Linking-up Europe

Citation
European Commission, Linking-up Europe (full-text).

Overview
The purpose of this working paper was to obtain acceptance from key decision and policy makers in Europe on the need for interoperability both within and between administrations and with the enterprise sector. It sought to obtain the necessary commitments for this to happen at all levels (i.e., European, national, regional and local) and to ensure that any consequential adjustments of European or national policies occur.

As Europe's citizens move between Member States and enterprises trade across Europe's borders they need to transact business Europe's public administrations. Increasingly these transactions will be carried out electronically. They may well need to interact with public administration IT systems in other Member States the same way as national public administration bodies must co-operate in the provision of e-government services at the national level.

This working paper dealt with these issues, and focused on what was required to ensure that the back-office system of Europe's public administrations are sufficiently interoperable to allow seamless pan-European e-government services to be developed.