Egov 2.0 White Paper

e-Government 2.0 Identification, Security and Trust Exploring European Avenues September 2007

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e-Government 2.0 Identification, Security and Trust Exploring European Avenues

Authors : Youval Eched (YeMA Consultants), Eric Billiaert (Gemalto), Etienne Veyret (Gemalto).

September 2007

Ref: Gemalto Government Programs 0907

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Issy les Moulineaux, September the 30th, 2007

The Executive Committee of the World e-Democracy and Electronic Administration Forum warmly welcomes the publication of this comparative report on best practices in e-Government and its application in terms of identification, security and protection of citizens. Two major and highly encouraging aspects of this report stand out: •

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The general understanding and implementation of a transformation to public services where the principle of a solution adapted to the needs of each citizen, seeking both to satisfy and value him or her, is just as important as the traditional concern for equality and access for all. The important efforts made towards achieving interoperability between States and the pursuit of an international platform for the recognition of the rights and services of each State. In this way, that old dream of the emergence of universal citizenship could finally become reality, offering the worldwide economy a framework of values which would strengthen the practice of democracy as well as the sustainable nature of its development.

The fact that Europe has unanimously decided, in Manchester, in The Hague, Lisbon and through its i2010 program, to act as a world benchmark in this field is an effort and commitment that we wholeheartedly support. The strength of this report is that it finally gives us real reason to hope for a new universal era of renaissance with the now inevitable development of the Knowledge Economy and Society. The fact that identity is at the heart of this transformation is only more evident as it is simply a question of renewing and sometimes reinventing the relation between the individual and the community. Eric Legale Secretary-General of the World e-Democracy and Electronic Administration Forum

White paper

September 2007

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e-Government 2.0 Identification, Security and Trust Exploring European Avenues

Table of content PART 1: A GENERAL OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT

1. e-Government: a lever for digital transformation .................................................13 1.1 A transverse world: a society of sharing and networks.....................................13 1.2 A personalized and protected world: from equality to differentiation...............13 1.3 A revival of democracy .........................................................................................13 1.4 Interoperability: fundamental to access a mobile world ....................................13

2. i2010 and Europe: a flagship for e-ID and e-Government 2.0 ..............................15 3. The era of traceability: trust in an uncertain world...............................................15 3.1. Traceability and identification: passports to an efficient digital world ............15 3.2. Traceability and ID: a fair price for the benefits of an open digital world? ......17 3.3. e-ID: a central link in the chain of trust ..............................................................17 3.4. Authentication and the protection of personal data ..........................................18 3.5 Standards for global traceability governance.....................................................18

4. e-ID: A key to e-Government? ................................................................................19 4.1. A medium for citizen security and protection in a digital world .......................19 4.2. The birth of an e-ID card for digital and physical usage ...................................19 4.3. e-ID in full expansion ...........................................................................................20

5. e-ID and e-Government in a nutshell .....................................................................21 6. Conclusions: e-ID and traceability for the success of e-Government ................22

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PART 2 : A PRACTICAL VISION OF EXPERIENCES AND APPLICATIONS

1. e-Government situation as of 2007 in more ‘advanced’ countries ......................26 1.1 Public Service: services first and foremost....................................................................26 1.2 e-Government 2.0: services for the citizen .....................................................................26 1.3 Yes to e-Government, but mostly for local services ......................................................26 1.4 Investing in local services for real citizen success? One route....................................27

2. Direct and indirect benefits for e-Government? ...................................................29 3. A spotlight on the progress of a few flagship projects ........................................30 3.1 e-ID cards ..........................................................................................................................30 3.2 Electronic signature .........................................................................................................35 3.3 Social security and healthcare cards ..............................................................................36

4. Brief monographs of a few countries with ‘advanced’ e-Government................41 4.1 Introduction to the review of a few examples by country ..............................................42 4.2 Austria ..............................................................................................................................44 4.3 Belgium .............................................................................................................................48 4.4 Estonia ..............................................................................................................................54 4.5 Finland ..............................................................................................................................58 4.6 Portugal.............................................................................................................................62 4.7 Sweden..............................................................................................................................67 4.8 France ...............................................................................................................................68

5. Summary: What we are learning from more advanced countries .......................73

PART 3 : CONCLUSION

Conclusion ...................................................................................................................81 Appendix ......................................................................................................................87 Bibliography.................................................................................................................97

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EGovernment 2.0 Identification, Security and Trust Exploring European avenues

Contents PART 1: A GENERAL OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT PART 2: A PRACTICAL VISION OF EXPERIENCES AND APPLICATIONS PART 3: CONCLUSIONS

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A GENERAL OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT By 2010, European citizens and businesses shall be able to benefit from secure means of electronic identification that maximize user convenience while respecting data protection regulations. Such a means shall be made available under the responsibility of the Member States but recognized across the EU. […] As our e-Government services become more transactional, the need for secure electronic means of identification for use by people accessing public services is essential for citizen and business trust and in ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of our public administrations. Ministerial Declaration from the 25 Member States, Manchester e-Government 2005.

Foreword Encouraged by some early promising results, the e-Government world is still establishing a structure. The early feedback and the evaluation of its benefits are sometimes difficult to measure but the real place for ID in general and the e-ID card in particular as the principle means of access to e-Government applications is taking shape. Essentially, e-Government responds to the need to modernize relationships with citizens and businesses in an increasingly personalized, consumerist and demand-driven world. Moving over to electronic practices ideally suits this evolution, but beyond political promises, it is not always easy to demonstrate the direct and short-term economic benefits to be gained from modernizing public services. Furthermore, the success of e-Practices depends on successfully educating citizens and ensuring they subscribe to these new services, and therefore on the trust they will invest in their deployment. A number of reports and analyses describe the different e-Government development strategies implemented throughout Europe and the world. However, seven years after the emergence of the first public e-Services, we believe it is the right time to understand how, why and where the choices of public service transformation have been successful. We have adopted a critical and comparative approach in order to identify the essential trends by analyzing a few significant European examples. Faced with the relative newness of this field, Gemalto's mission as a major player in the world of digital security is also to contribute to informing its participants and presenting its analysis. The purpose of this study is therefore to light the way for all public and private contributors who, at this midway stage, need to reinforce their choices and accelerate membership of as many people as possible to this digital revolution of public services.

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Gemalto has asked YeMA Consultants, a marketing and strategy consultancy specialized in businesses' transitions towards digital economy, to carry out this study. For four years, YeMA Consultants has been regularly observing European and worldwide developments in the field of the security of exchanges, confidence in digital channels, developments in Identification methods, issue of marks of authority in electronic exchanges and the consequences on the citizen's sense for a need to protect his or her data. It is this privileged point of view that we have chosen to identify the best routes to success towards what some are already calling e-Government 2.0.

We would like to thank the following contributors below: Frank Robben (Belgium) Marc Caen (Belgium) Anabela Cataneo Pedroso (Portugal) Raphaël Bartolt (France) Jean Séverin Lair (France) Madeleine Sosteen Tiel (Sweden) Dr Mireille Levy (UK) Tarvi Martens (Estonia) David Broster (European Union) Jan VanArkel (The Netherlands)

Luc Vanneste (Belgium) Dr Prof Reinhard Posch (Austria) Dr Herbert Kubicek (Germany) Fabrice Mattatia (France) Eric Legale (France) Birgit Sääv (Sweden) Neil Akass (UK) Karel de Vriendt (European Union) Beatrice Van Bastelaere (Be-Wallonie) Atte Pirttilä (Finland)

for their time and dedication.

Meudon, September the 30th, 2007.

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1. e-Government: a lever for digital transformation 1.1. A transverse world: a society of sharing and networks We are moving from a predominantly vertical economic structure of business, subsidiary and country to a transverse structure of an international network of extended enterprise, centers of competitively and territorial alliances. This new structure firstly calls for the modernization of public services where until recently, the tradition of vertical organization was dominant. One result of competitive pressure and the now-transverse management of information is the increasingly frequent requirement of the major players to integrate sub-contractors in their digital supply chain and their associated back-offices, creating extended enterprises. And e-Government does not escape this transformation, with the rationalization of public service happening within an ever-more deregulated framework. Governments are faced with everstronger demands from citizens and businesses that their needs be taken into account, which also requires increased efforts at coordination. So just like with industrial players, one of the challenges of the modernization of public services involves federated, transversal management, subject to a strict observation of citizens’ confidential data and their right to privacy or – at the very least – the possibility for everyone to control the use of their personal data. 1.2 A personalized and protected world: from equality to differentiation Consumerist culture has become a legitimate reality that even has a bearing on how public actions are carried out and on demands regarding public services. Public services must maintain their principle of equality and universality in the face of a public that demands personalization and individual responses to the complexity of their needs on a daily basis. These very public services are struggling together to maintain their attractiveness in the face of competition from private services, as public budgets become more and more scarce. The successful personalization of citizens’ income tax and other financial declarations in many countries is an excellent example of a well-received service and is one of the most popular. But beyond personalization and user-friendliness, the feeling of transparency and better control on the part of the citizen is a major driver of success. Citizens’ trust is particularly dependent on their need to feel their personal data are protected and kept confidential, and not correlated or consolidated between different organizations without their consent. As we will see, e-ID contributes fully to this need. 1.3. A revival of democracy We live in a demand-driven world and there is now a strong trend towards soliciting the opinion of citizens regarding how society functions on both a local and national level. This supports the principle of e-Democracy, particularly on a local level. In Europe, in Asia and in South America, politicians are increasingly acting based on the opinion of citizens present in online debates, but the most popular use of new media in this trend remains the practice of e-Voting. e-Voting does bring certain symbolic and cultural drawbacks, particularly in terms of the symbolism of physically going to a public place to carry out a citizenly act, and in terms of the sincerity of the vote itself. Many local authorities have expressed concerns about this lack of sincerity when voting is done remotely.

