Policy Framework

1. Services Directive
   The objective of the Services Directive is to release the untapped growth potential of services markets in Europe by removing legal and administrative barriers to trade in the services sector.
2. Points of Single Contact
   Thanks to the Services Directive, "points of single contact" have been set up in each Member State. They allow service providers to deal with and to complete their administrative formalities electronically when they want to do business across Europe.
3. "i2010 – A European Information Society for growth and employment"
   On 1st June 2005, the Commission launched the i2010 initiative as a framework for addressing the main challenges and developments in the information society and media sectors up to 2010.
4. Europe's Digital Agenda
   The Digital Agenda is Europe's strategy for a flourishing digital economy by 2020. It outlines policies and actions to maximise the benefit of the Digital Revolution for all.
5. Commission’s Communication ‘Towards interoperability for European public services’
   This Communication introduces the European Interoperability Strategy (EIS) and the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) for European public services, two key elements in the Digital Agenda. Together, they promote interoperability among public administrations.
6. eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015
   The European Commission aims to support with its eGovernment Action Plan 2011-2015 the provision of a new generation of eGovernment services for businesses and citizens.
7. Malmö Ministerial Declaration of 18 November 2009
   The declaration signed on 18 November 2009 in Malmö by the EU ministers outlines a joint forward-looking vision and defines policy priorities to be achieved by 2015.

EU Programmes

1. Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP)
   With small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as its main target, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) supports innovation activities (including eco-innovation), provides better access to finance and delivers business support services in the regions.
2. ICT Policy Support Programme (or ICT PSP)
   The ICT Policy Support Programme (or ICT PSP) aims at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses.

Projects

1. PEPPOL
   PEPPOL (Pan-European Public eProcurement On-Line): The objective of the project is to set up a pan-European pilot solution that, conjointly with existing national solutions, facilitates EU-wide interoperable public eProcurement.
2. STORK
   STORK (Secure idenTity acrOss boRders linked): The aim of the project is to establish a European eID Interoperability Platform that will allow citizens to establish new e-relations across borders, just by presenting their national eID.
3. epSOS
   epSOS aims at building and evaluating a service infrastructure demonstrating cross-border interoperability between Electronic Health Record Systems in Europe.
4. ECRN
   The ECRN project deals with the establishment of a pilot among the Civil Acts Registry of National Administrations to allow safe transmission and certain identification of the Civil Acts exchanged among European administrations. The project aims at strengthening the administrations' ability to use new technologies, with a view to a major efficiency/effectiveness and cost-efficiency of the local administrative action in the European context.
5. e-CODEX
   The goal of the e-CODEX project is to improve the cross-border access of citizens and businesses to legal means in Europe as well as to improve the interoperability between legal authorities within the EU.

Click here to view the ICT Policy Support Programme projects

Directorate-General (DG)

1. Internal Market and Services Directorate General (DG MARKT)
   It is one of the Directorates General and specialized services which make up the European Commission. Its main role is to coordinate the Commission’s policy on the European Single Market and to seek the removal of unjustified obstacles to trade, in particular in the field of services and financial markets.
2. Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (DG Enterprise)
   It works to ensure that EU policies contribute to the sustainable competitiveness of EU enterprises and facilitate job creation and sustainable economic growth. It has the task of ensuring that the single market for goods runs smoothly and is a major contributor to the implementation of the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs.
3. DG Information Society and Media
   The Information Society and Media Directorate General supp orts the development and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for the benefit of all citizens.
4. Directorate- General for Informatics (DIGIT)
   It is a proactive leader in information and communication technologies, identifying opportunities and offering, in partnership with stakeholders, innovative tools, solutions and e-services to enable the Commission to accomplish its goals more effectively and efficiently manage and deliver European policies for the benefit of EU public administrations, citizens and business.
5. Directorate General for Regional Policy
   Its mission is to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion by reducing disparities between the levels of development of regions and countries of the European Union.

Other programmes and initiatives

1. ePractice.eu
   epractice.eu is an initiative of the European Commission. Designed as a web 2.0 community service, it is tailored to the needs of eGovernment, eInclusion and eHealth practitioners. ePractice members may exchange experiences and views, publish cases concerning their own projects and share news, events, publications, best practices and lessons learnt.
2. European eID Observatory
   The EUReID Observatory developed by ePractice aims to reach decision-makers and professionals in public administrations, academia, business and other sectors that wish to meet, discuss and share their ideas, experiences and knowledge on eID. Furthermore, it intends to engage the interest of policy makers, professionals and academia, to pave the way towards minimizing any current and future obstacles, thus providing stronger, more usable, and interoperable methods for authentication, identification, and privacy protection.
3. IDABC
   IDABC stands for Interoperable Delivery of European eGovernment Services to public Administrations, Businesses and Citizens. It uses the opportunities offered by information and communication technologies to encourage and support the delivery of cross-border public sector services to citizens and enterprises in Europe, to improve efficiency and collaboration between European public administrations and to contribute to making Europe an attractive place to live, work and invest.
4. europa.eu -eGovernment portal of the European Commission
   The eGovernment portal aims to provide information on EU policies in the field of eGovernment, and the funding programmes which support concrete initiatives to improve public services.
5. EUGO portal
   The European Commission has created the EUGO portal, which provides links to the virtual points of single contact of all the Member States and EEA EFTA countries.