EUROPEAN NEWS - GOVERNMENT - ECONOMY - PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - PUBLIC SERVICES - INDUSTRY - SMALL & MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES - INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY - INFRASTRUCTURE
EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES NEW DIGITAL AGENDANew policies and strategies to digitize public administration and business, to achieve maximum efficiency and to create a digital single marketA huge and ambitious project to provide all citizens and all businesses a digital network fast,efficient,secure and competitive
To ensure a sustainable future,we must look right now beyond the short term; to cope with an aging population and global competition we have three options: work harder,longer or smarter. Probably we will have to do all three things,but the third option is the only one that guarantees European citizens a better lifestyle. To achieve this,the European Digital Agenda makes proposals for actions that need to be taken urgently to get Europe back on the path of smart,sustainable and inclusive growth. These proposals will set the stage for the transformations that the economy and society,more and more digitized,will in the long run.
The European Government of Martin Schulz launched at the start of the legislation the Europe 2020 Strategy,with the intent tp prepare EU economy for the challenges of the next decade. The Europe 2020 Strategy sets out a vision for achieving high levels of employment,productivity and social cohesion and a low-carbon economy,to be implemented through concrete actions at Europe. This battle for growth and jobs requires ownership at top political level and mobilization of all stakeholders in Europe. The Digital Agenda is one of the flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy,and aims to establish the key role of information and communication technologies (ICT) to achieve the goals that Europe has set for 2020.
The Agenda aims to chart a course to make the most of the social and economic potential of ICT,particularly the Internet,which is the essential support of socio-economic activities,whether it's creating business relationships, work,play,communicate or express themselves freely. The achievement of this Agenda will spur innovation and economic growth and will improve the daily lives of citizens and businesses. With more widespread and more effective use of digital technologies can Europe deal the key challenges it faces and offer its citizens a better quality of life,for example in the form of better health care,safer and more efficient transport,a cleaner environment,new media opportunities and easier access to public services and cultural content.
The ICT sector is directly responsible for 5% of European GDP and represents a market value of 860 billion Euros a year,but it contributes to overall productivity growth in much greater extent (20% comes directly from the ICT sector and 30% from ICT investments). This is due to the remarkable dynamism and innovation inherent in the sector and to the influence that ICTs have on the transformation of the mode of operation of the other sectors. At the same time,the social impact of ICT has become significant: for example,the fact that in Europe more than 450 million people use the Internet every day and that virtually all Europeans possess a mobile phone has changed our lifestyle.
The development of high-speed internet networks today have the same revolutionary impact that had a century ago,the development of electricity networks and transport. Thanks to the evolution taking place in the electronics industry,the boundaries between different digital devices are disappearing. Services are converging and moving from the physical world to the digital one, universally accessible on any device, be it smartphone, PC-tablet (tablet PC),computer, digital radio or high-definition TVs. It is expected that by 2020 digital content and applications will be provided almost entirely online.
From this reasoning,it is therefore essential to bring together all the efforts of national actors,public (ministries,agencies,local authorities public companies) and private (private companies and banks),for development of a network internet fast,secure and competitive that reaches every citizen in every corner of the nation. In addition,Europe must start policies,strategies and initiatives to create a true digital single market,to fully digitize public administrations and the economic fabric,to promote efficiency and sustainable growth.
DIGITAL INTERNAL MARKET & ENTERPRISES DIGITALIZATION
DIGITAL INERNAL MARKET
The digital single market has the potential to improve access to information,lead to increased efficiency in terms of reduced transition costs,dematerializing consumption and reducing environmental impact,as well as to introduce better business models and administrative. A rise of electronic commerce generates tangible effects for consumers,as new products rapidly evolving,lower prices,more choice and better quality of goods and services, thanks to cross-border trade and an easier comparison of tenders. An increase of e-government facilitates compliance and access to jobs and business opportunities for citizens and businesses.
Fo this,the European Digital Agenda has several key actions:
- On the one hand,the new legislation opens up access to legal online content by simplifying and improving the procedures for release and management of copyright and licensing. For the purpose,the new rules provide a clear framework on collective rights management. On the other hand,the new laws will simplify and improve the efficiency of the rules on re-use of public sector information.