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e-Participation is gaining ground with numerous schemes being adopted in countries like Estonia, Belgium, France, Spain and Brazil. However, other schemes – such as those in Ireland and Great Britain, not to mention the Serve EU project – have been scrapped due to security failures. Indeed, Estonia’s commitment to the web for e-Voting is clear. After the local elections in 2005, in which this Baltic State with some 1.4 million inhabitants became the first country in the world to use online voting, it continued its strategy with its parliamentary elections in March 2007. The chance to change one’s mind

Trust in the tool

Thanks to the Internet, Some 940,000 Estonians were able to vote ‘in advance’ from the Monday to the Wednesday preceding Sunday national poll. By inserting their ID card into a reader attached to a PC they were able to access a secured site where they could vote and sign the vote electronically.

According to Tarvi Martens, director of operations for Estonia’s certification body, ”the Estonians have nothing to fear from online voting. They already have trust in their financial transactions on the Internet; they send their tax declarations online and do money transfers via electronic banks. Why should they not trust voting online?”

If the citizen made a mistake, or they thought they’d been influenced while voting by people around them, they were able to vote again on the Sunday, by deleting their online vote and using the traditional secret ballot. In 2005, only 30 voters out of 9,317 changed their minds during the local elections. “This was done to appease the fears electors may have had concerning pressure from those around them and their colleagues, pushing them to vote the opposite of what they would have done,” said the electoral commission. “The evoting is dominated by the traditional voting process.” he added.

Over 30,000 Estonians – 3.13% of the electorate – voted electronically. The Estonians believe it is just a question of time before the critical mass is achieved.

This example demonstrates a possible method of progressively educating citizens whilst maintaining the means to guarantee the sincerity of the vote. 1.4. Interoperability: fundamental to access a mobile world “In a digital world, interoperability is the key to citizen mobility.” Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Information Society and Media. Berlin, 1 March 2007 As already mentioned, modernizing administrations and improving services to the citizen must respond to the need for openness, mutualization of information and secure exchanges. Therefore, e-Government interoperability must be based on a general framework agreed upon by the States involved. In Europe, this framework particularly concerns: • •

Respecting the right of subsidiarity – no intrusive access from another state is allowed, and no joint centralized database is developed, Protecting the fundamental freedom of citizens and their personal data, which must not be used without their agreement.

The obstacles to this are clear, and include relatively centralized and often-proprietary architectures, compartmented responsibilities and difficult collaborations, nationally developed digital modernization programs and a wide range of ID and exchange security methods. European efforts concerning the interoperability of technological means, and directives on electronic signatures, e-Commerce, electronic billing and public purchasing have opened the way to regulated standards.

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Interoperability cannot become widespread without an organized framework to which the maximum number of member States subscribe, in order to make Europe a place where electronic exchanges can take place efficiently, competitively and with a spirit of solidarity. Organizing the capacity of systems for electronic exchanges is a big task concerning all the elements involved in the service: • The secure back office infrastructure, which must recognize and consign the elements exchanged, • The methods of access to the service, that is to say the trusted organizational framework that organizes the legal validity and protection regulation, as well as the applications that draw upon the above elements, • The establishment of the shared trusted framework, which involves a lengthy task to allow any two States, two administrations or even two businesses to mutually recognize and accept each other’s rules, differences in organization and procedure, codes, semantics and languages, as well as their individual frameworks for citizen security and protection.

2. i2010 and Europe: a flagship for e-ID and e-Government 2.0 By 2010, European citizens and businesses shall be able to benefit from secure means of electronic identification that maximize user convenience while respecting data protection regulations. Such a means shall be made available under the responsibility of the Member States but recognized across the EU. […] Ministerial Declaration from the 25 Member States, Manchester e-Government 2005. From Manchester 2005 to Berlin 2007, the European Commission has laid down the foundations for the i2010 plan. e-Government 2.0 is the pioneering symbol of a movement resolutely designed for the citizen, served by an e-Government strategy for the good of all – even the most underprivileged – and with the aim of defending freedom and justice. e-ID is at the heart of this ambitious program to fight fraud, identity theft and protect privacy. By 2009, each and every EU state will have begun the process of introducing secure digital identification tools.

3. The era of traceability: trust in an uncertain world 3.1. Traceability and identification: passports to an efficient digital world The rapid emergence at the start of the 21st century of an open, digital world, has considerably opened up possibilities, opportunities and – of course – risks. A feeling that the associated jurisprudence is still only partially established is still holding back the dematerialization of exchanges. There is a lack of reference points that reinforces the demand for security in many areas, encouraged by new post-9/11 security concerns, and the priority is to be able to reestablish the optimal conditions for predictable risk management. There is a growing requirement for traceability in all areas, including the food and beverage industry, healthcare, finance, aerospace, nuclear power, petrochemicals, transportation and administration. The traceability of exchanges aims to guarantee that at any given moment in situations where the risk is partially known, it will be possible to replay a scenario and be able to attribute responsibility and – if necessary – risk. This in turn would make the system seem more predictable and, logically, trust in it will increase, thanks to these controls that have now become possible in any circumstances.

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Traceability consists of being able to respond reliably to the questions ‘WHO?’, ‘WHAT?’ and ‘WHEN?’ And keeping a track of activity – the volume of which will grow exponentially – gives a legitimacy and added value to the task of third-party archiving. Therefore, one of the essential keys to trust and associated traceability consists of providing the means to replay an event after the fact and, in the case of a failure, analyze the faults, attribute responsibility and if necessary, have recourse to the relevant insurances. This is largely the case in the banking industry with electronic payment transactions. The choice of the word ‘trust’ in many countries to describe the benefits of exchange security systems is emblematic. If ‘trust’ is what we want to generate, that means we are still seeking to encourage as many people as possible to use these new digital exchange methods. In terms of long-term legal guarantees, it must be remembered that the quality of trust is directly linked to the image of the most visible authority from which it comes, and their reputation for long-term reliability. Communication here is essential, even for established relationships. With trust mainly being about a principle of collectivity, the development of e-Government would seem to be a particularly relevant area for establishing the conditions of its validity and the elements that will allow it to be practiced.

A new right for Belgian citizens

The law passed for the e-ID implementation in Belgium led the State to offer Belgian citizens a new right through the web application "My File". This service allows each and every citizen to know who consulted their personal data. A fundamental democratic principle was respected here: with a new constraint (traceability), a new right (transparency). Each access by a Government official to the data in the National Register is recorded in a database, in which is also recorded the identity, date and location of the agent having read/used the citizen’s data. The Citizen can consult this base and has a six-month visibility. A form for questioning or a complaint is at disposal and can be sent to request the administration to explain the reasons for the noted accesses. The Belgian police, by nature, escape from this obligation.

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3.2. Traceability and ID: a fair price for the benefits of an open digital world? Fundamentally, this is nothing new. Accountants and lawyers have long practiced the art of auditing and assigning responsibility. What is new is the establishment of a general modus vivendi to the point of triggering a cultural shift that is already widespread: Generalized traceability and the constraints upon individual freedom that it brings about would seem like a fair price for a win-win strategy of access to innovative services and the benefits they bring, starting with e-Government to improve services to citizens and businesses. Experience shows that traceability is judged to be acceptable if:

• • •

The perception of its constraints is evaluated as minor compared to the received or hoped-for benefits (mobile telephony, bank card payments, transport, voting etc.), The practice is regulated by an effective ethical framework that guarantees its use and promotes positive individual and collective development, Means of transparency and privacy protection are provided to everyone in order to very easily facilitate the use of personal data and avert their misuse, fraud or unauthorized usage.

For example, very few people distrust using their mobile phone or credit card, despite the fact that if necessary, the traces left by these two tools can be used to reconstruct a reliable history of all of an individual’s movements and the things he uses and pays for. But for most, the inconvenience of living without these tools would far outweigh the benefits of any increased security obtained. Trust within the current ethical framework is fundamentally essential for relaxed usage of electronic media. One conclusion on this point is that the introduction of a new, reliable and traceable media cannot be done without the public authorities presenting it within the ethical regulatory framework that would prevent any fraudulent usage. Because this regulation would be of a public nature, it would naturally be set in law. Thus, many countries have taken the precaution to vote their own regulatory frameworks – like for the usage of digital ID cards – by their own parliaments and institutional authorities. 3.3. e-ID: a central link in the chain of trust Electronic identification, signatures, date-stamping and archiving are also essential elements for ensuring legal continuity. At stake in the digital transformation of our exchanges is legal continuity, whatever the media, in order to ensure that digital exchanges enjoy the same legal security as physical flows. That is the price to pay for real administrative simplification. The European directive of December 1999 fixed the framework for this. Now that traceability as an element of legal security consists of being able to provide a reliable response to the questions ‘WHO?’, ‘WHAT?’ and ‘WHEN?’, it follows that electronic identification, date-stamping and archiving provide the proof by constituting the essential basis for digital exchanges in general, and for e-Government in particular.

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3.4. Authentication and the protection of personal data We believe that the high need for protection that comes with this radical change to our daily lives will be adopted, until the reality of the risks linked to electronic exchanges are well understood and evaluated, better able to be predicted and thus easier to protect against. When it comes to data protection, secure electronic identification in one of the fundamental keys to ensure that nobody:

•

Fraudulently uses or violates the personal domain of each citizen’s private data, and cannot use this data without the citizen’s consent, in accordance with the European data protection directive on data protection(95/46/EC),

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Has access without explicit authorization or mandates to archived data belonging to an organization or business.

