Under Convergence Objective, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Programme description
On 17 September 2007, amended in november 2010, the European Commission approved an Operational Programme for Slovakia for the 2007-13 period. The Operational Programme “information Society” falls within the Convergence Objective framework and has a total budget of almost €1.2 billion. Community investment through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) amounts to some €988 million, which represents approximately 9.1% of the total EU investment earmarked for Slovakia under the Cohesion Policy for 2007-13. Only the Convergence regions (in red on the map) are eligible)
1. Purpose and aim of the programme
The overall objective of the Operational Programme is to create an information society as a means to developing a performing knowledge-based economy in Slovakia. The Programme aims to use the technological change of recent years positively in order to make Slovakia an attractive location in which to invest and to live.
The development of an information society in the Slovak Republic will only be possible through a greater use of information and communication technology (ICT) in business, households and public administration. Greater inclusion can only become a reality if e-Government services are in place, enabling users to access high quality services online. To make these services available to the public, the Programme must achieve equal access by ensuring greater availability of better ICT infrastructures.
2. Expected impact of the investments
The Programme should ensure full online availability of 20 basic e-Government services and consequently reduce the administrative burden. This would save at least 40 hours of administration per citizen per year. Moreover, the programme should also contribute to an increase of the broadband coverage in Slovakia up to 96% of the population (currently 93%).
3. Priorities
The principal objectives of the Information Society Programme are:
- electronisation of public administration (i.e. transforming the paper-based environment into an electronic-based environment)
- development of electronic services
- development and renewal of the infrastructure of repository institutions
- improvement of the availability of broadband internet access.
The following priorities represent the structure of the Operational Programme "information Society 2007-2013":
Priority 1: Electronisation of public administration and development of electronic services [approximately 70% of total funding]
Currently Slovakia is at the early stages of implementing e-Government services. The potential of not only making public services available online but also to re-engineer processes to make them more simple and effective has resulted in the identification of this area as a priority for Slovakia. This measure aims to create a central online portal through which the public will access electronic services. The measure aims also to launch back office applications as well as a range of methods (such as service kiosks, digital TV, mobile phones) that provide still other electronic services. The Operational Programme will ensure the availability of the network of Integrated Service Points across the country.
Priority 2: Development and renewal of the national infrastructure of repository institutions [approximately 17% of total funding]
Repository institutions across Slovakia contain an enormous quantity of cultural, scientific and intellectual heritage. This priority seeks to make this material available to users regardless of their location. Taking advantage of technology to provide digital access to repository archives will achieve these objectives. Furthermore, digitising content will enable the broadest possible application of data in the fields of R&D, innovation, local development and regional development.
Priority 3: Improvement of broadband internet access [approximately 10% of total funding]
This priority will provide broadband access to everyone. Currently Slovakia is one of the least developed EU Member States in terms of broadband access. One of the main reasons for this situation is the inadequate development of networks. The Programme will concentrate on the least commercially attractive areas as a means of ensuring universal access.
Priority 4: Technical assistance [approximately 3% of total funding]
The Programme will employ technical assistance during implementation. Financial support covers administration, monitoring and control.
4. Managing Authority
Financial information
Breakdown of finances by priority axis
| Priority Axis | EU Investment | National Public Contribution | Total Public Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronisation of public administration and development of electronic services | 697.268.409,00 | 123.047.366,00 | 820.315.775,00 |
| Development and renewal of the national infrastructure of repository institutions | 163.541.958,00 | 28.860.346,00 | 192.402.304,00 |
| Improvement of broadband internet access | 96.201.152,00 | 16.976.674,00 | 113.177.826,00 |
| Technical assistance | 31.083.886,00 | 5.485.392,00 | 36.569.278,00 |
| Total | 988.095.405,00 | 174.369.778,00 | 1.162.465.183,00 |