How Europe will go “Once-Only” in 2025 – updates from 13th Implementers’ Café
20 February 2025 | 3 minutes read
On 12 February 2025, teams implementing the Once-Only Technical System (OOTS)(opens in a new tab) connected for a webinar to discuss the strategic plan for 2025(opens in a new tab).
The regular webinars – termed “Implementers’ Cafés” – offer regular, accessible opportunities for the teams implementing ‘Once-Only’ to connect and discuss in an open forum.
When active within the EU Single Market, EU citizens and businesses frequently need to complete a mix of online, offline, automated, and manual steps when conducting cross-border procedures. Individuals may need to take time off or way from work to travel to public authorities, pick up a physical copy of a document, and scan it before sending it to another authority. In practice, businesses and citizens often struggle to comply with data requests from Member States, as official documents are named differently across countries.
The Once-Only Technical System will allow citizens and businesses to request official documents, or "evidence," needed for administrative procedures, thus making it easier for them to study, work, live, or retire when moving between EU countries. The system’s decentralised architecture connects public authorities, so they can exchange evidence at the citizen's or business' request. The decentralised architecture connects public authorities, so they can exchange evidence at the citizen's or business' request by using an interoperability layer interconnecting a diffuse network of organisations, designed to minimise the impact on existing systems in Member States and to maximise opportunities for reuse.
‘OnceOnly’ means that we move away from searching for documents (diplomas, licences, certificates etc.) towards data-centric and interconnected public administrations which can securely share information with each other at our explicit request. An economy and Single Market of scale, with simplified admin for its businesses and citizens.
During this event, teams from the European Commission and EU Member States discussed the implementation plan for 2025. Most notably, the coming event “Europe Goes Once-Only – Lithuania Edition(opens in a new tab)” taking place 3-4 April 2025. “Once-Only” teams will meet in Vilnius, Lithuania to help connect public bodies to the Once-Only Technical System and address important topics relating to the System’s coming roll-out.
The Once-Only Technical System will help simplify the Single Market, contributing to the EU’s main political objectives in 2025, as evidenced in the recent annual Commission work programme(opens in a new tab) and EU strategic competitiveness compass(opens in a new tab).