In e-Government too, traceability is necessary in order to protect personal data. Moreover, by organizing the service around its legitimate need for protection, it is possible to encourage optimal participation from the start. Open and free standards contribute favorably to interoperability, as is demonstrated by the Belgian, Portuguese and Estonian examples. Data and identity protection issues are of prime importance because statistics show that identity theft is increasing spectacularly which has to be well observed with applications in the public sector that are designed for longer life cycles. Securing cards is a standalone issue because without it, any individual’s e-Government universe can be unlocked. What is true for smart cards e-ID, is equally relevant for any e-ID document or certificate delivered by Governments, whatever the media which supports it.

“The role of the public authorities is to deliver identification certificates to citizens by offering them the most open choice possible about how they want to use them. Whether it is for a banking card, a mobile phone or a social security card, the citizen must have the right to choose their preferred mode of access. The role of the public authorities is to guarantee that the means of access and the establishment of the delivered ID certificate are secure, and to protect the citizen from fraud.” Prof. Dr R. POSCH, Federal Chief Information Officer, The Austrian Federal Chancellery.

3.5. Standards for global traceability governance Back in 1998, the 13335 ISO standard established the conditions of traceability in the digital world as follows: • Authentication, • Non-repudiation and integrity, • Proof handling concerns a major aspect of the security of information systems and data storage. ISO 15489 is an international standard (English 2001 / French 2002), which proposes rules for the quality of trace management and document protection. One of the important roles attributed to this standard is its capacity to define the rules governing traceability and good governance of administrative and commercial services that manage their documents according to the norm. However, to-date, there is no certification process for organizations that respect this norm.

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4. e-ID: A key to e-Government? 4.1. A medium for citizen security and protection in a digital world Over the past 10 years, the number of private and professional digital exchanges has increased from 100 million to some 15 billion sent every single day. But despite this familiarity, citizens are aware of the relative fragility of electronic media, and expect the same levels of security and trust they know in the physical world. The absence of the written and visual proof that characterizes physical exchanges has given rise to a demand for guaranteed identification of senders and receivers. In 1997, the very first secure electronic identity cards were produced, and called e-ID cards. Many projects soon emerged, but in Europe, it was Finland that deployed the first operational prototypes, quickly followed by Estonia and Belgium. French and Italian “city cards” also offered a similar basic technical approach at around the same time.

The Finnish e-ID card, the first ever operational national e-ID scheme

In December 1999, all European players signed the “e-Signature” directive, to enforce the use of cryptography and certificates to give a legal validity to e-Communications and e-Contracts. 4.2. The birth of an e-ID card for digital and physical usage Beyond their usage for digital signatures or as city cards, these cards also offered a range of other applications like physical access, social security, driver licenses, healthcare, payments, banking and transportation solutions. But if they were eventually to replace traditional ID documents, they had to work as a travel and physical ID document, valid in other countries. The cards also aimed to provide access to a maximum number of e-Government service, but this became somewhat complicated as identity has a wide variety of interpretations from one country to the next. And the establishment of numerous regulatory frameworks also slowed down the interoperability and mutual recognition of these documents between member States. Many different bodies set out to study these aspects, in particular in Europe with the IDABC e-ID Group, Porvoo, eEpoch, Fidis, Prime, Guide, Modinis, Program CIP and CEN 224 W15 etc., and in Asia with the AICF – Asia IC Card Forum. The EC then decided to launch a range of pilot studies to serve as a reference, and to encourage a dynamic of operational and policy convergence between member States. Having learned from the constraints of ICAO decisions, it was crucial for Europe to present a united and coherent front in order to avoid having external norms imposed upon it that could weaken the development of a European security strategy.

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This e-ID card would serve as a veritable world standard for e-Government access, because it secures file access and protects citizens against any form of personal data and virtual document theft. As such, the e-ID card contributes indirectly to establishing an ethical framework for eGovernment deployment. But it is crucial to demonstrate that beyond security issues, the deployment of these digital documents brings real services and benefits to citizens and businesses in their everyday dealings with local or national administration. Experience has shown that e-ID has become a real lever for the success of e-Government. This is particularly evident in countries where the communication that accompanies the modernization of relationships with citizens and businesses has demonstrated that e-ID is first and foremost an efficient tool for exercising and protecting citizens’ rights. Two key success factors continue to stand out: citizens’ trust in and support for these cards. These factors facilitate and enable the political support and securing of the significant budgets these projects require. 4.3. e-ID in full expansion Beyond the traditional physical security, payment and online applications of the e-ID card, new areas are being tested where the card can provide added benefits to citizens and businesses:

• • • • • • •

Monitoring, records and prevention in healthcare (Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal, South-East Asia), Help for children in danger (Belgium), E-Ticketing for local transportation networks with periodical global billing (Estonia, Spain, Belgium), Securing purchases in extended enterprises (France, Belgium, Italy, etc.), Access cards to secure private or public spaces, or public garages, Professional cards to provide the link with a person’s qualifications and mandates, particularly in regulated professions like lawyers, notaries, auditors, bailiffs, doctors, surveyors, registrars, pharmacists and vets, e-Voting, e-Participation and free Internet access for citizens wishing to attend local council meetings online (Estonia, Belgium, France, Barcelona in Spain, etc.).

There is also a great deal of interest from industrial partners, and the aeronautic and defense industries in particular, with the Transatlantic Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP). Five defense companies from the US, Canada, UK, France and Italy, and two aeronautic consortiums, Boeing and EADS who make up the TSCP, are working together to provide a framework for secure collaboration and the international sharing of sensitive information in major aerospace and defense acquisition programs. Although what is at stake in terms of underlying economic intelligence remains the same. e-ID is gradually gaining momentum and more and more initiatives are using it as a key to access secure exchanges requiring traceability or official verification. With other, less sensitive exchanges or those more linked to standard contractual regulation, usernames and passwords will continue to suffice.

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Austrian tax portal – For 2006, 14 million declarations were done on line. Electronic identification is possible with e-ID card or mobile phone.

5. e-ID and e-Government in a nutshell. The smart card with its incorporated microprocessor is considered to be the safest authentication media to guard against identity fraud and efficiently protect citizens’ personal data. It is the media of choice for access to e-Government applications. It can also be used in many other applications including payment cards, e-Purse applications, signatures, authentication, identification and ticketing solutions. This multi-service potential means the same card can be used for many different applications, thus in addition to being a state-delivered ID card, it becomes a real citizen card providing access to a maximum of state services. The experience of countries where these two dimensions have been integrated has shown us that the perceived value of the possession of such a card is thus reinforced, its benefits felt and its adoption facilitated. This should principally be taken into account in any distribution and rollout policy studies. The more the authorities seem qualified to represent the cardholder’s commitment as a citizen, the more they will find local networks of trust for distribution and roll-out. In Sweden, banks also distribute e-ID cards. It is important to adapt to local culture in relation to ID documents. Some countries may find it easier to launch a driver license-based e-ID project. In these cases, an element of complexity emerges – particularly in Europe – because one must chose between ICAO compliance for travel documents and conforming to the new European Directive on Standard European Driver Licenses which do not place the photograph in the same spot. As specifications are not finalized yet, the ‘Driver License’ directive may offer optimal convergence.

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In Sweden, 3 million electronic identifications have been distributed mainly by banks. 1 Million users are generating 2,5 million transactions a month (authentication and signature). Source : IDABC report, April 2007. The national smart-card based ID card is one possible support (with mobile phone and personal computer).

6. Conclusions: e-ID and traceability for the success of e-Government e-ID is an essential element in the chain of trust that provides a framework for safe digital exchanges. By its virtue of certifying the identity of the person doing the exchange and protecting access to citizens’ personal data, e-ID actively participates in the success of eGovernment policy. Nonetheless, what emerges from analysis of the ‘trust market’ is that the real, underlying need of the growing demand for safety is, above all, to organize traceability and protection from new risks, particularly those linked to digital exchanges that now provide the backbone of the information society. But to ensure the public is willing to subscribe to these new tools, traceability must obey a fundamental principle of ethics and harmony: any new constraints are perceived as balanced out if they are accompanied or compensated by new rights and/or sufficient benefits. Work done in many countries on the right to anonymity, and the efforts in terms of transparency and giving citizens control of the use of their electronic identity and the traces this generates are perfectly in line with this strategy, with applications such as “MyFile”. If traceability – ‘WHO?’, ‘WHAT?’ and ‘WHEN?’ – means we can regularly enjoy the full and free benefits of an open digital world, it must apply to e-Government. e-ID, as a secure response to the question ‘WHO?’, thus becomes our access key to our own individual ‘universes’ within the virtual e-Government world. It should be noted that not all the uses of e-Government require secure ID checks, like downloadable forms and information, which account for over 50% of usage. Nonetheless, e-ID is essential to a new wave of applications, which offer huge potential.

