eGovernance Archives

The European Commission will on Thursday (2 June) announce plans for a digital identity wallet to allow Europeans to access public and private services, prompted in part by the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen a massive surge in online services.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex reminded the government services on Tuesday (27 April) of the "strategic" importance of an "ambitious" public data policy and urged them to get "personally" involved in facilitating third-party access to their data. EURACTIV France reports.

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid was in Paris for the French military parade on Bastille day (14 July). She participated in a working lunch organised at the Elysée on European defence issues. As a champion in cyber defence and digital services, Estonia is an important ally for France. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.

A new European Commission aid plan promises to channel more development funds into building internet networks in Africa, in the hope that the bloc's fresh privacy and net neutrality rules could become a template for other countries.

Brussels is not a hotbed of popular mobilisation. Few rights struggles start here, but it is one of the biggest power centres in the world and it is one of the main chapters in the book on inequality, write Laura Sullivan and Jenny Ricks.

The European Parliament on Wednesday (3 February) adopted a number of recommendations - their red lines and blue lines - for the ongoing negotiations over the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA).

Ten years on from the adoption of the UNESCO Convention, its principles are more relevant than ever today and have a crucial role to play in any future transatlantic trade deal, writes Jean-Paul Philippot.

The future of identity and of innovative and user-centric identity management tools to build trust and confidence has to be looked at holistically by legislators and the private service providers, writes Juliet Lodge.

Yes, European countries have to cut public spending in order to put their finances back in shape. But this should not compromise essential public services such as education, health care or tax collection, writes Klaus Heeger of the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CESI).

Public services provision in Europe is set to be radically liberalised from bureaucracy but will at the same time come under more scrutiny from the EU executive following two proposals tabled by the European Commission yesterday (20 December).

A European Commission communication on state aid rules for public service utilities – ranging from water supply to energy provision – was welcomed yesterday (23 March), though proposals to clarify such rules may prove thornier when further details emerge later this year.

Water, energy, health, telecoms and transport are among the most widely-known examples of services that public authorities consider of general interest and subject to specific public service obligations. 

Demand for mental health services has increased over the past 12 months as people struggle to cope with unemployment, debt, home repossession and threat of redundancy, according to a new study.

Video-conferencing and other teleservices can bring public administration closer to the citizen, save time and reduce travel's carbon footprint, argues a recommendation addressed to Finland's public administration.

The European Commission has just nominated the "Hands" project, aimed at facilitating communication between citizens and public administrations, as the best e-government initiative of 2007. But while "Hands" is yet to be applied, for over a year citizens in the Belgian city of Waterloo have been able to ask for information from the town hall through an easy-to-use robot.

The Commission's decision to scale down its ambitions for public service regulation has been met with contempt by trade unions, public employers, NGOs and the Socialist Group in the European Parliament.

A broad alliance of organisations, ranging from the Committee of the Regions to trade unions, has welcomed provisions on public services in the draft mandate for the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), which will negotiate a new EU Treaty.

With full postal-market liberalisation due in 2011, the Commission wants to guarantee that European citizens continue to enjoy the right to a full universal service. A variety of financial-support mechanisms have been suggested, but many fear that none will appropriately ensure the same level of service as the current monopoly system.

The European Parliament put an end to seven years of negotiations on 10 May 2007, by adopting a compromise text on how public transport service contracts should be awarded in member states.

The Socialists, backed by unions and social NGOs are urging the Commission to come up with a concrete EU legislative proposal on public services to ensure that public interest comes before commercial profit.

As Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy prepares to sort out the rules governing public-private partnerships (PPPs), Michael Burnett, public procurement expert and senior lecturer at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), tells EURACTIV why it is so important to develop PPPs in Europe.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can help member states raise the funds they need to implement essential EU policies. But flawed and opaque public procurement rules are hindering their development, says PPP expert.