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I2010 eGovernment Action Plan

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i2010 eGovernment Action Plan

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about i2010 eGovernment Action Plan

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Information society > Digital Strategy i2010 Strategy eEurope Action Plan Digital Strategy Programmes

i2010 eGovernment Action Plan

This Action Plan is designed to make public services more efficient and more modern and to target the needs of the general population more precisely. To do this, it proposes a series of priorities and a roadmap to accelerate the deployment of eGovernment in Europe.

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission, of 25 April 2006, i2010 eGovernment Action Plan – Accelerating eGovernment in Europe for the Benefit of All [COM(2006) 173 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The Action Plan stresses the importance of accelerating the introduction of eGovernment * in Europe to respond to a number of challenges and requirements:

  • modernise public services and make them more effective;
  • provide better-quality and more secure services to the general population;
  • respond to the requests of businesses which would like less bureaucracy and more efficiency;
  • ensure the cross-border continuity of public services, crucial for sustaining mobility in Europe.

eGovernment initiatives have already enabled a number of Member States to make substantial savings of both time and money. Moreover, it is estimated that a total of 50 billion euro could be saved annually if electronic invoicing were to become common practice in Europe.

Objectives of the Action Plan

The Commission aims to achieve the following with this Action Plan:

  • accelerate the delivery of tangible benefits for citizens and businesses through eGovernment;
  • ensure that eGovernment at national level does not create any new barriers in the internal market, e.g. due to lack of interoperability;
  • extend the benefits of eGovernment to European Union (EU) level by allowing economies of scale.

FIVE PRIORITIES

The Plan identifies five priority areas:

Access for all

The spread of eGovernment should benefit everybody. For this to happen, it is necessary that disadvantaged people encounter as few obstacles as possible when accessing public services on-line.

In this fight against the digital divide, Member States have committed to ensuring that, by 2010, all citizens, including socially disadvantaged groups, become major beneficiaries of eGovernment.

In accordance with the eAccessibility* Communication and the agenda for eInclusion*, the Commission will support the Member States’ efforts to achieve these objectives.

Increased efficiency

The Member States have committed themselves to achieving gains in efficiency through the innovative use of information and communication technologies (ICT) * and to significantly lightening the administrative burden by 2010.

To facilitate this process, the Action Plan provides for the Member States and the Commission to put in place a system for comparatively evaluating the impact and benefit of eGovernment. Measures will also be taken to encourage greater sharing of experience.

High-impact eGovernment services

A number of services delivered across borders make a significant difference to citizens, businesses and administrations. They can consequently act as flagships for European eGovernment.

One such high-impact service is electronic public procurement. Public contracts represent 15 to 20% of GDP, i.e. about 1 500 billion euro every year in Europe. Electronic procurement could result in an annual saving of tens of billions of euro. Hence the importance of a high level of take-up of e-procurement.

The Member States have undertaken to give their public administrations the capability to carry out 100% of their procurement electronically. In particular, this means ensuring that at least 50% of procurement above the EC threshold (from 50 000 euro for simple public services to 6 000 000 euro for public works) is carried out electronically by 2010.

The Action Plan provides for a roadmap for meeting these objectives. Between 2006 and 2010, cooperation on additional high-impact eGovernment services will be agreed with the Member States.

Putting key enablers in place

To optimise eGovernment, certain key enablers need to be in place, such as:

  • interoperable electronic identification management * (eID) for access to public services;
  • electronic document authentication;
  • electronic archiving.

The Member States have agreed to put in place by 2010 secure systems of mutual recognition of national electronic identifiers for websites and public administration services.

The Commission will contribute to these efforts, defining common specifications for the management of electronic identification and monitoring large-scale pilots of e-IDMs.

Increased participation in decision-making

ICT have great potential to involve large numbers of citizens in public debate and decision-making. Indeed, 65% of respondents to an on-line eGovernment policy poll considered that on-line democracy (“eDemocracy”) can help reduce democratic deficits.

To encourage this potential, the Action Plan proposes support for projects which enhance the use of ICT with the aim of increasing public involvement in the democratic process.

Background

This Action Plan is part of the EU’s i2010 strategy, which aims to stimulate the development of the digital economy in Europe. It draws on the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the 3rd Ministerial eGovernment Conference (November 2005, Manchester, United Kingdom), which set expectations for measurable benefits from eGovernment by 2010.