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PART 1: A GENERAL OVERVIEW AND CONTEXT PART 2: A PRACTICAL VISION OF EXPERIENCES AND APPLICATIONS PART 3: CONCLUSIONS

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A PRACTICAL VISION OF EXPERIENCES AND APPLICATIONS THEY SAID… “[…] Developing e-Government for fast, transparent, user-friendly, efficient and effective communication and service provision from administrations to their users is only useful if these users are also ready to receive, accept and absorb these new communication channels. [eGovernment] strategy is about four basic points: • Increased access to the service • Increased user security and trust • Increased ability on the part of users to master the tools available • An increase in the number of applications and uses for society […] International studies have revealed a strong correlation between ‘e-Government maturity’ and innovation, and have shown that the countries with highly-developed and advanced eGovernment systems are also the most competitive and best-performing countries. Modernizing our administrations in this way is driving us towards a veritable information society.” Extracts from the 2007 general policy note from the Belgian Minister of Employment and Information, Peter Vanvelthoven […] the prosperity of Europe's 20 million firms is being held back by heavy administrative requirements, in which information is often duplicated across administrative departments. The administrative burden can be as high as 7% of GDP in Greece, Hungary and the Baltic States, but could be reduced down to the 1.5% recorded in the UK and Sweden. […] “It does not matter that there are different e-ID systems around Europe. Let’s just agree that these systems can talk to each other, recognize and authenticate bona-fide identities and open the door to universal access to online services. “[…] The ICT Policy Support Program […] will be one of the most important tools to underpin the implementation of the i2010 goals.” Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media, March 2007 “Protecting citizens isn’t a data problem, but a flow control one: Interoperability and coupling databases is not a problem in itself. And dealing with it in absolute terms prevents the attainment of the level of service expected by the citizen. The real keys are: • Respecting the principle of finality: reaching agreement with partners on aims • Respecting the principle of proportionality: authorizing access to only those data strictly necessary for reaching the goal • Ensuring that the roles and mandates permit the scrupulous respect of these two principles mentioned above. This is the model we have worked with since 2001 at the Belgian Banque Carrefour de la Sécurité in close collaboration with the National Authorities for the Protection of Private Life. Frank Robben , General Manager, Crossroads Bank for Social Security Brussels, April 2007

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1. e-Government situation as of 2007 in more ‘advanced’ countries 1.1 Public Service: services first and foremost e-Government, where its development is followed by global authorities like the World Bank, the UN, the OECD and the EC, has a fairly wide spectrum. It includes the modernization of the relationship between the public entities, organizations and administrations and those being ‘administrated’, increasingly referred to as ‘customers’. And the word ‘customer’ illustrates a fundamental revolution that is changing the very understanding of the term ‘public service’. Previously, the emphasis – which justified its distinctive characteristics – was on ‘public’. But now, all the emphasis is on ‘service’. This removes the unique characteristics of public service and makes it comparable to banks, telecoms operators, leisure operators and all those who have been investing heavily in their customer relationships for the past ten years and more. What is new, therefore, is the introduction of marketing in the analysis of these now-modernized public services’ value chains. Web culture and the constraint of having a structured approach to it involving ‘targeted’ populations and their needs clearly require this. The main ‘targets’ for e-Government are:

• • • • • •

Citizens Businesses Associations Local and territorial communities Governmental agencies Communication between administrations

1.2. e-Government 2.0: services for the citizen Until now, public communication about the success of e-Government has been symbolic of an activity in full development. The different advances compared from country to country were focused on political ambition and putting traditional applications online. In 2006, we observed a major turning point in e-Government maturity with the appearance of the expression ‘e-Government 2.0’. This is not a fashion statement. It marks the need from now on to measure the level of customer satisfaction – be they citizen or business. This is an essential element of the return on political investment in the drive for modernizing nation states. Customer satisfaction comes from public action is this used to justify the significant investments made. Since then, e-Government has been conceived within a strategy focusing on satisfying the needs of the citizen (‘Citizen-Centric Services’), in contrast to the period from 1999-2005 when satisfying the needs of the administration was dominant. 1.3 Yes to e-Government, but mostly for local services In its 2006 report ‘Benchmarking e-Government’, the OECD highlights one of the difficulties in measuring the efficiency of e-Government policy. The approach that compares cost with citizen – or ‘customer’ – satisfaction runs into trouble given the relatively low use of ‘national’ e-Government applications – of just a few connections per citizen per year.

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In comparison, citizens are using web services like online banking or buying goods and leisure services much more frequently, from several times per month to several times per week and the same goes for services relating to citizens’ daily lives. The OECD study shows an average ratio in Europe of 1.6 connections per year per citizen (Accenture 2005) for national services. If we include local services, this rate increases significantly. Indeed, it is pretty clear that services where the connection rate is highest involve local services like healthcare, social services, employment, local schooling, moving house and community services. For businesses, the services with the highest connection rate are those involving the business’s everyday activity such as employment, social services and e-Procurement. These data can be compared to the statistics published by Eurostat in January 2006: •

e-Government is taking off: in Europe, 45% of Internet users looked for information from public sites at least once in 2005,

•

Some countries are far ahead of others: Finland (62%) and Denmark (56%) are leading the way,

•

E-Administration is still frequent: 20% of visitors also download forms. Spain (29%) is significantly above the average here,

•

12% of visitors fill in and send signed forms, representing 25% of all eGovernment connections using strong authentication – a lot of access is still simply informative,

•

For businesses, the figures are higher: Sweden, Finland and France stand out with 94%, 90% and 87% respectively of business visitors.

A significant shift in Europe since 2006 should be noted. Besides other things, the European i2010 program offers a real structure for acceleration. We are therefore convinced that with the emergence of e-Government 2.0 last year, the effect of maturity will doubtless have increased these figures. It should also be noted that the countries that have not established a system for digital identification are limited to simple form downloading as online data entry requires secure authentication. Therefore, we see the distribution of e-ID cards is a real contributing factor to the development of e-Government. These cards enable a ‘virtual’, secure and bilateral relationship between the citizen and their administration within optimal levels of trust. 1.4 Investing in local services for real citizen success? One route e-Government is recognized as a powerful catalyst for the evolution of a society towards becoming integrated in the digital world, which in turns opens doors to a global knowledge economy. This is perfectly illustrated both by Europe’s strategic i2010 plans as well as the numerous national plans like that of Belgium’s Ministry for Work and Information. The priority is investing in services that motivate the citizen – public services relationship as frequently as possible and which bring clear and recognized benefits that encourage people to get equipped, with subsidies only taking on the role of an additional stimulating factor. What are the priority concerns of the citizen? The study systematically shows a greater sensitivity for so-called ‘local’ services such as those involving society and health, finances and education, complemented by slightly less sensitivity for services involving transport and access to public leisure activities. The success of online income tax schemes is a spectacular reality (mainly in France and the UK), but in reality, this only accounts for a few connections per year per Internet user.

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Thus, among the most advanced countries are to be found those where there is a strong synergy between national and local policy, like Austria, Belgium, Portugal and Sweden. The success of ‘e-Government supermarkets’ in Portugal is symbolic and described later on in this document. 2007 Top European applications Established from the 2006 survey database

1. Social and healthcare: family, employment, health, retirement, health insurance via local offices or unions, protection, social security provisions etc. 2. Finances: tax, as well as online banking in many countries. 3. Housing: construction permits, certificates, authorizations, change of address. 4. Education and children’s activities. A second raft of applications including: 5. Public leisure and other public services with transport accounting for much. 6. Citizenship & involvement in political life. On a city, commune, regional and national level. This last area is the subject of few transactions but is bound for strong growth given the citizen values it can contribute to, especially on a local level.

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2

Direct and indirect benefits for e-Government?

The benefits are huge but frequently indirect:

• •

• •

•

• •

•

Stimulates an increase in the rate businesses and households equip themselves, which in turn accelerates the technological leap towards a digital society, A source of considerable savings, a reduction of treatment costs, a reduction of backoffice sources of quality defects and above all, considerable time-saving for everybody involved, which generates productive energy: For example, sending a registered letter in Belgium, France and Austria takes just a few minutes on-screen, (with an electronic signature in a Word document in Belgium), while in many countries, citizens are still subjected to traveling, waiting, signing on paper, paying and traveling home. Is it acceptable in 2007 to have to physically travel in order to send a registered letter? The signature of receipt can also legally be sent by mail, Organizations are forced to be Health in Belgium more communicative in order to In 2006, over 1.2 billion electronic exchanges respond to citizens’ needs, were treated by the system (511,556,218 Encourages wide-reaching lowmessages and transactions). Savings made by cost development of new public businesses in charge of administrative services, local and other services formalities within the social sector were of some to citizens and finally, a
1.7 billion per year between 2002-2004. significant range of services that In 2005, almost all paper exchanges between reinforce the community and esome 2,000 participants in the social system Inclusion, were scrapped. More than 50 redundant forms A growth in industry investment were eliminated, saving almost 1.1 billion strengthening equipment exchanges per year. producers and innovative services that contributes thus to The 30 remaining forms were slimmed down, the whole economic dynamic, by 33%, removing a further 4.6 million More availability of public service exchanges. personnel to improve front-office Health in France functioning, SESAM-Vitale handled over 80 million electronic Training and help for public prescriptions every month in 2006. service employees involved in these projects who will thus enjoy more opportunities to adapt to the competitive constraints of a modern service, An opportunity for direct involvement of citizens in public life, thanks to local modernization plans like e-Participation and e-Democracy.

An expected 1.54% increase in EU25 GDP between now and 2010 “The economic impact of R&D programs concerning online administration could boost EU25 GDP up to 1.54% between now and 2010, representing an increase of 166 billion euros compared with figures for 2005, on condition that these research and deployment initiatives are supported.” Viviane Reding, Brussels, 29 June 2006

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3. A spotlight on the progress of a few flagship projects e-ID advancing in leaps and bounds “The main objective of these e-ID tokens is to equip citizens with a tool for Identification, Authentication and electronic Signatures (IAS) for online transactions. […]” “In the Internet world, the phenomenon of phishing and identity theft is all too common and because of a growing number of incidents, trust in online transactions is declining. The issuance of electronic identity tokens is an effective way to protect both citizens and governments on the Internet.” “Mostly Member States have issued these e-ID tokens as smartcards using the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) while few of them are also using mobile phones. […] In Sweden, banks issue the e-ID tokens, which are used for both Internet banking and e-government services. In Austria, both state and private organizations are issuing the e-ID tokens [in partnership with the Interior Ministry]. In addition to these Member States, Germany has announced the rollout of e-ID tokens by 2008, where as Spain and France are also in the planning phase.” Amir Hayat, Thomas Röessler, Austria Institute of Applied Information Processing and Communication, Graz University of Technology. Austria 3.1 e-ID cards In the example below, the card is used as an e-ID card in a scheme which has seen over 5.2 million cards being distributed to Belgian citizens since 2004. This is a ‘credit-card’ type version of the former identity card. It is described as electronic because it contains an electronic microchip. e-ID contains the same information as the previous card. Some information is both on card and chip, and other information on the chip only.

