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As a member of the European Union, Ireland has obligations under various programmes operated at European level in the area of eGovernment/ Digital services.
OGCIO is engaged with EU committees, working groups and agencies including:
- the European Commission’s ISA2 Committee and related groups
- the European eGovernment Action Plan Steering Board
- eIDAS technical and policy committees
- STESTA working group
- the Single Digital Gateway Regulation Coordination Group
- the European Blockchain
The European Commission’s digital strategy, Shaping Europe’s Digital Future (2020), is aimed at the wider digital agenda and focuses on three key objectives to ensure that Europe seizes the digital transformation opportunity in a way that works for the benefit of its citizens, businesses and governments:
- Technology that works for people: Development, deployment and uptake of technology that makes a real difference to people’s daily lives. A strong and competitive economy that masters and shapes technology in a way that respects European values.
- A fair and competitive economy: A frictionless single market, where companies of all sizes and in any sector can compete on equal terms, and can develop, market and use digital technologies, products and services at a scale that boosts their productivity and global competitiveness, and consumers can be confident that their rights are respected.
- An open, democratic and sustainable society: A trustworthy environment in which citizens are empowered in how they act and interact, and of the data they provide both online and offline. A European way to digital transformation which enhances our democratic values, respects our fundamental rights, and contributes to a sustainable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient economy.
Each objective is supported by specific actions.
The European Green Deal is the plan to make the EU's economy sustainable. It sets out the Commission’s commitment to tackling climate and environmental-related challenges. The Green Deal is an integral part of the Commission’s strategy to implement the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals. It identifies actions required by all sectors of the economy including investing in environmentally-friendly technologies and supporting industry to innovate.
The Berlin Declaration on Digital Society and Value-Based Digital Government (December 2020) agreed by the European Ministers responsible for digitalisation of the public sector, aims to contribute to a value-based digital transformation by addressing and ultimately strengthening digital participation and digital inclusion in our societies. The Berlin Declaration sets out the following principles on which digital transformation should be based:
- Validity and respect of fundamental rights and democratic values
- Social participation and digital inclusion to shape the digital world
- Empowerment and digital literacy
- Trust and security in digital government interactions
- Digital sovereignty and interoperability
- Human-centred systems and innovative technologies in the public sector
- Towards a resilient and sustainable digital society
Each principle is supported by a series of policy actions
The European Commission publishes annual EU benchmarks and assessments of performance of Member States.
The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) measures Europe’s digital performance and tracks the evolution of EU member states. The DESI is a composite index summarising indicators on Europe’s digital performance across Connectivity, Human Capital/Digital skills, Use of Internet Services by citizens, Integration of Digital Technology by businesses, Digital Public Services, and Research and Development ICT.
The eGovernment Benchmark is a yearly monitoring instrument of the EC to provide insight into the use of digital technologies in the public sector. The eGovernment Benchmark report evaluates progress on key components of the eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020, the Tallinn Declaration and the accomplishment of a European Digital Single Market. The eGovernment Benchmark uses eight life events, measured every two years to capture the landscape of public services.
Single Digital Gateway Regulation
OGCIO is the National Coordinator for the Single Digital Gateway Regulation (SDGR) and is tasked with management of the regulation’s implementation. The “Your Europe” gateway provides access to information, procedures and assistance and problem solving services for citizens and businesses. In December 2020, OGCIO was successful in meeting the legal deadline for phase I of the regulation and provided user-friendly, authoritative information and access to problem solving services. OGCIO will continue its engagement with the SDGR Coordination Group and Committee as well as all relevant stakeholders while focusing on the next implementation phase of the regulation through 2021 and on to 2023.
eIDAS
OGCIO is the national lead for the eID element of the eIDAS Regulation – electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market.