Key terms used in the act
eGovernment: eGovernment seeks to use information and communication technologies to improve the quality and accessibility of public services. It can reduce costs for businesses and administrations alike, and facilitate transactions between administrations and citizens. It also helps to make the public sector more open and transparent and governments more accountable and understandable to citizens.
Information and communication technologies (ICT): the term ICT covers a wide range of services, applications, technologies, devices and software, i.e. tools such as telephony and the Internet, distance learning, televisions, computers, and the networks and software required to use these technologies, which are revolutionising social, cultural and economic structures by creating new attitudes towards information, knowledge, working life, etc.
eAccessibility: eAccessibility refers to initiatives taken to ensure that all citizens have access to Information Society services. This is about removing the technical, legal and other barriers that some people encounter when using ICT-related services.
eInclusion: this concept is linked to the development of an Information Society for all, i.e. one which ensures equal access to ICT and the same availability at an affordable cost. In particular, eInclusion involves putting in place systems which allow elderly people and people with disabilities easy access to Information Society services.
Interoperability: interoperability means that several systems, whether they are identical or radically different, can communicate without ambiguity and work together.

Related Acts

Communication from the Commission of 1 June 2005, “i2010 – A European Information Society for growth and employment ” [COM(2005) 229 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Communication from the Commission of 26 September 2003, “The Role of eGovernment for Europe’s Future” [COM(2003) 567 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

 

EGovernment

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eGovernment

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about eGovernment

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Information society > Digital Strategy i2010 Strategy eEurope Action Plan Digital Strategy Programmes

eGovernment

eEurope 2005 To harness the full potential of eGovernment, it is necessary to identify the obstacles which are slowing down the rate at which on-line public services are being made available in the Member States and to propose action to speed up the deployment of eGovernment. This is the objective of the Commission Communication described below.

Communication of 26 September 2003 from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “The Role of eGovernment for Europe’s future” [COM(2003) 567 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

“eGovernment” * means the use of information and communication technologies * (ICT) in public administrations combined with organisational changes and new skills. The objective is to improve public services, democratic processes and public policies.

STATE OF PLAY

Progress has been made in every Member State in bringing public services online, with average online availability growing from 45% to 65% between October 2001 and October 2002.

In terms of services to citizens, eGovernment has already shown the advantages which it can bring in citizens’ everyday lives. It not only makes it easier to obtain information from public administrations but also greatly facilitates formalities for members of the public and cuts waiting times. Beyond that, eGovernment fosters direct communication between citizens and policy-makers. Through online forums, virtual discussion rooms and electronic voting, citizens can directly question decision-makers and express their views on public policy. Today public internet access points * are gradually becoming the norm for services to citizens.

As regards services to businesses, provision of higher quality electronic services by public administrations leads to increased productivity and competitiveness, by reducing the cost of the public service itself as well as transaction costs to businesses (time and effort). For example, electronic customs and VAT handling and electronic tax declarations offer the advantage of speeding up procedures at the same time as improving quality of service. The sophistication of online services, in terms of supporting interactivity and transactions, has advanced more in the business sector than in services to citizens.

In the case of services between administrations, eGovernment can provide ways to strengthen cooperation between national, regional and local government and Community institutions. Regional and local administrations are often at the forefront of the delivery of on-line public services. Development of eGovernment at regional and local level has also become a priority of the Structural Funds, representing about 30% of Information Society expenditure in Objective 1 regions and 20% in Objective 2 regions.

OBSTACLES TO GENERAL AVAILABILITY OF eGOVERNMENT: PRIORITY ISSUES

The Commission has identified a number of priority issues which have to be addressed in order to remove the obstacles to general availability of eGovernment.

Inclusive access

Access for all to online public services is a sine qua non for wide use of eGovernment. This point is all the more important considering the very real risk of a “digital divide” – due to unequal access to information and computer technologies. In this context, education and training are essential to acquire the digital literacy necessary in order to reap the full benefit of the services offered by eGovernment. Digital literacy is one of the priorities of the eLearning programme. Greater access to services also implies stepping up the multi-platform approach (allowing access to services through a range of devices, from PCs and digital TV to mobile terminals or public internet access points).