Logo for services that use e-ID

USB card reader

Card reader with pinpad reader for entering a PIN

PCMCIA ports PC

The Belgian e-ID card and some approved reader models.

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e-ID also enables remote identification via the microchip on the card. This chip contains: • The holder’s details (which also appear on the card), • The holder’s official address. The address isn’t visible on the e-ID card but is recorded on the chip. As a result, moving house does not require a new card. The information on the chip is simply updated. HOW DOES IT WORK? Thanks to the chip, e-ID currently fulfils three functions: identification, authentication, and signature. The first function of any ID card is to identify the holder. The e-ID card contains exactly the same information as the traditional identity card but now the information is contained on the chip. e-ID thus enables two different levels of identification: • •

Visual face-to-face identification: thanks to the information visible on the card, Automatic identification: using data capture of the information stored on the chip. This identification can be done remotely over the Internet.

This identification (either visual or automatic) does not, however, guarantee that the holder is the person they claim to be. To verify this, authentication is required. The chip on the e-ID card is now used for the card’s second function: cardholder authentication. This is a new function that did not exist with the former physical identity card. The electronic chip contains a digital authentication certificate that ‘electronically’ proves the identity of the cardholder. To identify himself, the citizen places the card in a reader and keys in a 4-digit PIN – just like one does for a banking card. Authentication offers an even higher level of security than identification because it requires the cardholder to be in possession of both card and PIN. Authentication is an optional function that has the advantage of protecting the identity document against fraudulent use. In Belgium, when citizens are issued with their e-ID card, they must declare to the issuing authority there and then, whether they wish to activate the authentication option or not. The third function is also new to this new generation of identity document. A second certificate, located on the chip in the e-ID card can add an authentic electronic signature to electronic documents. The electronic signature has the same legal value as its paper equivalent. After having introduced the e-ID card into the reader, the citizen keys in the PIN which then generates a signature that is unique to the document. The electronic signature is an optional function. In Belgium, when citizens are issued with their e-ID card, they must declare to the issuing authority there and then, whether they wish to activate the signature option or not. In our example, where the card is issued to a minor, the signature option is automatically deactivated.

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WHAT FOR? Thanks to these three functions of identification, authentication, and signature, this e-ID card offers many possible applications: Identification and authentication or physical access control Every year, citizens must complete many administrative formalities that always involve some kind of identification phase: • • •

Officials must verity the identity of the claimant, They must transcribe or encode the data, The claimant must sign their request.

Thanks to e-ID, these operations can now be carried out in a matter of seconds. Applications: • Local administrations, • Police stations, • Post offices, • Banks, • The social sector, • Material or vehicle rental services, • Transports (in Estonia), • Healthcare and hospitals in Malta, Belgium, Italy etc. Advantages: • Saves time: ID operations are carried out much faster and more efficiently, even at physical counters, • For physical controls, the visual control takes place as with a traditional card and a customs official can check the photo stored on the chip, • Quality and uniformity of information gathered: significantly fewer input errors, • Economy and ecology: a reduction in the amount of paper used and less paper filing. Online access control These applications take place remotely and therefore require a computer, a card and an Internet connection. Just like with physical access control, it is important to be able to filter access to certain Internet sites, applications and databases Applications: • Internet sites requiring specific access control (home working, restricted user communities, secure email), • Restricting children’s access to certain sites (forums, online gambling), • Access to ones databases and online dossiers. Advantages: • Simplification and ease of use: a reduction in the number of means of identification, • Increased Internet security, • Better protection for minors.

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Identification and authentication on the Internet The authentication side of e-ID is probably where the most interesting possibilities lie. Indeed, e-Authentication will revolutionize citizens’ lives. All of the different official acts to which citizens put their written signatures to today can now be authenticated and signed electronically. Applications: • Online fiscal, VAT and police declarations,

Belgian ID cards used to report online crime

•

Remote signature of contracts,

•

eVoting,

•

Remote legal proceedings (remote witness testimony, remote access of judgments etc.),

•

e-commerce (online purchase of tickets for sporting events, public sales etc.),

•

Professional cards (lawyers, notaries etc.).

Advantages: • Time-saving: citizens no longer have to travel, • Financial savings: travel costs, postage costs, • Good availability: round-the-clock services, wherever the citizen is located, • Environmentally friendly: a reduction in paper usage.

Belgian citizens can now use their e-ID cards to report crimes to the federal police through an electronic terminal connected to the Internet. After some encouraging feasibility studies, the first trials took place in parts of Brussels in January 2007. During the first phase of the project, criminal acts like vandalism, mugging and bicycle theft can be registered in just a few clicks. The citizen reporting the crime is identified by their secure electronic identity card. This process offers significant timesavings compared to traditional crime reporting in police stations, which takes an average of two hours. The project will soon be widened to include other types of crime. This scheme is part of the Belgian government’s plan to simplify the country’s administrative processes.

What concrete European applications are there for the e-ID card? Currently, citizens from many countries in possession of an e-ID card can benefit from the following applications: Examples of operational ‘citizen’ applications: • • • •

• • •

•

Electronic signature: to electronically sign and seal documents (MS Word, Adobe etc.) and emails, Electronic registered mail: to send electronic registered letter using either an application or a local postal service account (Belgium, Austria etc.), Electronic billing: it is now possible to receive free electronic billing statements from telecoms operators, Electronic local authority or town hall counters: the inhabitants of certain communes can now make online request the main documents they need like certificates and registry entries. Local authority counters are permanently accessible, Student cards: certain schools, in Belgium in particular, use e-ID to manage students, network access, and attendance, Fiscal declarations: citizens can identify and authenticate themselves and then sign fiscal declarations they have completed online, E-Banking: certain banks have integrated e-ID for customer identification in Austria, Sweden and Belgium, whereas other have integrated it as an additional means of securing online transactions, Hotel registration: some hotels now complete these using their clients’ e-ID.

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Examples of operational ‘business’ applications Several business applications that use e-ID are up and running in many countries: • • • • • • •

Electronic signature: for adding an electronic signature to documents (MS Word, Adobe etc.) and emails, Electronic registered mail: to send electronic registered letter deliveries using either an application or a local postal service account (Belgium, Austria etc.), Electronic billing: it is now possible to receive and consult electronic billing statements from telecoms operators and other service providers, Company business: exchanging different documents (service reports, vacation lists, pay-slips and bank payments), Vehicle registration: insurers and leasers can register new vehicles for the customer accounts, Public and professional purchases (e-Procurement), Online fiscal declarations.

A single multi-purpose card? During the preliminary launch phase of the e-ID card in Belgium, there was talk of integrating other cards into the e-ID in order to reduce the number of cards citizens were obliged to carry around. All these initiatives were rejected or postponed until the next phase of e-ID, planned to start in 2010. The e-ID card does not replace driver licenses, passports or banking cards. In Belgium, the driver license will remain a distinct document different to the e-ID card, although the social security card will be integrated into the e-ID. It should be noted that in Austria, Estonia and Portugal, where there is very strict legislation protecting private lives and personal data, e-ID cards do have multiple uses and give access to information from many different organizations. Towards a European e-ID card Other European countries have also launched their own e-ID cards. But although the Belgian eID is accepted in all European countries, it does not yet offer access to services in these other countries. There are, therefore, interoperability issues between e-ID cards from different EU states, and there will be similar issues over intercontinental interoperability with Asian countries for example. The different states must therefore come to an agreement on content and data protection, issuance procedures and certificate interoperability. In Estonia, where 80% of the population has an e-ID card, the authorities have launched a model that enables certification systems to communicate, thus rendering different electronic signatures interoperable. This model, known as Universal Electronic Signatures (UES), is currently being studied in Belgium and Finland.

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3.2 Electronic signature The origins of the electronic signature The digital signature is a mechanism that gives the majority of electronically written documents a legal validity equivalent to their paper counterparts. A European directive on the electronic signature was published on 13 December 1999 and was introduced into law in the various member states a short time afterwards. This mechanism allows the author of an electronic document to be authenticated and guarantees their integrity by analogy with the written signature on a paper document. When the document is read, it: • •

Identifies the person or the organization that has signed the document, Guarantees that it has not been altered between the moment it was signed and the moment the reader consults it,

In order to do this, the mechanism must produce a signature that must be: • Authentic: the signatory’s identity must be guaranteed, • Tamper-proof: the signature cannot be falsified, • Non-reusable: it must be part of the signed document and must not be transferable, • Unalterable: a modification in the document invalidates the signature, • Irrevocable: the person who signed it must not be able to withdraw their signature. It differs to a written signature by the fact that is not visual but corresponds to a series of numbers. We see that this abstract characteristic is, in itself, a further brake on the widespread uptake of the digital signature. What’s at stake with the electronic signature? The permanent control of the integrity of the e-Signature as well as of access (usage, identity of receiver, sender and owner) to content or a service constitutes the foundation of transaction traceability. This control enables the protection of public or private interests and their computer data, and the development of eCommerce. Authentication contributes to trust in the digital economy and has a bearing on its development. Authentication: a key issue for the future Identity authentication consists of verifying that a person can prove their identity. The electronic signature is one means to this and is there to: • Give its authority to digital legal acts, in order to ensure legal conformity, • Enable a protected transfer using data encryption, • Make documents tamper-proof by affixing a verifiable digital seal. It is therefore important to remember that: •

The secure electronic signature is delivered when an identity is verified: it is therefore a level 2 element compared to an identity document, a level 1 document,

•

The authority in charge of identifying its citizens is sovereign in this act and therefore confers this power onto the documents it delivers. This is not systematic and therefore uncertain in the case of electronic signatures,

•

In order not to slow down a market where consumers are circumspect when faced with a virtual and technological invention in which the signs and codes are not commonplace, it is necessary to strongly differentiate the uses, the nature and identifiers of the issuing authority.

