The European Parliament adopted by 570 votes to 70, with 36 abstentions, a resolution in response to the EU eGovernment action plan 2016-2020.

Public administrations going digital : according to Parliament, public administrations should be open, transparent, efficient and inclusive, providing borderless, personalised, user-friendly, accessible and end-to-end digital public services to citizens and businesses by 2022 , thereby reducing costs, barriers and administrative burdens for citizens and businesses, in particular SMEs, and thus reaping all the benefits of the digital revolution. It considered, however, that this should be compatible with fair restructuring in public administration.

Members supported the plan to base future initiatives on the ‘digital by default’ principle, and stressed the importance of implementing the ‘once-only’ principle, which will make interaction with public administrations easier for citizens and businesses by avoiding unnecessarily time-consuming administrative processes and make it easier for information previously supplied to be reused for other applications.

Parliament also welcomed the Commission’s intention to establish as early as possible a single digital gateway that would provide citizens and businesses with a linked-up, coherent package of online single-market services at both national and EU level, covering information about the EU and national rules, as well as assistance services, and to complete the most important procedures for citizens and businesses in cross-border situations and help implement the once-only principle in the EU.

The resolution stressed the need to:

promote digital solutions for formalities throughout a company’s lifecycle and to step up the work on the electronic interconnection of Member States’ business and insolvency registers; apply the new directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, which will benefit people with disabilities and elderly people; stress the importance of ‘ open data ’ and the need for safeguards that ensure respect for copyright and data protection; highlight the benefits of eParticipation and for more use to be made of eConsultation, eInformation and eDecision-making; assess the possibilities of developing mobile solutions for eGovernment services, and to ensure their user-friendliness and accessibility for all; keep public administration websites and instruments up-to-date with modern technology and the ever-evolving cyber security requirements; promote and use eProcurement ; develop safe, reliable, interoperable cross-border public services . Interoperability and standardisation are among the key elements for implementing eGovernment structures.

Members also stressed the need for an inclusive online and offline dual approach , so as to avoid exclusion, given the current rate of digital illiteracy and the fact that more than 22 % of Europeans, especially elderly people, prefer not to use online services when dealing with public administrations.

Cross-border eGovernment at all administrative levels : Parliament highlighted the importance of cross-border eGovernment services for citizens in their daily life, and stressed the benefits of further developing the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) and the EURES European Job Mobility portal, as well as the cross-border eHealth services . It underlined that eHealth can significantly improve the quality of life of citizens by providing more accessible, cost-effective and efficient healthcare to patients. It considered that, for the full functioning of cross-border eGovernment services, language barriers must be addressed , and that public administrations, especially in border regions, should make their information and services available in the languages of their Member States but also in other relevant European languages. Members highlighted the importance of an exchange of best practices, examples and project experience between all levels of administration, both within and between Member States.

Data protection and security : Members emphasised that citizens’ trust in the protection of personal data is fundamental to securing the success of the eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020, and underlined that public administrations must handle personal data securely and fully in line with the General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) and the EU Rules on Privacy. They stressed the need for effective guidance on the application of the GDPR, as well as for a continuous exchange with stakeholders.

Member States should ensure the application of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market.

Lastly, Parliament emphasised the importance of developing measures to protect public authorities from cyber-attacks.

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the own-initiative report by Sabine VERHEYEN (EPP, DE) on the EU eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020.

Public administrations going digital: Members are of the view that public administrations should be open, transparent, efficient and inclusive, providing borderless, personalised, user-friendly, accessible and end-to-end digital public services to citizens and businesses by 2022, thereby reducing costs, barriers and administrative burdens for citizens and businesses, in particular SMEs, and thus reaping all the benefits of the digital revolution. They considered, however, that this should be compatible with fair restructuring in public administration . Members supported the plan to base future initiatives on the ‘digital by default’ principle , and stressed the importance of implementing the ‘once-only’ principle , which will make interaction with public administrations easier for citizens and businesses by avoiding unnecessarily time-consuming administrative processes and make it easier for information previously supplied to be reused for other applications.

They welcomed the Commission’s intention to establish as early as possible a single digital gateway that would provide citizens and businesses with a linked-up, coherent package of online single-market services at both national and EU level, covering information about the EU and national rules, as well as assistance services, and to complete the most important procedures for citizens and businesses in cross-border situations and help implement the once-only principle in the EU.

Members called on the Commission to consider further ways to promote digital solutions for formalities throughout a company’s lifecycle, the electronic filing of company documents and the provision of cross-border and other information for business registers.

They highlighted the importance of inclusiveness, accessibility and general access to digital public services , an essential factor underpinning the design and delivery of policies promoting competitiveness, growth and jobs, and called on the Member States to fully implement and apply the new directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies, which will benefit people with disabilities and elderly people.

Members noted that only one third of public websites are mobile-friendly . They called, therefore, on the Member States to assess the possibilities of developing mobile solutions for eGovernment services, and to ensure their user-friendliness and accessibility for all. They stressed that in order to future-proof the accessibility of eGovernment services , public administration websites and instruments must be kept up to date with modern technology and the ever-evolving cyber security requirements.