User confidence

Public services can be offered on line only in an environment guaranteeing fully secure access for citizens. With this in view, maximum protection of personal data and security of digital transactions and communications are primary issues. To this end, the use of privacy enhancing technologies in eGovernment should be promoted, inter alia through the relevant Community programmes. More generally, network and information security, the fight against cybercrime and dependability are prerequisites for a properly-functioning Information Society and, consequently, are core policy issues within the European Union.

Public procurement

Public procurement is one area where use of ICT can be particularly advantageous. Traditional public procurement operations are complex, time-consuming and resource-intensive. Use of ICT in public procurement can therefore improve efficiency, quality and value for money in public purchases. Until now the absence of clear Community rules has been an obstacle to the take-up of electronic public procurement in Europe. The adoption of the new package of legislation on public procurement, which includes specific rules on electronic public procurement, should be a turning point for the spread of electronic public procurement in Europe.

Pan-European services

Pan-European services are important means of supporting mobility in the internal market and European citizenship. Various types of pan-European service are already in place. Examples include EURES, the European employment services portal, and PLOTEUS the portal on learning opportunities in Europe. However, the provision of common pan-European services can be a sensitive issue. For example, when services have been developed from the Member State’s national perspective and tradition (e.g. language) alone, access to them for citizens and enterprises from other Member States may be difficult. It is therefore important to make sure that pan-European services take account of the needs of citizens from other Member States and also to establish true cooperation between Member States’ administrations and interoperable infrastructure.

Interoperability

Interoperability means the capacity to inter-link systems, information and ways of working. This kind of interoperability of information systems allows integrated provision of services in a one-stop portal *, no matter how many different administrative systems or bodies are involved. But interoperability is not just a question of linking up computer networks: it also concerns organisational issues, such as interworking with partner organisations which may well have different internal organisation and operating methods. Introduction of pan-European eGovernment services will also inevitably require agreements on common standards and specifications. Most Member States are already addressing this challenge by adopting national “eGovernment interoperability frameworks”, which are being complemented at European level by the development of the European interoperability framework.

Roadmap

The Commission regards the priorities set out above as the roadmap for eGovernment. However, these measures must be backed up by more horizontal action.

HORIZONTAL ACTION

Reinforcing exchanges of good practice

Best practices encompass technological, organisational and training components. They require a long-term commitment on the part of all key players involved. Exchanges of experience and replication of best practices can bring significant cost-savings in moving to broad take-up. They also prepare the ground for future interoperability and interworking between administrations.

Leveraging investment

A range of Community initiatives and programmes are addressing eGovernment. In particular, these include parts of the Sixth Framework RTD Programme, the eTEN and IDA programmes and investment in regional priorities through the Structural Funds. The Commission reports that investment is low compared to the total investment that should be made at European Union level.

Annual spending on ICT in public administration is about EUR 30 billion, of which a growing proportion, currently some EUR 5 billion, is related to eGovernment. The Commission adds that this spending should be accompanied by much larger investment in organisation and human resources. As a result, the total investment needed is likely to run into tens of billions of euros each year. Community support should therefore aim at achieving maximum leverage for the much larger investment at Member State level.

Key terms used in the Act
  • eGovernment: eGovernment seeks to use information and communications technologies to improve the quality and accessibility of public services. It can reduce costs for businesses and administrations alike, and facilitate transactions between administrators and citizens. It also helps to make the public sector more open and transparent and governments more understandable and accountable to citizens.
  • Information and communication technologies (ICT): the term ITC covers a wide range of services, applications, technologies, devices and software, i.e. tools such as telephony and the Internet, distance learning, television, computers, and the networks and software needed to use these technologies, which are revolutionising social, cultural and economic structures by creating new attitudes towards information, knowledge, working life, etc.
  • One-stop portal: a single entry point to the Internet for a specific topic which can be used without any knowledge of how the administrative departments involved in providing the public service are organised.

Related Acts

Communication from the Commission, of 25 April 2006, “i2010 eGovernment Action Plan: Accelerating eGovernment in Europe for the Benefit of All” [COM(2006) 173 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Action Plan, adopted in 2006, is designed to make public services more modern and efficient and to target the needs of the population more precisely. It proposes a series of priorities and a roadmap to speed up the deployment of eGovernment in Europe. Five priority areas are identified:

  • Access for all;
  • Increased efficiency;
  • High-impact eGovernment services;
  • Putting key enablers in place;
  • Increased participation in democratic decision-making.