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This was therefore clarified as early as 2003, with the issuing of the first e-IDs: • The identification and authentication of an issuer or someone requesting access is guaranteed by an electronic identification document, • The electronic signature is an additional device that is generally included in an electronic identification document, and which offers the three functions mentioned previously and which are indispensable to ensuring trust in digital exchanges, • The use of documents strictly dedicated to electronic signatures is nonetheless still possible in private exchanges where the market is sufficiently wide-reaching. 3.3 Social security and healthcare cards The origins of social security and healthcare cards Well before the emergence of national e-Government policy, the health and social security sectors in many countries undertook to drastically simplify the bureaucracy and extremely costly system of intermediary financing between citizens and public health and social security services. From the end of the 1980s, many credit-card style insurance cards were introduced. The analysis of administrative circuits revealed that a direct relationship between the State and healthcare professionals, pharmacists and social security organizations would give these organizations a ‘front-office’ role in the healthcare or social security chain of finance. This would save two or three exchanges per transaction, multiplied hundreds of millions of times every year. The benefits for citizens, state and intermediaries would clearly be huge. And it was on this principle of simplifying flows and setting up a central coordination hub to avoid duplication of information and where everyone could securely share the data relevant to their role in the social chain that in 1991, the “Banque Carrefour de la Sécurité Sociale” was created in Belgium. The French equivalent, the SESAM-Vitale scheme within the health and social security network was also in development at the same time. A few flagship examples of health and social security cards 1. Belgium: The Banque Carrefour de la Sécurité Sociale (Crossroads Bank for Social Security) and the SIS Card The SIS Card, issued to over 8 million Belgians aged 18 and over, provides a reliable means of electronic identification for social security contributors: • • •

With social security institutions, With employers, With other authorities that send information concerning the cardholder to the social security organization and the administration for direct social security contributions.

The SIS Card gives access to over 39 social services in Belgium, and covers social organizations, pharmacies, hospitals and provides information on patients’ situations for recipients not integrated into the BCSS network. The Banque Carrefour today connects over 2,000 businesses and 190 social organizations. The SIS Card contains data visible to the naked eye: st nd • Name, 1 and 2 forenames, date of birth, gender, social security number, card number and date of issue.

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It contains electronically readable data: • A label showing it is an SIS card, • The insurance organization’s identification number, • An affiliation number to the insurance organization, • The status of the insured person in terms of healthcare, • The expiry date of the card.phone. A powerful CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool receives some 15,000 calls per month. 16 million people are listed in the directory. Each person has dealings with an average of 8 social security players. The following developments are planned in the short term: • The function of electronic identification will be taken over by the e-ID card after it has been generally adopted, • The function of proving that citizens are insured in the healthcare sector will be replaced by: o Secure online access for healthcare providers to data concerning the insurance status of their patients, available from insurance organizations in return for the usage of the Belgian e-ID card, o Electronic identification and authentication of healthcare service providers, • The SIS Card will be kept on for insured persons who do not have an e-ID card (those who do not live in Belgium, children under the age of 12 etc.), • Meanwhile, SIS Card readers will be updated to be able to read e-ID cards.

The SIS Card will evolve and its functionality will be integrated into the e-ID card

The Belgian Banque Carrefour de la Sécurité Sociale – a model This virtually paperless model of interoperability, put into place for a very wide-reaching community of sovereign and independent organizations, was not only facilitated by the exemplary nature of its model collaborative architecture, but also by the skillful management of roles and mandates. This enabled the construction of a central information distribution hub whose management totally preserves citizens’ rights to data and personal information protection. This project has won the prestigious “Global e-Government Best Practice Award” 2006 from the UN. Its instigator, and president of the BCSS, Frank Robben, also acts as an advisor to numerous Pan-European interoperability projects.

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2. France: SESAM-Vitale Card SESAM-Vitale is one of the biggest e-Health schemes in the world along with those in Germany and Asia, with almost 1 billion medical expense claim forms being treated every year. Up and running since 1998, the SESAM-Vitale system links healthcare professionals with the compulsory health insurance administration. The new microprocessor cards will increase the system’s possibilities for data processing and secure applications.

French healthcare professional and patient cards with the Carte Vitale 2 in the center

The first generation Carte Vitale is a family social security card that only contains information already included on the paper social security card. Version 2 of SESAM-Vitale, which is currently being deployed, offers the current standards in terms of security and will enable stronger identification of social security beneficiaries. In March, the French government announced the deployment of the Carte Vitale 2, with a first roll-out phase in Brittany, spreading to the rest of the country where, by 2011, every citizen aged 16 years and over and affiliated to the social security system will have their own health card. This Carte Vitale 2 will not just allow for a simplification of administrative procedures, increase transaction security and speed up reimbursements, but will also contain considerable additional information like details of attending physicians, people to contact in case of emergency, authorizations for organ donation and top-up insurance policy details. Furthermore, the Carte Vitale 2 will include a photograph of the insured person and conforms to the latest Identification, Authentication and Signature (IAS) specifications. In addition, the inclusion of a digital photograph – facial biometry – will help slash fraud. In total, 59 million cards will be issued between now and 2010.

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The 226,774 healthcare professionals who use the system for data exchange include: • • • •

83% 99% 80% 96%

of general practitioners, of radiologists, of masseurs-physical therapists, of pharmacists.

3. Austria In 2007, Austria launched a social insurance card that includes: • An insurance attestation, • A European Healthcare Insurance Certificate to cover healthcare costs when traveling, • Access to online social sector services, • A possible future integration with the BurgerKarte citizen card. Meanwhile, it uses an identical technical platform and includes a means for digital signature and access to eGovernment portals. • 11 million smart cards have been issued to-date, including 24,000 healthcare professional cards 4. Germany In 2007, Germany launched a second generation health card that covers: • An insurance attestation, • Information on medical prescriptions for medicinal interactions, • Emergency data, • A European Healthcare Insurance Certificate to cover healthcare costs when traveling. • 80 million smart cards to be issued, including 370,000 healthcare professional cards. 5. Europe Since 1st June 2004, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – with an optional microprocessor – has replaced the following forms: • E111 for holiday travel, • E110 for employees of international transportation companies, • E128 for students and workers, • E119 for unemployed persons who move to another country to seek work. It gives access to medical care in all European Union countries. According to the European eHealth action plan, electronic medical insurance cards will be in use in all Member States by 2008. 6. Asia The national e-Government and eHealthcare programs generally associated with the region are in full swing in South East Asia, in countries including China, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Korea and Japan. For example, Taiwan has completed deployment within the framework of its “Disease Management Program”, a namesake of the French ‘Dossier Médical Personnel’ (DMP). Since July 2002, 24 million cards have been issued since July 2002 and 150,000 healthcare professionals are signed up with the system. In the People’s Republic of China, the ‘social protection’ scheme was launched in 1999 (the Golden Insurance project). The card manages professional relationships, and both employers and employees are issued with a card that contains all information relative to work contracts, salaries, professional qualifications and unemployment. The objective is to turn this into a national card. An e-Government platform forecast for 2010 will enable the integration of authentication, reimbursement of medical costs and access to online public services onto this card.

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Indeed, since 1999, the Ministry for Public Safety has been compiling a national population registry. Since 2005, it has been distributing second-generation ID cards (contactless, microprocessor cards for biometric identification) including a digital photograph, stored in a national database. Deployment of these cards should be completed by 2009 with 900 million issued. China holds the record for the greatest number of e-ID cards with over 400 million issued since 2005. e-Government services should be in place after this phase, although the primary objective in the short term is not access to this kind of service. Conclusion The health and social sector is probably that which will generate the most usage in terms of e-Government. Because of the numerous treatments, protection schemes and needs, the relationship between citizen and administration in this sector is one of the most complex and wide-reaching. More than any other, it is this relationship where the citizen will expect and receive most in terms of community. This sector is also feeling a great deal of pressure from global competition and has therefore felt the first compelling need to simplify the healthcare ‘supply-chain’ and the complexities brought by a proliferation of intermediary organizations. Moreover, the social services and healthcare sectors are in full growth around the world and it has become necessary to be as flexible as possible and demonstrate a real capability to reconfigure the relationships between citizen, insured person, patient, caregiver, public or private insurer and employer, depending on changing needs. There are two key elements that will bring success here: • The performance and flexibility of interoperability architecture to connect the maximum number of actors involved in the value chain, • The rigor and sensitivity of the way social or health information sharing is managed, to protect citizens from abuse or personal data theft. Furthermore, a social and healthcare system, where access to benefits is universal and permanent, would strengthen citizen and worker mobility. To sum up: for which services would smartcards be most frequently used? Today: healthcare, social, finance – banks, citizen or city cards – including voter cards and physical or online ID. Tomorrow: Vehicle ID cards – vehicle registration cards, driver licenses (note: possible merging with e-ID cards depending on the country).

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4. Brief monographs of a few countries with ‘advanced’ e-Government “The next stage for e-Government 2.0 is an 'intelligent service designed around and for citizens'" “Public on-line services are acquiring more maturity every day in the EU. The total and reciprocal interaction between citizens and public authorities has become standard for nearly 50% of services. According to the latest study for the Commission on on-line public services, Austria tops the rankings, followed by Malta and Estonia.” ”A new model of 'intelligent' on-line services is appearing in a number of Member States, which is centred on users and enables on-line services to be more accessible, more efficient and more user-oriented.” Viviane Reding, Brussels, 29 June 2006

In order to better describe the comparative progress and scope of proactive development policies for e-Government in the various countries, this chapter provides some general data from studies led by the European Commission as part of its e-Government progress assessment policy, as the spearhead for its i2010 program. The following chapter presents sheets for some European countries as practical examples. • • • • • • •

Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, France.