- To facilitate electronic payments and invoicing,new legislation improves and streamlines rules on electronic signatures in order to provide secure electronic authentication systems,in addition to eliminating administrative barriers and provide appropriate tools to push consumers and businesses to make better use of the digital market.
- The new legislation aims to revise the EU regulatory framework for the protection of data and intends to publish a code online that summarizes in a clear and accessible manner the rights of digital users. This code will also focus on the legislation on contracts and the settlement of disputes online at European level. It also places an EU trustmark on line to protect consumers.
- The new laws increase the interoperability of devices, applications, databases, networks and services. For this purpose it is essential to review its policy on standardization, to promote efficiency and simplification.
ENTERPRISES DIGITALIZATION
In order to promote the digitization of business processes and technological modernization of micro,small,medium and big enterprises,of any economic sector, as well as the activities of the professions,the Digital Agenda establishing a specific instrument,within the Ministry of Economic Development,the Economy Digitalization Fund. This instrument,through funding,will take over 90% of total investment costs that the specific company must make to start actions of technological innovation and digitalization. The Fund will also provide substantial technical support,excellent tax breaks and useful administrative simplifications for businesses that undertake investment in ICT.
The intervention provided by the Fund is designed to support,through contributions on purchasing of software,hardware or services enabling:
a) improving business efficiency;
b) the modernization of work, such as to promote the use of highly technological tools and forms of flexibility,including teleworking;
c) the development of e-commerce;
d) the broadband and ultra-wideband connectivity ;
e) the connection to the Internet through satellite technology,through the purchase and activation of decoder and parables;
f) qualified training of companies staff in the field of ICT.
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DIGITALIZATION
PUBLIC CONNECTIVITY SYSTEM
The Public Connectivity System the set of technological infrastructure and technical regulations for the development,sharing,integration and dissemination of information assets and data of public administration,necessary to ensure interoperability of basic and advanced systems and application cooperation computer and information flows,ensuring security, the confidentiality of information,and the maintenance and the autonomy of the information assets of each public administration.
Public Connectivity System is a "frame" of National Interoperability,defines, ie,the preferential mode that information systems of public administrations must take to be among them "interoperable". The aspects of interoperability are ensured by rules and,above all,by a set of interoperability services,cooperation and access that are part of the national infrastructure of System itself.
The technical architecture of the System is made up of three different layers:
- Connectivity infrastructure provides data transport services,wired and wireless,voice and VoIP security with guaranteed levels of functionality and quality;
- services;
- Interoperability (mail,housing and hosting,web sites, etc.);
- Application cooperation enables the development and functioning of cooperating applications;
- Applications cooperatives provide users (citizens and businesses) the final results of transverse processes.
PUBLIC CLOUD COMPUTING SYSTEM
The "Cloud computing" is a flexible and economical for the provision of ICT services. Through Internet-based technologies,allowing easier access to a set of configurable resources and shared (physical resources of network,storage and processing, services and end-use applications). This system allows to improve operational efficiency and, at the same time,to achieve significant economies of scale for IT costs.
The innovative process that can be initiated through the use of the cloud model is particularly significant for the government. In addition to the benefits of a general nature,are easily conceivable strategic advantages related to the possibility of achieving both the modernization of infrastructure,both sharing systems,applications and databases.
This is why the new regulations of the Digital Agenda provides that the entire apparatus of public administration,at national and local level,to create an advanced,interconnected and interoperable system of databases and cloud computing,to store and manage the administrative data,and to provide citizens and businesses a punctual and efficient service.
DIGITAL IDENTITY FOR CITIZENS & ENTERPRISES
The National Services Card (NSC) is a tool for on-line identification that allows the use of government and public administration services,and will be provided to all European Citizens. The NSC does not contain the holder's photo and does not require special safety requirements for the plastic support. The complete computer correspondence between NSC and EIC (Electronic Identity Card) ensures interoperability between the two cards.
The Digital Signature - electronic equivalent of traditional handwritten signatures on paper - is permanently associated to the electronic document to which it is affixed,and attested with certainty its integrity and authenticity. The digital signature is used to exchange documents on-line with full legal validity,and is fundamental to the management of administrative procedures digital. To this,according to new legislation,should provide their own digital signature all natural persons: citizens,administrators and employees of companies,public administrations.