Independent Report of 27 June 2005: “eGovernment in the Member States of the European Union” (GOPA-Cartermill).

The report is a compilation of the factsheets produced by the eGovernment Observatory. These factsheets provide a picture of the situation and progress of eGovernment in each Member State.

Fifth annual study of e-Government

According to a 2005 survey carried out for the Commission, more than 90% of public service providers now have a website, and 40% of basic public services are totally interactive. The survey highlights the considerable progress made in developing and providing on-line public services throughout the EU. The gap between the new Member States and the EU-15 States in terms of service provision has narrowed significantly, and could close very quickly. The challenge now is to ensure that on-line public services are used as widely and as often as possible so as to simplify the administrative procedures for businesses and citizens alike.

Fourth annual study of e-Government

According to the results of an extensive survey published in January 2004 [PDF ], public administrations which combine the use of ICT to deliver new services with reorganisation of the way they work obtain higher approval ratings from businesses and citizens.
This large-scale survey, funded as part of the evaluation of the eEurope action plan, was conducted in every EU Member State, looking at a common list of 20 basic public services which should be available on line under the action plan. The survey included 29 in-depth case studies of “best practice”, for example substantial savings in enrolment in higher education in Finland and the United Kingdom.

The Commission concluded that the better results are due to the fact that reorganisation plus use of ICT in public administrations reduces costs, increases productivity and provides flexibility and simpler organisational structures. The practical results for the public and for businesses are fewer visits to administrations, together with faster, cheaper, more accessible and more efficient services, but also fewer errors, easier to use systems and greater user control.

Another Normative about eGovernment

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic

Internal market > Businesses in the internal market > Public procurement

eGovernment

eEurope 2005 To harness the full potential of eGovernment, it is necessary to identify the obstacles which are slowing down the rate at which on-line public services are being made available in the Member States and to propose action to speed up the deployment of eGovernment. This is the objective of the Commission Communication described below.

Communication of 26 September 2003 from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “The Role of eGovernment for Europe’s future” [COM(2003) 567 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

“eGovernment” * means the use of information and communication technologies * (ICT) in public administrations combined with organisational changes and new skills. The objective is to improve public services, democratic processes and public policies.

STATE OF PLAY

Progress has been made in every Member State in bringing public services online, with average online availability growing from 45% to 65% between October 2001 and October 2002.

In terms of services to citizens, eGovernment has already shown the advantages which it can bring in citizens’ everyday lives. It not only makes it easier to obtain information from public administrations but also greatly facilitates formalities for members of the public and cuts waiting times. Beyond that, eGovernment fosters direct communication between citizens and policy-makers. Through online forums, virtual discussion rooms and electronic voting, citizens can directly question decision-makers and express their views on public policy. Today public internet access points * are gradually becoming the norm for services to citizens.

As regards services to businesses, provision of higher quality electronic services by public administrations leads to increased productivity and competitiveness, by reducing the cost of the public service itself as well as transaction costs to businesses (time and effort). For example, electronic customs and VAT handling and electronic tax declarations offer the advantage of speeding up procedures at the same time as improving quality of service. The sophistication of online services, in terms of supporting interactivity and transactions, has advanced more in the business sector than in services to citizens.

In the case of services between administrations, eGovernment can provide ways to strengthen cooperation between national, regional and local government and Community institutions. Regional and local administrations are often at the forefront of the delivery of on-line public services. Development of eGovernment at regional and local level has also become a priority of the Structural Funds, representing about 30% of Information Society expenditure in Objective 1 regions and 20% in Objective 2 regions.

OBSTACLES TO GENERAL AVAILABILITY OF eGOVERNMENT: PRIORITY ISSUES

The Commission has identified a number of priority issues which have to be addressed in order to remove the obstacles to general availability of eGovernment.

Inclusive access

Access for all to online public services is a sine qua non for wide use of eGovernment. This point is all the more important considering the very real risk of a “digital divide” – due to unequal access to information and computer technologies. In this context, education and training are essential to acquire the digital literacy necessary in order to reap the full benefit of the services offered by eGovernment. Digital literacy is one of the priorities of the eLearning programme. Greater access to services also implies stepping up the multi-platform approach (allowing access to services through a range of devices, from PCs and digital TV to mobile terminals or public internet access points).