Other countries such as the UK, Slovenia, Spain, Malta and Germany – who coined the “e-Government 2.0” terminology to describe a citizen-centric approach – have also been interviewed and their inputs have been integrated in our analysis. The measurement and databases in this chapter are mainly European: MODINIS, IDABC, EUROSTAT, the 6th and 7th i2010 and Cap Gemini e-Government European Benchmark report.

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4.1 Introduction to the review of a few examples by country General conclusions from 2006 and 2007 benchmarking reports At the beginning of the years 2000, initiatives led by the Commission in the field of on-line services were centered on the development of ‘e-Services’ (projects aiming to provide a simple and direct on-line transposition of Public Services). In 2007, these services are for the most part in place and public authorities are moving to the next stage: the implementation of intelligent ‘e-Services’ focused on user needs. Sophistication and complete availability indicators show that in 2006 as in 2007 Austria led the way for the 20 services measured1. The Austrian ‘e-Government platform’ is an example of the optimization of public on-line services which renders the services nearly completely transactional. In the latest «Benchmarking the Supply of Online Public Services » report dated September 13, 2007 (European Commission, Capgemini), some progressive countries seem to loose momentum when smaller countries -once seen as laggards- are catching up at high speed. Countries such as Malta, Slovenia, and even Portugal seem to take full advantage of applications based on the e-Government 2.0 mind-set. These countries are delivering citizencentric services right from the start when forerunners such as Finland and Sweden have invested resources and energy at a time when e-Government services were more technologydriven topics and when each and every effort was focalized on modernizing public services and not so much on citizen’s satisfaction. This new trend has been emerging rapidly since the end of 2005 with the Manchester declaration and i2010 European program. In that sense, we have to keep in mind that a good position in the latest September 2007 report for online availability, online sophistication and user centricity will have certainly given advantages to countries who started to implement applications recently as these applications would naturally be more Web 2.0 standardized.

1

The 20 reference public services for European assessment are as follows: Individuals Income tax Employment search 1 Social security services 1 Personal documents Vehicle registration Request for building permit Police declaration Public libraries Birth and marriage certificates Higher education registration Notice of change of address Health services

Businesses Social contributions for employees Company taxes VAT Registration of new business Supply of data to office of statistics Customs declaration Authorizations for environmental matters Public contracts

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2007 Results by country – sophistication of on-line services (TOP 6)

2006

2007

100

95

90

85

80

75 Austria

Slovenia

Malta

Portugal

UK

France

Malta (400,000 inhabitants) is distributing electronic identifications on paper through its public offices but does not have a national eID card.

source : The User Challenge – Benchmarking the supply of online public services – 7th measurement – European Commission/Capgemini- 13 September 2007

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4.2 Austria e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 99 % (95% in 2006) Ranking: 1st in 2007, 1st in 2006 Number of households

Number of companies

Percentage with Internet access

52.00%

94.00%

Internet access to public services

28.00%

76.00%

Downloaded forms in 2006

22.70%

76.00%

Sent completed forms to public authorities

12.10%

54.00%

Key events and dates March 2002, implementation of the central residents’ database, which gives each Austrian citizen or resident a unique identifier. February 2003, launch of the Citizen Card – “BürgerKarte” May 2003, the Federal Chancellor launches the ambitious e-Government program. March 2004, the ‘e-Government Act’ takes effect and stipulates that all public authorities must be able to offer end-to-end electronic services by 2008. Austria becomes the first European country to have totally dematerialized its legal process and its process for the electronic creation of legal texts. The workflow is organized by the e-Recht project with support from the Federal Chancellery and the ELAK intra-governmental exchange system for official acts and documents. January 2005 sees the end of the intergovernmental exchange system, totally dematerializing the use of paper documents. The Austrian legal system is adapted so that the electronic version of the document is considered to be the original version. January 2005 following agreement between the Ministry of Finance and Europay, Austrian citizens may include an electronic signature on their credit cards. The aim of the agreement is to help e-Government services take off and concerns 6.7 million bank cards in circulation in the country. July 2005, a decree plans for the creation and use of a national address database, in order to improve the operation of emergency and security services for citizens, and provides access to m-Government (Mobile Government Services) geo-localized services, with an identification certificate on a SIM card. November 2005, end of e-Card deployment which enables the ‘Citizen Card’ function to be activated to access both the e-Government services and the electronic signature. The e-Card contains administrative and identification data. September 2006, nearly 9 million e-cards deployed (social/healthcare sector). The e-Card exceeds 100 million feeds/year and enjoys remarkable success with millions of Austrian patients using the service. November 2006, Prof. Reinhard Posch, Federal CIO in the Austrian Chancellery and creator of the Austrian Citizen Card “BürgerKarte” receives the ‘ID Community Award’ for his successful work on e-ID at the Milan International Congress.

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Strategic Priorities: According to the Austrian federal strategic plan for e-Government, in the context of a knowledge society, the type of relationship between the citizens and authorities must be renewed. New technologies must be leveraged to provide users with free and open access to public institutions now represented in the virtual world. This transformation must lead to bureaucratic government bodies to become service providers. Users become customers who benefit from user-friendly procedures and transparent processes which enhance the close relationship. As of now, citizen and company requirements must give rise to a direct, simple and timesaving dialogue. The service, decisions and documents are delivered electronically. The electronic signature and encryption ensure the security of exchanges and the protection of personal data. E-Government is also a way of transforming political practices, giving citizens a chance to participate in the opinion-forming and decision-making process. The virtual world must enable a renewed democratic and citizenly learning process. To this end, the Austrian e-Government policy is based on the following principles, which are required in order to meet the expectations outlined in the federal plan: • • •

• •

•

•

•

Proximity: government bodies are at the citizen’s service, not the opposite, Availability: government services must be on-line, always accessible and with no waiting time, Confidentiality and Security: the commonality of services must nevertheless comply with the constitutional principle of strict separation between identifiers for each sector and with the applicable regulation, Transparency: this is an essential factor for trust and membership leading to the most efficient cooperation, Accessibility: access must be provided to all without social or category discrimination. E-Government must be an exemplary factor of reinforcement of the social relationship. The technological choices must contribute to preventing any form of monopoly or exclusion. This is why any selection will be made in favor of open and universal standards, Data protection: citizens have a high level of trust in the ethics of government bodies concerning the use of private data. The use of an electronic signature and encryption must be encouraged in order to reinforce this trust and to ensure that only duly qualified and appointed persons have access to the specific information that concerns them. Therefore, strict compliance with European standards in terms of personal data protection is a requirement whose satisfaction is a point of honor and a major uptake factor, Durability: the upgradeability and modularity of architectures are essential for the continuous development of an open e-Government platform, which must reinforce the competitiveness of public services and establish the position of Austria as a welcoming land for businesses. New technologies and minimum bureaucracy are essential, Interoperability: the ability of government bodies to be coordinated and to establish secure relationships with their European or international counterparts is essential for the performance of e-Government policy in light of the objectives outlined above.

Austria’s main efforts are concentrated on providing a free and open response to all its citizens' needs, while remaining determined to attract businesses. The minimal bureaucracy and the easy relationship with the State are its main strengths.

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Efficient infrastructures and equipment: •

The network that delivers e-ID has been in operation using local relays since 2003, including with the country’s banks and social security authorities. In particular, 9 million identity certificates and e-cards have been issued,

•

E-Government uses the office information system ELAK in the federal interoperability context,

•

A “DIGITAL AUSTRIA” platform was implemented in 2005 which supports the design and implementation of roadmaps for a cross-functional e-Government that covers the federal, regional and local levels,

•

Various e-Government working groups have been established in which representatives from the federal, regional and local bodies work together in order to put the Austrian eGovernment strategy into practice.

What the experts say:

“In order to inter-operate in Europe we must first accept each other's systems and differences" “When we want to inter-operate with our European neighbors it is not our responsibility to say whether e-IDs (and electronic documents) delivered by them meet with our own standards, as long as these e-IDs (and documents) are official and delivered to citizens by the competent (public) authorities. It is our responsibility to read and understand the ID-data they contain and to offer secure access to our e-Government solutions. In return we ask the same recognition for our own e-IDs (and official electronic documents). This is how we will encourage the mobility of citizens. There are currently too many differences within Europe to think about applying a unique and restrictive standard to all 27 Member States. In order for people to access their neighbors’ administrative systems, the best option would be to provide a national translation Proxy to which citizens and national businesses could connect. The modes in which the requests, sites and addresses are translated would then be subject to bilateral agreements on the basis of a common framework put forward by state members.” Professor Dr Reinhard Posch, Federal CIO of the Austrian Chancellery

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Specific example of an innovative application: e-Recht A hassle-free administration system and electronic legislative process for Austrians The Austrian Federal Government launched the e-Recht program in 2001. Its aim is to completely dematerialize the process for drafting legislative texts. The system for writing texts is entirely traceable electronically, which facilitates any research, consultation and tracking of changes. The whole process is highly user-friendly and reactive and contributes to reducing publication errors. It also enables a better homogeneity in the use of regulatory and legal terms. Style sheets, text macros and electronic forms enable the drafting agent to write documents more easily. Transfers between authorities are also improved by an electronic workflow, which enables a simplified communication between the Chancellery and Federal Government that is also costeffective, particularly in terms of paper documents. Exchanges with the Parliament follow the same path and a specific procedure determines how a text is adopted by the Parliament and Chancellery. Texts are no longer published in the Official Federal Gazette, but on the Internet where they can be directly consulted on-line, which promotes transparency with citizens. The on-line New Official Federal Gazette uses an electronic signature to ensure texts are authentic. Until recently, Austria had a complex history where no less than 12 different regional and local federal administration systems participated in the process of drawing up legislative texts. Austria now has a national ‘Portal Group’ to which the federal, regional and local authorities contribute. A set of mandates, rights and roles ensures information access rights are managed by the right person using an authorized function. A distinction is made between the right to read and the right to modify. The ‘Portal Group’ considerably simplifies the management of users and the secure sharing of applications between all public entities. All public-service operators must undertake to comply with the collaboration and security standards of this portal.

