ACTIVITIES :: eGovernment :: Action Plan 2011 - 2015

Action Plan 2011 - 2015

A new generation of open, flexible and collaborative eGovernment services is needed to empower European citizens and businesses, to improve their mobility within the internal market of the 21st century and to ensure that public services can serve an economy which relies on the networks of the future.

The European Commission aims to support with its eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015 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

• Empower citizens and businesses
• Reinforce mobility in the Single Market
• Enable efficiency and effectiveness
• Create the necessary key enablers and pre-conditions to make things happen

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

General Scope

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.

There are strong political and economic reasons for European collaboration in eGovernment. Joint action and knowledge sharing at EU level contributes to overcoming the current economic crisis, by using public resources more efficiently.

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. This includes the development of an environment which promotes interoperability of systems and key enablers such as eSignatures and eIdentification. 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.

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.