User confidence

Public services can be offered on line only in an environment guaranteeing fully secure access for citizens. With this in view, maximum protection of personal data and security of digital transactions and communications are primary issues. To this end, the use of privacy enhancing technologies in eGovernment should be promoted, inter alia through the relevant Community programmes. More generally, network and information security, the fight against cybercrime and dependability are prerequisites for a properly-functioning Information Society and, consequently, are core policy issues within the European Union.

Public procurement

Public procurement is one area where use of ICT can be particularly advantageous. Traditional public procurement operations are complex, time-consuming and resource-intensive. Use of ICT in public procurement can therefore improve efficiency, quality and value for money in public purchases. Until now the absence of clear Community rules has been an obstacle to the take-up of electronic public procurement in Europe. The adoption of the new package of legislation on public procurement, which includes specific rules on electronic public procurement, should be a turning point for the spread of electronic public procurement in Europe.

Pan-European services

Pan-European services are important means of supporting mobility in the internal market and European citizenship. Various types of pan-European service are already in place. Examples include EURES, the European employment services portal, and PLOTEUS the portal on learning opportunities in Europe. However, the provision of common pan-European services can be a sensitive issue. For example, when services have been developed from the Member State’s national perspective and tradition (e.g. language) alone, access to them for citizens and enterprises from other Member States may be difficult. It is therefore important to make sure that pan-European services take account of the needs of citizens from other Member States and also to establish true cooperation between Member States’ administrations and interoperable infrastructure.

Interoperability

Interoperability means the capacity to inter-link systems, information and ways of working. This kind of interoperability of information systems allows integrated provision of services in a one-stop portal *, no matter how many different administrative systems or bodies are involved. But interoperability is not just a question of linking up computer networks: it also concerns organisational issues, such as interworking with partner organisations which may well have different internal organisation and operating methods. Introduction of pan-European eGovernment services will also inevitably require agreements on common standards and specifications. Most Member States are already addressing this challenge by adopting national “eGovernment interoperability frameworks”, which are being complemented at European level by the development of the European interoperability framework.

Roadmap

The Commission regards the priorities set out above as the roadmap for eGovernment. However, these measures must be backed up by more horizontal action.

HORIZONTAL ACTION

Reinforcing exchanges of good practice

Best practices encompass technological, organisational and training components. They require a long-term commitment on the part of all key players involved. Exchanges of experience and replication of best practices can bring significant cost-savings in moving to broad take-up. They also prepare the ground for future interoperability and interworking between administrations.

Leveraging investment

A range of Community initiatives and programmes are addressing eGovernment. In particular, these include parts of the Sixth Framework RTD Programme, the eTEN and IDA programmes and investment in regional priorities through the Structural Funds. The Commission reports that investment is low compared to the total investment that should be made at European Union level.

Annual spending on ICT in public administration is about EUR 30 billion, of which a growing proportion, currently some EUR 5 billion, is related to eGovernment. The Commission adds that this spending should be accompanied by much larger investment in organisation and human resources. As a result, the total investment needed is likely to run into tens of billions of euros each year. Community support should therefore aim at achieving maximum leverage for the much larger investment at Member State level.

Key terms used in the Act
  • eGovernment: eGovernment seeks to use information and communications technologies to improve the quality and accessibility of public services. It can reduce costs for businesses and administrations alike, and facilitate transactions between administrators and citizens. It also helps to make the public sector more open and transparent and governments more understandable and accountable to citizens.
  • Information and communication technologies (ICT): the term ITC covers a wide range of services, applications, technologies, devices and software, i.e. tools such as telephony and the Internet, distance learning, television, computers, and the networks and software needed to use these technologies, which are revolutionising social, cultural and economic structures by creating new attitudes towards information, knowledge, working life, etc.
  • One-stop portal: a single entry point to the Internet for a specific topic which can be used without any knowledge of how the administrative departments involved in providing the public service are organised.

Related Acts

Communication from the Commission, of 25 April 2006, “i2010 eGovernment Action Plan: Accelerating eGovernment in Europe for the Benefit of All” [COM(2006) 173 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
This Action Plan, adopted in 2006, is designed to make public services more modern and efficient and to target the needs of the population more precisely. It proposes a series of priorities and a roadmap to speed up the deployment of eGovernment in Europe. Five priority areas are identified:

  • Access for all;
  • Increased efficiency;
  • High-impact eGovernment services;
  • Putting key enablers in place;
  • Increased participation in democratic decision-making.