Members emphasised the importance of developing safe, reliable, interoperable cross-border public service s, avoiding further fragmentation and supporting mobility. They stressed that interoperability and standardisation are among the key elements for implementing eGovernment structures. They also stressed that standards must serve the interests of society at large by being inclusive, fair and future-proof , and be developed in an open and transparent way.

Members also stressed the need for an inclusive online and offline dual approach, so as to avoid exclusion, given the current rate of digital illiteracy and the fact that more than 22 % of Europeans, especially elderly people, prefer not to use online services when dealing with public administrations.

Cross-border eGovernment at all administrative levels : Members highlighted the importance of cross-border eGovernment services for citizens in their daily life, and stressed the benefits of further developing the Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) and the EURES European Job Mobility portal, as well as the cross-border eHealth services. They underlined that eHealth can significantly improve the quality of life of citizens by providing more accessible, cost-effective and efficient healthcare to patients. They considered that, for the full functioning of cross-border eGovernment services, language barriers must be addressed, and that public administrations, especially in border regions, should make their information and services available in the languages of their Member States but also in other relevant European languages. Members highlighted the importance of an exchange of best practices, examples and project experience between all levels of administration, both within and between Member States.

Data protection and security: Members emphasised that citizens’ trust in the protection of personal data is fundamental to securing the success of the eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020, and underlined that public administrations must handle personal data securely and fully in line with the General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ) and the EU Rules on Privacy. They stressed the need for effective guidance on the application of the GDPR, as well as for a continuous exchange with stakeholders.

Lastly, Members emphasised that measures to protect public authorities from cyber-attacks and to enable them to withstand such attacks are extremely important and need to be developed.

PURPOSE: to present an EU eGovernment action plan 2016-2020 entitled ‘Accelerating the digital transformation of government’.

BACKGROUND: eGovernment supports administrative processes, improves the quality of the services and increases internal public sector efficiency. Digital public services reduce administrative burden on businesses and citizens by making their interactions with public administrations faster and efficient, more convenient and transparent, and less costly . In addition, using digital technologies as an integrated part of governments’ modernisation strategies can unlock further economic and social benefits for society as a whole.

The digital transformation of government is a key element to the success of the single market.

Previous eGovernment action plans (i2010 eGovernment action plan 2006-2010, and eGovernment action plan 2011-2015) encouraged the modernisation of public administrations and led to joint actions on eGovernment.

The last eGovernment action plan 2011-2015 contributed to the coherence of national eGovernment strategies as well as to the exchange of best practices and the interoperability of solutions between Member States. It led, in particular, to the development of technological enablers that are key to facilitate access to and use of public services. However, citizens and businesses are not yet getting the full benefit from digital services that should be available seamlessly across the EU.

Current situation : the current EU eGovernment action plan– based on a shared long-term vision - sets out a number of principles that forthcoming initiatives should observe in order to deliver the significant benefits that eGovernment can bring to businesses, citizens and public administrations themselves. It provides for a dynamic and flexible approach, to keep track of the fast changing environment. It will serve as a catalyst to coordinate public sector modernisation efforts and resources in the field of eGovernment.

CONTENT: the underlying vision of the action plan is that by 2020, public administrations and public institutions in the European Union should be open, efficient and inclusive, providing borderless, personalised, user-friendly, end-to-end digital public services to all citizens and businesses in the EU.

Several ideas are envisaged.

1) Principles applicable :

digital by default : public administrations should deliver services digitally (including machine readable information) as the preferred option; once only principle : public administrations should ensure that citizens and businesses supply the same information only once to a public administration; inclusiveness and accessibility : public administrations should design digital public services that are inclusive by default and cater for different needs such as those of the elderly and people with disabilities; openness and transparency : they should share information and data between themselves and enable citizens and businesses to access control and correct their own data; cross-border by default : they should make relevant digital public services available across borders and prevent further fragmentation; interoperability by default : public services should be designed to work seamlessly across the single market and across organisational silos ; trustworthiness and security : all initiatives should go beyond the mere compliance with the legal framework on personal data protection and privacy.

2) Priorities for action : the action plan sets out concrete actions to accelerate the implementation of existing legislation and the related take up of online public services. The main actions are as follows:

modernise public administration using ICT, and using key digital enablers, particularly in the framework of public procurement; strengthen interoperability and the European Interoperability Framework and ensure that EU public administrations adopt it; gradually introduce the 'digital by default' and 'once-only' principles, and eInvoicing and eProcurement; enable cross-border mobility with interoperable digital public services (the Commission proposes the creation of a Single Digital Gateway, based on existing portals, contact points and networks, expanding, improving and streamlining all information, assistance and problem solving services needed to operate efficiently across borders - for 2016, this will include the go-live of tools for direct communications between citizens and courts in other Member States (e-CODEX), as well as the introduction of the European Case Law Identifier search engine; propose legislation to extend the Single Electronic Mechanism for registration and payment of VAT; support Member States in the development of eHealth services; facilitate digital interaction between administrations and citizens/businesses for high-quality public services by engaging citizens, businesses and civil society in the collaborative design, production and delivery of public services and to facilitate interaction between public administrations and businesses and citizens.

This action plan includes actions to be launched in 2016 and 2017 . Further actions may be needed to achieve the objectives set out within each of the policy priorities. Stakeholders (including a group of Member States) may also propose actions for implementation under the eGovernment Action Plan, through an interactive digital engagement platform.