committee”). The ISA Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Monitoring and evaluation of the programme : the ISA programme shall be subject to an interim and a final evaluation, the results of which shall be communicated to the European Parliament and the Council. In this context, the responsible committee of the European Parliament may invite the Commission to present the evaluation results and answer questions put by its members.

Interaction with stakeholders : a new article provides that the Commission shall bring together relevant stakeholders for the purposes of exchanging views among themselves and with the Commission on issues addressed by the ISA programme. To this end, the Commission shall organise conferences, workshops and other meetings; it shall make use of electronic interactive platforms and may use any other means for interaction which it considers appropriate.

International cooperation : the Parliament extended international cooperation to the Eastern Partnership and to the countries of the Black Sea region. Moreover, the ISA programme shall promote, wherever appropriate, re-use of its solutions by third countries.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the report drawn up by Dragoş Florin DAVID (EPP-ED, RO) amending, under the first reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA).

The main amendments are as follows:

Subject matter and objective : according to MEPs, cooperation and interoperability between sectors should also be understood to mean cooperation between public and private sectors and NGOs. Therefore, the objective of the ISA programme is to support the cooperation between European public administrations by facilitating the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between such administrations and bodies performing public functions , while promoting and improving interoperability between key public infrastructures.

Moreover, the ISA Programme shall be extended to include local and regional authorities.

General principles : MEPs consider that the principles listed in the Commission proposal are basic principles which shall be applied during the implementation of the ISA programme under any circumstances. They suggest adding the principles of openness and re-use to the general principles.

Project charter and execution report : reference to measures facilitating multilingual communications should be always referred to in the project charter.

Solutions : studies shall be published and forwarded to the responsible committees of the European Parliament and to the Commission as a basis for any future legislative initiatives necessary to ensure the interoperability of the computer systems used by public administrations.

Implementation rules : the studies and projects shall be open for accession at any stage, and Member States not involved in these studies and projects shall be encouraged to join at a later stage. To ensure interoperability between national and Community systems, the common services and generic tools relating to existing European public standards for the exchange of information and integration of services shall be specified.

Committee : the Commission shall be assisted by a committee called the committee on Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations ("the ISA Committee"). MEPs believe it should be made clear that the role of such a comitology committee is to assist the Commission with the implementation of the current programme.

Monitoring and evaluation of the programme : the European Parliament has to be given the possibility to have an exchange of views on the outcome of the evaluation.

Interaction with stakeholders : a new article provides that the Commission shall bring together relevant stakeholders for the purposes of exchanging views among themselves and with the Commission on sectors and issues addressed by the ISA programme. To this end the Commission shall organise conferences, workshops and other meetings; it shall make use of electronic interactive platforms; and it may use any other means for interaction which it considers appropriate.

International cooperation : MEPs propose extending international cooperation to the Eastern Partnership and to the countries of the Black Sea region. The ISA programme shall also promote re-use of its deliverables by third countries.

Financial provisions : 50% of the ISA programme budget shall be dedicated to the interoperability of local authority computer systems.

PURPOSE: to establish, for the period 2010-2015, a programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, including Community institutions and bodies, providing common and shared solutions facilitating interoperability (ISA programme).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

BACKGROUND: in today’s Europe, citizens are free to work in and re-locate to any EU Member State and companies carry out business across the EU. When doing so, they need to communicate with administrations of other Member States. Member States in turn need to communicate with each other to serve the citizens and businesses in the best possible way. To avoid the creation of electronic barriers (e-barriers) between European administrations, the Member States and the Commission need to strengthen their efforts to ensure barrier-free communication within the internal market.

The programme on interoperable delivery of pan-European eGovernment services to administrations, businesses and citizens ( IDABC programme ) has, as its predecessor programme on interchange of data between administrations (IDA programme), been instrumental to achieve a steady progress in the co-operation between the Commission and Member States administrations. The IDA and IDABC programmes have provided a forum for exchange of ideas and experience, and have lent support to the execution of Community policies through sectoral projects leading to the establishment of a wide

portfolio of operational trans-European networks and services in traditional policy areas such as agriculture, fisheries, employment, as well as in newer policy areas such as home and justice affairs, communicable diseases and health and consumer protection.

