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Action Plan 2011 - 2015 |
| The European Commission was launched last 31 May its eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015 to work with Member States' public authorities to expand and improve the services which they offer via the Internet. In the framework of this Action Plan the European Commission aims to support the provision of a new generation of eGovernment services for businesses and citizens. The Action Plan identifies four political priorities based on the Malmö Declaration, agreed on 18 November 2009 at the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference in Malmö, Sweden. |
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- Empower citizens and businesses: User empowerment is the key characteristic of a new generation of eGovernment services. Users increasingly expect to receive services designed around their needs and developed in collaboration with them. Other crucial milestones to focus on are; better access to public sector information, transparency of governments and public administrations and effective means enabling the active involvement of citizens and businesses in the policy-making process based on newly available technologies. The main adage for public administrations is that; users must always be at the centre of their actions.
- Reinforce mobility in the Single Market: eGovernment should support the further construction of digital single market. There is a need to do ground breaking work: the delivery of cross-border services and the stimulation of mobility for citizens and businesses. Substantial problems remain to be solved in the transferability of public services such as those related to social security, health benefits, pensions and other personal services. Obstactles impeding eProcurement across borders need to be removed. The current barriers can be broken down by means of high quality eGovernment services, by facilitating mobility for citizens and businesses, and by creating synergies in eGovernment solutions.
- Enable efficiency and effectiveness: This priority includes the reduction of administrative burdens and introduces the topic of organisational change in the European eGovernment agenda. In addition, this priority meets a legitimate concern to make the best use of ICT to reduce the carbon footprint.
- Create the necessary key enablers and pre-conditions to make things happen: A number of pre-conditions need to be satisfied to allow for secure and efficient electronic collaboration between Member States. Actions in this respect include the development, deployment and interoperability of ICT infrastructures. Attention must be payed as well to the benefits of open specifications as a means to promote interoperability, to key enablers to improve existing and develop new services, and to the innovation of eGovernment service architectures through research and development, pilot projects and other implementation schemes.
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| The Action Plan aims at maximising the complementarities of national and European policy instruments. Its actions support the transition of eGovernment into a new generation of open, flexible and collaborative seamless eGovernment services at local, regional, national and European level that will empower citizens and businesses. |
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| The Commission's main mission is to optimise the conditions, for the development of cross-border eGovernment services provided to citizens and businesses regardless of their country of origin. Services accessible across the EU strengthen the digital single market and complement existing legislation in domains like eIdentification, eProcurement, eJustice, eHealth, mobility and social security, whilst delivering concrete benefits to citizens, businesses and governments in Europe. The Commission will lead by example in further implementing eGovernment within its organisation. |
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| The combination of all these efforts should lead to an increase of the take-up of eGovernment services. By 2015 50% of citizens should use eGovernment. The target envisaged for businesses is 80% by 2015. |
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| This Action Plan contributes to a knowledge based, sustainable and inclusive economy for the European Union, as set forth in the Europe 2020 Strategy. It supports and complements the Digital Agenda for Europe. |
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| Further information: |
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| http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/egovernment/action_plan_2011_2015/index_en.htm |
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