"These winners demonstrate how governments across Europe are using eGovernment to deliver real benefits to citizens and business", commented Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding. "For example, electronic invoicing in Denmark, one of this year's award winners, saves businesses 50 million Euros per year($1= EUR .84), and administrations -- hence taxpayers -- 120 to 150 million Euros. If we could get this working all over Europe we would save 15 billion Euros per year. Based on this positive experience, I will launch an action plan on eGovernment in the course of 2006."
This message was reinforced in the Ministerial declaration also issued at the conference by the UK Presidency following a meeting of European eGovernment Ministers. Pursuing high impact eGovernment services, specifically electronic public procurement, was one of four key areas they highlighted when considering targets for eGovernment by 2010. Ministers want at least 50% of procurements with a value above the EU public procurement thresholds (typically EUR154,000 for supplies and services, EUR5,923,000 for works contracts) to be conducted wholly electronically by 2010. Inclusive eGovernment, efficiency and effectiveness, and key enablers, particularly electronic identification, were also highlighted as priority areas for action.
Citizens and businesses across Europe are discovering the benefits of eGovernment. A recent Eurostat survey found that around half of Europe's businesses with Internet access now use it to interact with the public authorities, with peaks of 90% and 94% in Finland and Sweden. Citizens, too, are increasingly visiting government offices on line, rather than queuing outside them. Those who do so tend to be younger (25 to 34 years old) and more highly educated. The European Ministers want to overcome this digital divide between young and old. Ensuring that no citizen is left behind is to become a cornerstone of future eGovernment policy.
Award candidate projects were assessed for innovativeness and effective management, real practice results and impact, and relevance and transferability in four thematic categories:
- Enabling eGovernment -- creating the right environment to enable government, businesses and citizens to benefit from transformation. Won by: KSI ZUS from Poland, for their secure infrastructure for implementing pension reform, which is already supporting 90% of all information submitted.
- Government transformation -- demonstrating organizational readiness and innovation in the back office. Won by: Denmark for a system for electronic invoicing used by national and local administrations throughout the country, which is already saving businesses 50 million Euros per year, and administrations -- hence taxpayers -- 120 to 150 million Euro per year.
- Business and citizen centred service use -- transformation and innovation in external facing services, driving up use and participation. Won by: The Netherlands for their Kadaster-on-line system, which provides direct access by businesses and citizens to up-to-date land registry information.
- Impact -- measuring the impact on, and benefits to, citizens, businesses and government. Won by: Ireland for their Revenue-on-Line service for tax payers. This not only provides businesses and citizens with an easy to use facility, but has also allowed the administration to redeploy staff to important compliance and investigative work.
More than 950 participants attended the EU ministerial eGovernment conference. This is the third in a series that bring together ministers and senior officials responsible for eGovernment in EU Member States, leading academics, CEOs and senior managers from European industry to share ideas, experiences, and lessons learned.
For further information: http://www.e-europeawards.org
