WIREDGOV

The European Commission is showcasing a family of five new online public services to the "Borderless eGovernment Services for Europeans" conference of the Polish Presidency in Poznan this week. The five projects have already demonstrated concrete benefits for citizens, businesses and governments during their pilot phases. eGovernment must not stop at national borders, and these five projects prove that it does not have to, making the lives of citizens and businesses easier, while being more efficient and cost effective than existing public services. The Commission provided half the funding for the projects (€62.67 million out of €125.34 million). Poland, currently holding the EU Presidency, participates in a project piloting the use of eDocument, eDelivery, eSafe and eServices for people working in the travel industry, real estate or construction, through its Institute of Logistics and Warehousing in Poznan

STORK - electronic identity for easier access to public services

Several barriers to free movement still exist in the digital Single Market. For example, it is not easy to access online public services while working or living in another country.

The STORK (Secure Identity Across Borders Linked) pilot project allows citizens and businesses to access eGovernment services in any Member State they live in or travel to, by making cross-border use of electronic identification possible.

The project implemented six pilot initiatives:

1. Cross-border authentication for online public services via eIDs

2. Cross-border safer Chat application

3. Student Mobility

4. Cross-border eDelivery

5. Change of Address

6. Citizens identification and authentication to access EC applications via national eIDs.

For example, the pilot project gives foreign students access to online services offered by universities (e.g. online enrolment, access to online courses or tutorials, access to computing infrastructures, etc) in five countries (Austria, Estonia, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Another possibility will be to inform all relevant services of an address change, between countries and using a home country eID when moving from one country to another.

32 partners from 17 European countries are taking part in the project. The project started in 2008 and finishes at the end of 2011. STORK 2.0 is planned to start in 2012. Focusing on Four Pilot Applications (strategic eLearning & Academic Qualifications, eBanking, Public Services for Business and eHealth), STORK 2.0 will seek to create common standards and specifications for the EU-wide uptake of eID.

PEPPOL - towards cross-border public eProcurement

Public procurement makes up 19% of EU GDP – or more than €2 trillion each year. eProcurement has allowed Sweden to save 20% on its procurement costs, while saving time and money for businesses and helping them to supply services outside their home country. If other EU member state matched these savings, taxpayers and businesses could save hundreds of billions of euros each year.

To this end the EU-funded PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) project has delivered a range of interoperable eProcurement solutions, such as e-invoices and e-signatures for important documents.

PEPPOL consortium is composed of 17 partners from 11 European countries. The project started in 2008 and runs until April 2012.

SPOCS – next generation Points of Single Contact

The SPOCS (Simple Procedures Online for Cross-border Services) pilot project aims to help businesses expand into other countries by helping them to comply with all the regulations, licenses and permits they need to deal with.

SPOCS lets you complete this work through a single online point of contact. SPOCS builds on the work of the STORK (electronic identity) and PEPPOL (electronic procurement) projects.

15 MS and Norway are taking part in the project. It started in 2009 and will end June 2012.

epSOS – patient information online

The epSOS (European Patents Smart Open Services) pilot project sums up patient information, which includes general and medical information about the patient and his current medications. Through use of ePrescription and eMedication systems patients are able to safely obtain their correct medicines in foreign pharmacies, and healthcare professionals have access to the necessary electronic patient data to help patients.

Tourists, business travellers, commuters and exchange students will be among the beneficiaries.

20 EU member states and 3 non-EU member states are taking part in the project. It started in 2008 and runs till December 2013.

e-CODEX – judicial information accessible for citizens

The EU funded e-CODEX (e-Justice Communication via Online Data Exchange) project will make judicial procedures more transparent, efficient and economic. It will help citizens, companies, administrations, and legal practitioners to get facilitated access to justice, for example if they are a victim of a crime while travelling. This progress will be based on connecting judicial systems through development of common technical standards in the field of e-Identity, e-Signatures, e-Payment and e-Filing.14 EU MS are participating in the project together with Turkey, The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe and The Council of the Notaries of the European Union. The project started in December 2010 and runs until December 2013.

To find out more:

ICT Policy Support Programme

Digital Agenda for Europe