| Author (Person) | Davies, Eric |
|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning |
| Series Title | In Focus |
| Series Details | 8.10.02 |
| Publication Date | 08/10/2002 |
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus |
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The European Commission has launched a new web portal to provide information on cross-border public services in Europe. 'public-services.eu' is one result of a consultation exercise carried out by the Commission earlier this year intended to find out what people and businesses want from e-government services. There is a growing body of public sector information on the web, with sites not only offering more information about public services, but also providing such things as downloadable forms and electronic transaction facilities. The Commission's Interchange of Data between Administrations (IDA) unit organised a three-month online consultation process, which ended on 19 July 2002, aimed at people living or working in a Member State other than their own, and businesses engaged in cross-border trade or which operate in a number of Member States. The Commission wanted to ensure that e-government services are available to users across Europe and are not restricted to users in a particular Member State; to make sure that public administrations in different Member States are able to exchange information with each other (so-called A2A - administration to administration); and to assess whether some e-services are better provided at an EU level than by individual Member States. The results of the online consultation suggested that language issues are the main obstacle to trans-border e-government services, and that low levels of technology could prevent small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) from utilising such facilities. Responses also showed that e-government can be a driver for change in public services, and can be a way of making them more client-oriented. In response to the consultation and to other initiatives, including a conference 'Pan-European e-government services for citizens and enterprises: the role of IDA', the Commission launched the public-services.eu website. Although initially covering only information from the EU itself and seven Member States (Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and Sweden) the site will eventually provide information from all EU Member States, and from EEA and Candidate Countries. There are two main sections:
In the view of European Commissioner Erkki Liikanen, responsible for Enterprise and Information Society issues, 'If the requirements of cross-border users of e-government services are not taken into account when designing e-government services, these may even create unintentional barriers to the continued development of the single market. For enterprises, this could mean a relative loss of competitiveness and increased costs for citizens.' The first e-Europe Awards will be awarded in 2003, with the aim of drawing attention to and recognising exemplary practices in governments and providing a platform for innovative initiatives in the public sector. They will be administered by the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). Links: Eric Davies The European Commission has launched a new web portal to provide information on cross-border public services in Europe. 'public-services.eu' is one result of a consultation exercise carried out by the Commission earlier this year intended to find out what people and businesses want from e-government services. |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry, Internal Markets, Politics and International Relations |
