The #4 OOTS Projectathon welcomes brand new stakeholders to help complete the Once-Only Technical System

17 May 2024 | 4 minutes read

On 15-17 May 2024, the European Commission organised the fourth Once-Only Technical System (OOTS) Projectathon.

OOTS Projectathons invite different systems to connect together and perform a marathon of peer-to-peer interoperability and compliance tests in a structured environment over several days. These tests are supervised and verified by neutral experts provided by the European Commission.

The Once-Only Technical System saves EU citizens and businesses time and money by allowing the automatic exchange of official documents and data (such as diplomas, certifications or permits) between the ‘competent authorities’ that issue this data and the public body requesting the data. This automatic data exchange puts users in charge of their data and reduces the costs involved when completing cross-border administration within the European Single Market.

The May 2024 Projectathon focussed on Education and Population data, and on linking the Once-Only Technical System with related systems such as EMREX. EMREX is an independent, international network that provides an electronic data exchange solution aiming to empower individuals to control their own student data and exchange throughout lifespan, across borders and for various purposes.

This Projectathon was also the first to invite competent authorities. As authentic data (such as permits or diplomas) are exchanged through the Once-Only Technical System, competent authorities are those organisations that their request, or provide, the data.

Feedback received during this event noted the success of the exploration rooms as fora for discussion on critical topics (such as adapting procedure portals to Once-Only; authentication & identity matching or evidence mapping for evidence providers).

A June Accelerator and planned October Projectathon provide further opportunities for the EU Member States to develop and implement the Once-Only Technical System looking specifically at vehicle registration and business data.

To learn more about the Once-Only Technical System and how it brings the Single Market closer to citizens and businesses, visit the Once-Only hub.