PURPOSE: to establish a programme on interoperability solutions for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (ISA2 programme).
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2015/2240 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 establishing a programme on interoperability solutions and common frameworks for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (ISA2 programme) as a means for modernising the public sector.
CONTENT: this Decision establishes, for 2016-2020, a programme on interoperability solutions and common frameworks for European public administrations, businesses and citizens (‘the ISA2 programme’). The new programme succeeds the ISA Programme and will consolidate, promote and expand its activities.
The objectives of the ISA2 programme shall be to:
On a political level, the Council has repeatedly called for even greater interoperability in Europe and for continued efforts to modernise European public administrations. On 24 and 25 October 2013, the European Council adopted conclusions stressing that the modernisation of public administrations should continue through the swift implementation of services such as e-government, e-health, e-invoicing and e-procurement, which rely on interoperability.
In its Communication of 16 December 2010 entitled ‘Towards interoperability for European public services’, the Commission introduced the European Interoperability Strategy (EIS) and the European Interoperability Framework (EIF).
Interoperability within local, national and European public administrations facilitates the achievement of the goals set out by the European Parliament in its resolution of 29 March 2012 on the EU Citizenship Report 2010: Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens' rights.
The ISA2 programme shall take into account social, economic and other aspects of interoperability, as well as the specific situation of SMEs and microenterprises, in order to improve interaction between European public administrations on the one hand, and between European public administrations and businesses and citizens on the other. It shall ensure a common understanding of interoperability through the EIF and its implementation in Member States' administrations.
General principles: actions launched or continued under the ISA2 programme shall: (i) be based on utility and driven by identified needs and programme objectives; (ii) be flexible, extensible and applicable to other business or policy areas; and; (iii) demonstrate financial, organisational and technical sustainability.
It shall comply with the following principles: (i) subsidiarity and proportionality, (ii) user-centricity, (iii) inclusion and accessibility, (iv) delivery of public services in such a way as to prevent digital divide, (v) security, respect for privacy and data protection, (vi) multilingualism, (vii) administrative simplification and modernisation, (viii) transparency, (ix) preservation of information, (x) openness, (xi) re-usability and avoidance of duplication, (xii) technological neutrality, solutions which, insofar as possible, are future-proof, and adaptability, (xiii) effectiveness and efficiency.
All actions that meet the eligibility criteria shall be prioritised in accordance with the following prioritisation criteria laid down in this Decision.
The Commission shall, by 8 June 2016, adopt implementing acts establishing a rolling work programme for the entire period of application of this Decision.
Financial provisions: the financial envelope for the implementation of the ISA2 programme for the period of its application shall be EUR 130 928 000. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the European Parliament and the Council within the limits of the multiannual financial framework.
The development, establishment and improvement of common frameworks and generic tools shall be funded by the ISA2 programme. The use of such frameworks and tools shall be financed by the European public administrations.
The development, establishment, bringing to maturity and improvement of common services shall be funded by the ISA2 programme. A centralised operation of such services at Union level may be also funded by the ISA2 programme, in cases where such an operation is serving Union interests and is duly justified in the rolling work programme. In all other cases, use of those services shall be financed by other means.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 07.12.2015.
APPLICATION: from 01.01.2016 until 31.12.2020.