Current legislation provides for the creation of Unified Digital Document (UDD). It will be provided to all European citizens. This electronic document,which replaces the Identity Card and the Health Card,allows to equip all citizens of a valid tool for access to network services. The project involves the use of smart cards with a dual microprocessor,RF and contacts. The presence of the radio frequency (contactless) processors characterizes the UDD as an innovative and highly efficient instrument.
NATIONAL DIGITAL REGISTER OF RESIDENT POPULATION
The National Register of Population must occur according to new legislation,constituting a single reference. With the implementation of the Digital Register,there will be a single database updated in real time throughout the territory,interoperable, efficient and accessible at any time from all public administrations.
As in implementing of the Digital Register particular attention is paid in respect of:
- Safeguards and security measures to be taken in the processing of personal data;
- How and when data retention and access to data by the government for its own purposes;
- Criteria for interoperability of Digital Register with other databases of national and regional level,according to the technical rules of the Public Connectivity System,so that the information of registry,once made by the citizens,they intend acquired by public administration without the need for further requirements or duplication by the same;
- provision of services made available by the Digital Register,including the service of electronic submission of certifications and declarations of birth and other documents.
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES DIGITALIZATION
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES MANAGEMENT
The digitization of administrative processes enables for public administration new ways of communication and interaction with citizens and businesses through the provision of services and the creation of a single point of access. The digital management of administrative processes, according to European Digital Agenda, then becomes mandatory. The administrative procedures focused on document management ensure the proper management of the entire lifecycle of documents from production to conservation. The document management systems make it possible to:
a) Automate processes of classification,sorting and definition of metadata (information base and specific type of documents) - Digital Administrative Documents -
b) Automate the recording process of incoming and outgoing documents and assignment to organizational units - Digital Streams of documents and protocols -
c) Dematerialise the processing of document flows both incoming and outgoing - Dematerialization -
d) Support archiving of electronic documents and copies - Digital Conservation -
ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS
It was created to give the opportunity to citizens and businesses to make any payment to the government and the managers of public services electronically. Electronic payments are indeed mandatory between private companies or individuals and public administration,according to the new legislation. Electronic payments between private individuals or private companies,the common commercial transactions,are strongly supported.
The system allows citizens and businesses to:
- freely choose the provider of payment services (eg. bank,payment institution / electronic money);
- choose from multiple payment instruments (eg. direct debit,credit card,postal electronic);
- choose the preferred payment channel technology to perform the operation (eg. web account, ATM, mobile);
- know in advance the maximum costs of the operation to be performed simultaneously and have the guarantee of the correctness of the amount to be paid;
- immediately get a receipt with liberating value.
The system allows the public administrations to:
- speed up the collection of receipts,obtaining the results in real time and being able to maintain its reconciliation with certainty and automatic;
- reduce costs and optimize the development time of new online applications,thanks to the use of reusable solutions and experiences;
- eliminating the need to enter into specific agreements with service providers for the collection.
STANDARD XBLR DOCUMENTS FORMAT
The digitization of documents of companies (now mandatory), as consolidated financial statements and other documents to the business register,presupposes the adoption and use of standards and rules.
Standard XBRL has been adopted to ensure
- usability and movement of financial data, so that they are immediately readable and usable by all parties who have an interest;
- significant advantages in terms of streamlining practices and automation of industrial processes.
DIGITALIZATION OF JUSTICE
Over the past years,judicial authorities have tried to implement a policy of rationalization,consolidation and integration of ICT systems,which allowed a reduction of project activities and the internalization of many management activities. The Digital Agenda for the justice digitalization focus on three main areas: Civil Justice, Criminal Justice and Infrastructures.
a) Civil Justice
The telematics services available to citizens and businesses regarding to Civil Justice are:
- The consultation of digital registers of stationery and electronic documents included in the digital files of Judicial Authorities,avoiding physical access to the registry and then save a lot of time and staff.
- The filing of documents,digitally signed,sealed in encrypted mails and transmitted through secure electronic channels
- Digital communications of stationery allow the automatic sending of messages,also with decree of the judge attached by Judicial Authorities to lawyers,to expert witnesses and to the parties who are involved personally.
