In Europe, two critical ministerial declarations have been signed concerning the digital transformation of government: the Tallinn Declaration of 2017 on eGovernment, and subsequently, the Berlin Declaration (2020), which builds upon it.
Berlin Declaration
Signed on 8 December 2020 by, among others, the former State Secretary Knops, the Berlin Declaration aims to ensure everyone can seize the opportunities of digitalisation. This includes individuals concerned about digitalisation, security, and privacy, or those struggling to keep up with rapid technological developments. The declaration advocates for a values-based digital transformation aligned with European democratic and ethical values, underpinned by a number of principles.
About the Berlin Declaration
Seven principles for digital transformation
The Declaration outlines seven principles for digitalisation, each accompanied by specific actions:
- Promoting fundamental rights and democratic values in the digital sphere.
- Enhancing social participation and inclusion.
- Fostering digital empowerment and digital literacy.
- Strengthening trust through security in the digital sphere.
- Strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty and interoperability.
- Creating value-based, human-centred AI systems for use in the public sector.
- Fostering resilience and sustainability.
Tallinn Declaration
The Tallinn Declaration specifies that citizens and businesses can communicate digitally with the government. The Dutch government commits to user-centric development of digital services, focusing as well on more proactive service delivery, skills, and accessibility.
About the Tallinn Declaration
Improving service delivery
EU member states strive to improve service delivery, for instance, by implementing a once-only data provision principle for major services and base registers to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens in cross-border services:
- Identifying options for once-only data provision between member states.
- Enabling access to and correction of personal data.
- Increase the quality of open data.
The concern for trust and security is reflected in a risk-based approach.
