ICT for Government and Public Services

Highlights

Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment (approved unanimously in Malmö, Sweden, on 18 November 2009)

Read the declaration

eGovernment is about using the tools and systems made possible by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to provide better public services to citizens and businesses. ICTs are already widely used by government bodies, just as in enterprises, but eGovernment involves much more than just the tools. Effective eGovernment also involves rethinking organisations and processes, and changing behaviour so that public services are delivered more efficiently to the people who need to use them. Implemented well, eGovernment enables all citizens, enterprises and organisations to carry out their business with government more easily, more quickly and at lower cost.

In the European Union’s internal market, people are able to move freely – either for work or for private reasons – and consequently they have to be able to deal with public services outside their home country more and more. If eGovernment services are to provide significant added value to citizens and business, then it is crucial that different government bodies, both within a country and in different EU Member States, are able to share information easily and co-operate in serving citizens.

This website aims to provide information on EU policies in the field of eGovernment, and the funding programmes which support concrete initiatives to improve public services. For more general information on eGovernment, visit the Information Society thematic portal.