- Electronic payments of court costs: the system allows lawyers to pay online contributions and administrative fees for the Civil trial,obtaining an electronic receipt,containing a unique code is not reusable and digitally signed,immediately verifiable
In order to bring about a significant acceleration in the time of the Civil Justice,the Digital Agenda establishes the Electronic Civil Trial (ECT),completely digitizing all the various administrative processes,and equipping all judicial offices with necessary infrastructures and staff for the purpose. Between digital services,for exaple,there are: notifications and communications of stationery,injunctions,all the acts of the court.
b) Criminal Justice
Priority task under the field of criminal law is to improve the process from the investigative phase until the final judgment, ensuring a complete digitalization and the transfer of information between offices and making available to the operators of the right elements needed for decisions in times faster.
The computer systems of justice are mainly web-based,interconnected,efficient,unified and homogeneous,with databases at national or district level. So there is a complete digitization of the judicial system,in which all the offices will be equipped with all the infrastructure and skills necessary for the purpose.
DIGITALIZATION OF HEALTHCARE
With "digital health" we intend those actions shared by all administrations operating at central,regional and local level: the digitization of the prescriptive cycle,the digitalization of all health administrative processes,the creation of a federated solution of Electronic Health Record (ESF) of the citizen,the increase of digital innovation rate in healthcare services. To get a complete digitization,all health administrations will be equipped with adequate electronic infrastructures,staff and technical skills.
In particular,the Electronic Health Record (ESF) is the set of digital data and documents relating to health and social health generated by present and past clinical events,about the individual patient. Has a time horizon that covers the entire life of the patient and is fed continuously by those who take part in his care,within National Health Service and the regional health-social services. The ESF is made by health administrations for the purposes of prevention,diagnosis,treatment and rehabilitation pursued by health and social services that take care of the individual patient. The ESF thus operates as part of a national database interconnected with all health administrations.
BROADBAND - ULTRA WIDEBAND NATIONAL NETWORK & TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
In the future,the economy will be a knowledge economy based on networks,which will revolve around the internet. Europe needs a fast and ultra fast internet access,in competitively priced and widely available. The European Digital Agenda has underlined the importance of broadband deployment to promote social inclusion and competitiveness in the nation,reiterating the goal of bringing new generation broadband across the nation,connecting all citizens and all enterprises more than 100 mbps speed internet connection.
To achieve these ambitious goals European Government will develop a comprehensive policy based on a combination of technologies and with two parallel goals. On the one hand,to guarantee universal coverage of broadband and ultra-wideband throughout the country (combining fixed and wireless connections,through an efficient combination of terrestrial and satellite infrastructures) with connection speeds increasing,taking 100 mbps as base speed. The connection must reach all citizens,all enterprises and all regions of Europe. The infrastructure will also have to be entirely based on next generation networks,to facilitate more and more faster connections,and have to be focused on a constant technological advancement.
To realize an infrastructure of this size,is need a massive campaign of public investment (hundreds of billions),to be combined with a substantial private support. Most of the funding will come from the European Investment Bank (state-owned) and from government funds,under the coordination of the agencies of the Ministry of Infrastructures,Public Works and Transports,in full coordination with local authorities and communities; there are also huge investments by private banks and companies. The European Telecommunications Corporation (highly advanced and capable state-owned company) will be responsible for carrying out infrastructural and cabling works, supported by a wide cooperative of private companies,to small-medium sized to large ones. The Corporation will manage the entire infrastructural broadband and ultra-wideband network,so that it remains in the State hands,so as to ensure free competition between service providers (an efficient competition bring in fact competitive prices,the Internet then is no longer a luxury,rather it will be accessible to all). The benefits that will come from the implementation of this ambitious project will be huge,will cover every single sector of the economy,will advance enormously the level of technological development,and will bring the European power to a new high.
Finally,the European Digital Agenda is pursuing a global strategy on research and innovation regarding ICT. On the basis of the European strategy,Europe will maximize (funds for research will be increased by tens of billions) ,accelerate,refocus and regroup investments to maintain and strengthen the global competitive advantage in this area,and will continue to invest greatly in high-risk and long-term research,including multi-disciplinary fundamental research. European Government will also strengthen its innovative advantage in key areas by strengthening the electronic infrastructure (e-Infrastructures) and developing in a targeted manner strategic innovation clusters in key areas. In this context,research projects will be focused on cooperation between public authorities,scientific bodies and economic operators,encouraging and sustaining the growth of technological and scientific knowledges,and their reconfiguration in the form of industrial innovation.