6109 Launch of the eGovernment Action Plan for better online services to citizens and businesses

Wednesday 15 December: Launch of the eGovernment Action Plan for better online services to citizens and businesses

Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, will present the eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015 -　’Harnessing ICTs to promote smart, sustainable and innovative eGovernment’　- at the eGovernment Conference in Brussels, on 15 December 2010. The eGovernment Action Plan will help the EU achieve the commitment in the Digital Agenda to deliver innovative online public services to citizens and businesses and increase the take-up of these services. Only 38% of EU citizens use the internet to access eGovernment services, compared to 72% of businesses. The European Commission aims to increase the take-up to 50% of EU citizens and to 80% of EU businesses by 2015.

In times of economic constraints, public administrations must deliver more with less. The use of efficient and cost-effective ICTs can help provide services tailored to the real needs of EU citizens and businesses. Most public online services for instance do not work across borders. The eGovernment Action Plan will address this problem by making it easier for companies to set up and run a business and for citizens to study, work, reside, receive health care and retire anywhere in the EU.

The background:

The eGovernment Action Plan for 2011-2015 is the European Commission’s response to the call of Member States for a shared eGovernment policy in the EU. This is in line with the priorities identified by Ministers and the Commission in the Malmö Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment (2009)

(IP/09/1738).The Action Plan also builds on the results of cross-border services piloted by the ongoing EU Large Scale Pilot projects (STORK, PEPPOL, SPOCS and epSOS) with the aim to make it easier for citizens and businesses to access online services across the EU.The event:

The eGovernment Conference ‘Lift Off Towards Open Government’, 15-16 December 2010, Brussels.

The event is organised by the Belgian Presidency of the EU with the support of the European Commission. With more than 700 participants expected and 50 exhibitors, the conference will provide a forum for discussion on achievements so far, their impact on citizens and industry and on the future of online public services.

Key-note speakers include: Neelie Kroes, Vice-President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda; Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council; and Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgian Minister for Enterprise and Administrative Simplification.

The programme includes:

A ‘battle of CEOs’ which will bring together CEOs from the telecoms, IT, software and internet sectors to discuss their views on eGovernment in future markets;

An exhibition with leading IT companies and the EU Large Scale Pilots presenting live demonstrations of online services.

A pre-conference will be held in Ghent on 14 December. It will focus on the role of local authorities in eGovernment.

Available on EbS

The sources:

Malmö Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment press releaseeGovernment Conference

‘Lift Off Towards Open Government’The European eGovernment

Action Plan for 2006-2010

Digital Agenda for Europe

STORK – (Secure Identity Across Borders Linked)

PEPPOL – (Pan-European Public Procurement Online)

SPOCS (Simple Procedures Online for Cross-border Services)

epSOS (Smart Open Services for European Patients)