Finally, the IDA and IDABC programmes have been providing administrative sectors and Member States with infrastructure services, i.e. frameworks, common services and generic tools, such as a communication platform known as sTESTA and characterised by a high level of security and availability, and several complementary tools aiming at achieving interoperability between the back-office administrative systems and processes, as well as between back- and front-office services. In doing so, the IDA and IDABC programmes have demonstrated that they have been able to add value to the exchange of information between administrative sectors compared to what could have been obtained from a separate and uncoordinated project approach. Capitalizing on the progress of existing initiatives, also in the Member States, the programmes have demonstrated that a co-ordinated approach can contribute to delivering results faster, with higher quality and meeting business requirements, by means of first and foremost frameworks, generic services and common tools developed as infrastructure services in cooperation with the Member States.

The IDABC programme comes to an end on 31 December 2009. The Commission now proposes a follow-on programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA programme) focusing on back-office solutions supporting the interaction between European public administrations and the implementation of Community policies and activities. The ISA programme will contribute to meeting the challenges and ensuring continuity while providing a forum for exchange of ideas and experience.

CONTENT: the overall objective of the ISA programme is to facilitate the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between European public administrations enabling the delivery of electronic public services supporting the implementation of Community policies and activities. As such its objective links in basically with all Community policies and contributes to their implementation. More specifically it supports the single market by contributing to preventing the emergence of e-barriers, while at the same time supporting the principles and needs underlying the Lisbon Strategy.

The programme will support the provision of common and shared solutions, i.e. common frameworks, generic tools and common services, to be applied, whenever appropriate, by European public administrations for the exchange of information across borders and sectors. Unless otherwise foreseen, the application of such solutions is basically subject to Member States' decision.

The establishment and improvement of common frameworks and generic tools will be financed via the programme, while the use of such frameworks and tools is to be financed by the users at any administrative level. The establishment, industrialisation, i.e. bringing solutions to a state of operational maturity, and improvement of common services will be financed via the programme whereas the operation of such services will only be financed via the programme to the extent that their use may serve Community interests. In other cases, the use of the services, including their operation on a decentralised basis, will be financed by the users. The solutions established by the programme will basically reduce the financial and administrative burden falling upon European public administrations interacting with each other.

General principles : actions launched or continued under the ISA programme shall, whenever appropriate, be based on the following principles:

the principle of technological neutrality and adaptability; the principle of privacy and protection of personal data; the principle of security.

The ISA programme shall support and promote:

the establishment and improvement of common frameworks in support of interoperability across borders and sectors; the assessment of ICT implications of proposed or adopted Community legislation as well as the planning of the implementation of ICT systems in support of the implementation of such legislation; the operation and improvement of existing common services as well as the establishment, industrialisation, operation and improvement of new common services; the improvement of existing reusable generic tools as well as the establishment, provision and improvement of new reusable generic tools.

Actions : the Community shall, in cooperation with the Member States, undertake the actions specified in the rolling work programme. Such actions shall be implemented by the Commission. A study shall have one phase and be concluded by the final report.

A project shall, whenever appropriate, have three phases:

the inception phase that shall lead to the establishment of the project charter; the execution phase, the end of which shall be marked by the execution report; the operational phase starting when a solution is made available for use.

The relevant project phases shall be defined when the action is included in the rolling work programme.

The implementation of the ISA programme shall be supported by accompanying measures.

Budgetary implication : the financial envelope for the implementation of the ISA programme for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015 is set at EUR 164.1 million , of which 103.5 million is for the period until 31 December 2013 as foreseen in the financial programming 2007-1013.

PURPOSE: to establish, for the period 2010-2015, a programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, including Community institutions and bodies, providing common and shared solutions facilitating interoperability (ISA programme).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

BACKGROUND: in today’s Europe, citizens are free to work in and re-locate to any EU Member State and companies carry out business across the EU. When doing so, they need to communicate with administrations of other Member States. Member States in turn need to communicate with each other to serve the citizens and businesses in the best possible way. To avoid the creation of electronic barriers (e-barriers) between European administrations, the Member States and the Commission need to strengthen their efforts to ensure barrier-free communication within the internal market.

