Interoperability of and access to trans-European networks for the electronic interchange of data between administrations (IDA)

PURPOSE : to amend Decision 1720/1999/EC adopting a series of actions and measures in order to ensure interoperability of and access to trans-European networks for the electronic interchange of data between administrations. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Decision 2045/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. CONTENT : to recall, the second phase of the IDA Programme (IDA II) was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in their decisions 1719/1999/EC (Guidelines decision) and 1720/1999/EC (interoperability decision) of July 12 1999. Article 9 and 13 respectively of the two decisions require the Commission to submit a first evaluation of the IDA II Programme to the European Parliament and the Council no later than the draft budget for the year 2001, together with appropriate proposal for the amendment of the Annex of the Guidelines decisions and any appropriate proposal for the amendment of the interoperability decision. The objective of Decision 1720/1999/EC is for the Community to achieve a high degree of interoperability between the trans-European telematic networks established between Member States and the Community institutions in order to support the establishment of economic and monetary union and the implementation of Community policies, as well as to achieve substantial benefits for Member State administrations and the Community by streamlining operations and speeding up implementation of new networks and enhancements. More specifically, the objective this Decision is to fulfil the requirement laid down in Article 13 of Decision 1720/1999/EC to submit a first evaluation of the implementation of that decision to the European Parliament and the Council, together with any appropriate proposal for the amendment of that decision. It has to be noted, however, that the Protocol to amend decision 1720/1999/EC is not only based on the evaluation results, but also takes into account the first one-and-a-half year of experience in implementing the decision and the context provided by the e-Europe initiative and related action plan. Three types of amendments are made to amend decision 1720/1999/EC: 1) changes in legal and political obligations and concerns an adaptation of the committee procedure in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC and extension of the IDA II programme to Malta and Turkey, as well as providing the possibility for candidate and non-member countries to use, at their own costs and under certain conditions, IDA generic services; 2) improvements in the practical conditions, the introduction of a financial reference for the period 2002-2004 which has been set at EUR 32.4 million and to spread best practice; 3) requirements resulting from the new initiatives, notably the e-Europe action plan. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 20 November 2002.