Independent Report of 27 June 2005: “eGovernment in the Member States of the European Union” (GOPA-Cartermill).

The report is a compilation of the factsheets produced by the eGovernment Observatory. These factsheets provide a picture of the situation and progress of eGovernment in each Member State.

Fifth annual study of e-Government

According to a 2005 survey carried out for the Commission, more than 90% of public service providers now have a website, and 40% of basic public services are totally interactive. The survey highlights the considerable progress made in developing and providing on-line public services throughout the EU. The gap between the new Member States and the EU-15 States in terms of service provision has narrowed significantly, and could close very quickly. The challenge now is to ensure that on-line public services are used as widely and as often as possible so as to simplify the administrative procedures for businesses and citizens alike.

Fourth annual study of e-Government

According to the results of an extensive survey published in January 2004 [PDF ], public administrations which combine the use of ICT to deliver new services with reorganisation of the way they work obtain higher approval ratings from businesses and citizens.
This large-scale survey, funded as part of the evaluation of the eEurope action plan, was conducted in every EU Member State, looking at a common list of 20 basic public services which should be available on line under the action plan. The survey included 29 in-depth case studies of “best practice”, for example substantial savings in enrolment in higher education in Finland and the United Kingdom.

The Commission concluded that the better results are due to the fact that reorganisation plus use of ICT in public administrations reduces costs, increases productivity and provides flexibility and simpler organisational structures. The practical results for the public and for businesses are fewer visits to administrations, together with faster, cheaper, more accessible and more efficient services, but also fewer errors, easier to use systems and greater user control.

The Internal Market Information System

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The Internal Market Information System

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about The Internal Market Information System

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Internal market > Internal market: general framework

The Internal Market Information System (IMI)

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 6 November 2008 “Delivering the benefits of the single market through enhanced administrative cooperation” [COM(2008) 703 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The internal market information system (IMI) is an electronic tool designed to support administrative cooperation in the field of legislation relating to the internal market. The IMI helps competent authorities in Member States to overcome practical difficulties related in particular to differences in administrative culture, the use of different languages and the identification of partners in other Member States.

The IMI is a secure internet application, available to all administrations in the thirty countries of the European Economic Area (EEA). It is available in all European Union languages.

Principles

The IMI is based on three key principles:

  • it does not impose additional obligations on Member States in terms of administrative cooperation;
  • it is flexible enough to adapt to the diverse administrative structures and cultures in Europe;
  • it is a single system, designed to be able to integrate many pieces of Internal Market legislation which avoids a proliferation of information systems.

Benefits

The system offers many benefits. In particular Member States are able to manage a single relationship with the network instead of 29 separate bilateral relationships, communicate using a clear working method by joint agreement, reduce language problems, save resources and time, and improve service quality through increased transparency and predictability.

Data protection

As IMI is used for the exchange of personal data, relevant legislation fully applies to the system in terms of data protection. Moreover, Commission Decision 2008/49/EC lays down the functions, rights and obligations of IMI users.

Context

The creation of the IMI was motivated by the importance of administrative cooperation in setting up a dynamic single market, in accordance with the Lisbon Strategy. The IMI should also contribute to strengthening the application of Community law at national level, and therefore the implementation of the “Better Regulation” programme. It is also part of the i2010 eGovernment Action Plan.

A first pilot project was launched in November 2007 for four professions referred to in Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. The system will be progressively extended to other professions.

A second pilot project was launched in January 2009 on the basis of the ‘Services’ Directive. It should last until 28 December 2009, at which date the Directive should be fully transposed by the Member States. The aim is to prepare the implementation of an operational IMI system, covering all service activities by the end of 2009. In the future, the IMI could also be used to strengthen administrative cooperation in other sectors covered by internal market legislation.

Related Acts

Commission Recommendation of 26 March 2009 on data protection guidelines for the Internal Market Information System (IMI) [Official Journal L100 of 18.4.2009].
This Recommendation invites Member States to take measures to implement the guidelines in the Annex. The guidelines concern data protection, the safeguards built into the system and the risks associated with its use.

National IMI coordinators are also encouraged to make contacts with their national data protection authorities with a view to implementing these guidelines in accordance with national law.

The European Commission is to be informed of the implementation of these guidelines not later than nine months after the adoption of this Recommendation.