The programme on interoperable delivery of pan-European eGovernment services to administrations, businesses and citizens ( IDABC programme ) has, as its predecessor programme on interchange of data between administrations (IDA programme), been instrumental to achieve a steady progress in the co-operation between the Commission and Member States administrations. The IDA and IDABC programmes have provided a forum for exchange of ideas and experience, and have lent support to the execution of Community policies through sectoral projects leading to the establishment of a wide

portfolio of operational trans-European networks and services in traditional policy areas such as agriculture, fisheries, employment, as well as in newer policy areas such as home and justice affairs, communicable diseases and health and consumer protection.

Finally, the IDA and IDABC programmes have been providing administrative sectors and Member States with infrastructure services, i.e. frameworks, common services and generic tools, such as a communication platform known as sTESTA and characterised by a high level of security and availability, and several complementary tools aiming at achieving interoperability between the back-office administrative systems and processes, as well as between back- and front-office services. In doing so, the IDA and IDABC programmes have demonstrated that they have been able to add value to the exchange of information between administrative sectors compared to what could have been obtained from a separate and uncoordinated project approach. Capitalizing on the progress of existing initiatives, also in the Member States, the programmes have demonstrated that a co-ordinated approach can contribute to delivering results faster, with higher quality and meeting business requirements, by means of first and foremost frameworks, generic services and common tools developed as infrastructure services in cooperation with the Member States.

The IDABC programme comes to an end on 31 December 2009. The Commission now proposes a follow-on programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA programme) focusing on back-office solutions supporting the interaction between European public administrations and the implementation of Community policies and activities. The ISA programme will contribute to meeting the challenges and ensuring continuity while providing a forum for exchange of ideas and experience.

CONTENT: the overall objective of the ISA programme is to facilitate the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between European public administrations enabling the delivery of electronic public services supporting the implementation of Community policies and activities. As such its objective links in basically with all Community policies and contributes to their implementation. More specifically it supports the single market by contributing to preventing the emergence of e-barriers, while at the same time supporting the principles and needs underlying the Lisbon Strategy.

The programme will support the provision of common and shared solutions, i.e. common frameworks, generic tools and common services, to be applied, whenever appropriate, by European public administrations for the exchange of information across borders and sectors. Unless otherwise foreseen, the application of such solutions is basically subject to Member States' decision.

The establishment and improvement of common frameworks and generic tools will be financed via the programme, while the use of such frameworks and tools is to be financed by the users at any administrative level. The establishment, industrialisation, i.e. bringing solutions to a state of operational maturity, and improvement of common services will be financed via the programme whereas the operation of such services will only be financed via the programme to the extent that their use may serve Community interests. In other cases, the use of the services, including their operation on a decentralised basis, will be financed by the users. The solutions established by the programme will basically reduce the financial and administrative burden falling upon European public administrations interacting with each other.

General principles : actions launched or continued under the ISA programme shall, whenever appropriate, be based on the following principles:

the principle of technological neutrality and adaptability; the principle of privacy and protection of personal data; the principle of security.

The ISA programme shall support and promote:

the establishment and improvement of common frameworks in support of interoperability across borders and sectors; the assessment of ICT implications of proposed or adopted Community legislation as well as the planning of the implementation of ICT systems in support of the implementation of such legislation; the operation and improvement of existing common services as well as the establishment, industrialisation, operation and improvement of new common services; the improvement of existing reusable generic tools as well as the establishment, provision and improvement of new reusable generic tools.

Actions : the Community shall, in cooperation with the Member States, undertake the actions specified in the rolling work programme. Such actions shall be implemented by the Commission. A study shall have one phase and be concluded by the final report.

A project shall, whenever appropriate, have three phases:

the inception phase that shall lead to the establishment of the project charter; the execution phase, the end of which shall be marked by the execution report; the operational phase starting when a solution is made available for use.

The relevant project phases shall be defined when the action is included in the rolling work programme.

The implementation of the ISA programme shall be supported by accompanying measures.

Budgetary implication : the financial envelope for the implementation of the ISA programme for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015 is set at EUR 164.1 million , of which 103.5 million is for the period until 31 December 2013 as foreseen in the financial programming 2007-1013.