The Netherlands is not the only country working towards the digital government. It is a topic that is on many countries’ agendas, both inside and outside Europe. This offers opportunities! Opportunities, because the experiences from elsewhere can be put to good use here, and because we can work together internationally to address common issues in programmes. International organisations like the EU, OECD and the UN run programmes to stimulate the digital government.
Programmes
The European Commission has developed programmes for research and development, and for the development and management of the building blocks for cross-border services. The scope of these programmes usually goes beyond the governmental. Examples of these programmes are:
- Horizon 2020: Horizon is the EU’s largest research and innovation programme, with nearly €80 trillion financing available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). This in addition to the private investments this initiative will attract. It promises many innovations.
- Model project TOOP: The ‘Once-Only’ Principle. A project that aims to make it possible to only have to give data to a governmental organisation once, after which it can be used everywhere within the government, by all public services. In the Netherlands, this is also known as ‘single request, multiple use’. TOOP wants to apply this principle within the entire EU as part of the ‘digital single market’.
Infrastructure and interoperability:
- Connecting Europe Facility;
- ISA2: interoperability framework, standards and facilities;
- In decision-making: Digital Europe.
CEF Calls
The European Union grants subsidies to member states to implement the regulations: the CEF Calles, part of the ISA2 programme. For instance, the development of the eIDASnode. The ultimate goal of the CEF Calls is to stimulate interoperability of the systems used by member states.
Citizens and businesses are able to exchange data across country or domain borders, so that the level of service can be improved.
Policy
The Netherlands is active in several European forums and programmes, to make sure that the national policy and the European policy are attuned.
