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Programme on interoperability solutions and common frameworks for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (ISA2 programme)

2014/0185(COD)

PURPOSE: to establish a programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (ISA2 programme).

PROPOSED ACT: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in its Communication of 19 May 2010 on a Digital Agenda for Europe (DAE), the Commission stressed that interoperability is essential to maximise the social and economic potential of ICT and that, consequently, the Digital Agenda can take off only if interoperability is ensured.

As mentioned in its 2013 annual growth survey, the Commission considers the cross-border interoperability of online services and the digitisation of European public administrations to be important contributors to growth and increased efficiency.

To enable efficient and effective interaction with citizens and businesses, Member States should modernise their administrations and provide interoperable digital services at national and European level.

However, because it takes place at national level and lacks European-level interoperability, such change very often throws up electronic barriers (‘e-barriers’) that prevent citizens and businesses from using public services efficiently and impede the smooth functioning of the internal market.

Activities under the programmes put in place by the Commission since 1995 (IDA, IDABC and ISA) have contributed significantly to ensuring interoperability in the electronic exchange of information between European public administrations. In its Resolution of 20 April 2012, the European Parliament recognised the contribution and overarching role of the ISA Programme in defining, promoting and supporting the implementation of interoperability solutions and frameworks for European public administrations. It also called for an increase in the financial allocations for interoperability solutions between the EU public administrations for 2014-2020.

With the ISA Programme coming to an end on 31 December 2015, a new EU programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, businesses and citizens is needed.

On 24 and 25 October 2013, the European Council adopted conclusions stressing that the modernisation of public administrations should continue, with the swift implementation of services, such as e-government, e-health, e-invoicing and e-procurement that rely on interoperability.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: based on the 2012 interim evaluation for the ISA Programme, the Commission considers that the adoption of the new programme will help reduce the cost and administrative burden of cross-border interaction for all concerned, further improve the internal market and freedom of movement in the EU without administrative e-barriers, and contribute to the swift implantation of ICT systems supporting EU legislation.

CONTENT: the proposed Decision seeks to establish, for 2016-2020, a programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (‘the ISA2 programme’). The proposed programme succeeds the ISA Programme and will consolidate, promote and expand its activities.

The specific objectives of the programme are as follows:

  • improve, operate and re-use existing cross-border or cross-sector interoperability solutions;
  • develop, operate and re-use new cross-border or cross-sector interoperability solutions;
  • assess the ICT implications of proposed or adopted Union legislation and identify areas in which new legislation could promote interoperability;
  • create a European Interoperability Reference Architecture (EIRA) to be used as the tool for building and assessing interoperability solutions;
  • create an instrument to facilitate the re-use of existing interoperability solutions and to identify the areas in which such solutions are still missing;
  • assess and promote existing common specifications and standards and develop new common specifications and standards;
  • introduce a mechanism that will measure and quantify the benefits of interoperability solutions.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: the financial envelope for implementation of the new ISA2 Programme for the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2020 is EUR 130 928 000. The proposed envelope is consistent with the current Multiannual Financial Framework for the years 2014-2020.