What is the problem? Lack of seamless, interoperable and sustainable eGovernment cross-border services.

eGovernment can support the further construction of the internal market by facilitating entrepreneurs to set up and run a business anywhere in Europe independently of their original location, and allowing citizens to study, work, reside and retire anywhere in the European Union through the delivery of seamless, interoperable and sustainable cross-border services.

Why the EU action is required? To support cross-border public services and facilitate mobility in the EU

The Commission supports the piloting of cross-border eGovernment services through the ICT Policy Support Programme under the CIP, in particular via Large Scale Pilots.

The Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (ISA) programme is an important instrument that could analyse and suggest ways to ensure the sustainability of common services and generic tools developed and demonstrated in the Large Scale Pilots.

What will the commission do?

By the end of 2010:

• Adopt the eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015, calling also on cross-border services.
• Ongoing Large Scale Pilot projects like STORK (eID), PEPPOL (eProcurement) start their piloting phase and SPOCS (Services Directive) is being extended to bring on board new Member States. In addition, a new Large Scale Pilot on eJustice will be launched.

In 2011:

• The Commission will continue to support the experience sharing and good practice exchange between running and new Large Scale Pilots.
• The Commission will launch studies to assess critical sustainability issues of the STORK and PEPPOL Large Scale Pilots.
• The Commission will launch a study to analyse the existing and future needs and cost benefit of cross-border eGovernment services and assess the organisational, legal, technical and semantic barriers together with the Member States.

In 2012:

• The Commission will facilitate the exchange of views with the Member States to identify which new cross-border services could be piloted under the CIP ICT PSP programme and which services could possibly be rolled out in 27 Member States.

Contact:

mechthild.rohen@ec.europa.eu