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4.3 Belgium e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 80 % (74% in 2006) Ranking : 14th in 2007 (18th in 2006) Number of households Number of companies 54.00%

96.00%

25.60%

43.00%

Downloaded forms in 2006

7.70%

44.00%

Sent completed forms to public authorities

7.40%

37.00%

Percentage with Internet access Internet access to public services

Key events and dates 2001, Launch of the social security card for a paperless social security. September 2004, Decree to expand the use of the e-ID electronic identity card – BELPIC project after the launch of the pilot project in March 2003. December 2004, Green light from the government to launch the Be-Health platform offering online healthcare services, using e-ID and the SIS card. May 2005, launch of the Federal Interoperability Framework for e-Government (BELGIF). January 2006, Social Security enables salaries to be recorded on-line. Launch of the first e-Democracy projects is done. July 2006, launch of the Kids-ID Card program to protect children. November 2006, second state/region cooperation agreement for an integrated e-Government. Launch of the ‘Safer Internet’ website, whose secure use with e-ID prevents child abuse, enables anonymity to be managed in a secure way and prevents spam containing illicit material. July 2007, more than 5 million e-ID cards deployed. Strategic plan 2007 for the knowledge society and e-Government is presented by the Minister for Employment and Information Mr. Vanvelthoven.

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Strategic Priorities: Applying the 2007 plan to develop the knowledge society: • • • •

Deliver the service on-line according to needs and expectations, independently of the administrative entities, Offer an end-to-end service even if several administrative systems are concerned, Avoid redundancy by a single collection of information, simplify procedures to reduce bureaucracy, Share data between the different administration systems, while strictly protecting privacy and personal data.

Efficient infrastructures and equipment: •

The network for delivering e-ID, which has been in operation using local relays since 2004,

•

The broadband network in the federal interoperability context, BELNET / FEDMAN at 2.5 GB/sec,

•

A network of e-Government federal and regional portals with support from each region,

•

Five million e-ID cards (8M in 2009) and 8 million health cards,

•

The ‘ORWEL’ federal workgroup – a true committee of experts – with representatives from all parts of the states, regions, citizens and academia to prevent the society of information turning into Big Brother,

•

A panel workgroup jointly planning the e-Government strategy with the Belgian State.

What the experts say: e-ID will soon spearhead the emergence of a social Europe. “A system for the interoperability of electronic identities and authentication facilities enabling access to all applications in a secure and user-friendly way throughout Europe is an essential challenge for the development of cross-border services (PEGS – Pan European eGovernment Services), and the social management of the free movement of workers alike. We must absolutely avoid creating new digital barriers beyond the old borders. I predict that e-Government and the efficiency of electronic services will prove to spearhead the emergence of a true social Europe.” Frank Robben, General Manager, Crossroads Bank for Social Security Brussels, April 2007

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Specific example of an innovative application: the ‘Kids-ID’ card Let us protect our children Early 2007, the pilot scheme for the issue of ‘Kids-ID’, the new Belgian electronic identity document for children under 12 was successful from the start, especially as Belgium has seen some tragedies in terms of pedophilia and child abductions. Like the e-ID, the Belgian national identity card, Kids-ID contains both visible and invisible information securely stored. Kids-ID is the same size as a credit card and currently combines three functions: It is first and foremost an official electronic identity and travel document that is compliant with the ICAO standard valid in most European countries and in some countries outside Europe, and contains all the identity data and the child’s photo stored on the electronic chip. The parents’ name is also featured on the card.

Kids-IDs and safer chat The kids-ID program started in 2007 in Belgium

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The card’s main purpose however, is to protect children if they are in danger. Indeed, the card features an emergency number to call if children are lost or in danger. When the card is issued, the parents must register on-line – or by telephone – in order to provide a list of seven telephone numbers of trustworthy people to whom the child may be entrusted. This list is strictly reserved for the parents who may modify it on-line as they wish. When someone finds a child in danger, they can call the emergency number. This person is then prompted to enter the 11 digits of the child’s national register number and is then automatically connected to the first number in the list (usually one of the parents or another trustworthy person). If nobody answers, the caller is automatically redirected to the second number in the list, and so on. If none of the seven numbers answers, the call is redirected to Child Focus, a Belgian foundation for child assistance, open 24/7, which can be helped by the national police force if required. Using the integrated PIN code, children may also use the kids-ID to surf and chat safely on websites that require ID. Highly secure and not easily copied, these cards offer endless possibilities. In the near future, they may be used as library cards, sports membership cards or social security cards. WARNING The emergency call system can only be used if your child is carrying the kids-ID on them. If the child’s smart card is “safely” stored in a drawer at home or in mum’s purse, the system will not work. To ensure your child’s safety, be certain that they always carry the kids-ID card or write the emergency number and their national register number on a bracelet, necklace or cap or any other medium. This can save your child’s life. Warning on www.alloparents.be web sit e

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A remarkable marketing approach in Belgium e-Government is a general public service: it therefore requires marketing for the general public. The Belgian federal government has adopted an entrepreneurial approach to e-Government. It has always considered e-Government as e-Services dedicated to the public sector. The public has been familiar with e-Services for nearly 5 years, or even more. It does not distinguish between services. It acclaims innovative services that promote the user’s needs and show an excellent understanding of the ‘web attitude’ and criticizes those that are still dependent on the service-provider culture and constraints. The public wants its interests to be put forward. Consumerism is a fundamental aspect of 21st century culture and the public sector is no exception: the right service must be provided to the right person, at the right time and if possible with the most pro-active approach. The service must come to the user and not the opposite. This service is personal, the citizen is recognized and the personal history that is kept of dealings with the administrative services demonstrates their instant recollection of any communication that has taken place in the past. Knowing the customer and improving the service requires the right tool. That tool is marketing. Belgian public authorities considered this was necessary. Indeed, what is expected in the private sector should also be in the public sector. “There are no 'excuses' in today's society for a lowlevel service in the name of user equality". Basic marketing principles and studies have therefore been applied according to the 4P’s: Product – Price – Place – Promotion. Product The Belgian public authorities established several user workgroups - one per 'customer' segment (essentially citizens and businesses) and creativity workshops. It was important for the priorities and attractiveness of the services to be in phase to create a strong uptake. “We have of course pressured the services that use the e-ID card as it was this card that we wanted to promote to maximize the political success and recognition." This is how some services were created that no one thought possible, such as: • Access via e-ID to local waste collection sites reserved for residents, • The ‘Kids ID’ card for the protection of children, • The Safer Chat where credentials must be shown in order to remain anonymous, • Inquiries into and on-line monitoring of police complaints. Price Price elasticity has an effect on public services, particularly if on-line access is not mandatory and substitutions are possible. (Price of the card, subscriptions, maintenance, developer kit). “We have defined them in a public-private partnership with our suppliers.” Place The distribution channels and the ease of access to the service are key success factors. “However we have tried to add a ‘trendy/fashionable’ dimension as we considered that the product was still perceived as technological by our customers and that was an aspect to be enhanced.” So they then created 'e-ID shops' where trendy gadgets may be found and a high uptake by 'early users' can be achieved, as this target population has the potential to recommend and influence segments of the market where people are less easily convinced.

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The e-ID on-line shop: a good example of packaging – here for developers

Promotion Communication is usually neglected by most e-Government policies. Communication should be considered as an important aspect, as a major transformation of the relationship between individuals and institutions is taking place through the administrative system that manages the public service. Of course, the administration system is also being modernized for its own sake as well as for the efficiency of the service it provides, but the effort to convince citizens and develop loyalty will continue for at least another 5 to 10 years. In 2006, the number of citizens using e-Government grew considerably. However there are still less than 10% of Belgian citizens who have accepted to pay on-line or to update their details using an electronic signature or e-ID. This will no doubt change in 2007 as the federal government intends to provide many new services which will enable the use of e-ID for transactions. This will undoubtedly have an impact. Nevertheless, citizens must be informed, we must not wait for them to find out about the service by chance or by word-of-mouth. The launch of a private-sector service provider without appropriate media communication would be unthinkable. There is no reason for the public service to proceed differently – except possibly one: the budgets and obligation to achieve a certain result. Citizens then have the legitimate feeling that it is their money being spent. The marketing must therefore be all the more thorough and efficient from an effort/cost perspective. By chance, as this is a major transformation in the Belgian society, numerous experts from many horizons have joined the workgroups, many contributing on a volunteer basis.

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4.4 Estonia e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 87 % (90% in 2006) Ranking : 8th in 2007 (3rd in 2006) Number of households

Number of companies

46.00%

90.00%

26.60%

66.00%

Downloaded forms in 2006

17.30%

64.00%

Sent completed forms to public authorities

17.10%

24.00%

Percentage with Internet access Internet access to public services

Key events and dates In 1996 – The “Personal Data Protection Act” comes into force, followed by the “Database Act". In 1998 – Opening of the secure inter-ministerial network which interconnects all government agencies via Internet. March 2000 – Launch of the “Digital Signature Act”, and opening of the income tax and VAT payment portal. January 2002 – Electronic identity cards are issued for the first time. Estonia is a pioneer, along with Finland and Belgium. March 2003 – Launch of the e-Government national portal. April 2004 – 59% of Estonians declared their income tax via Internet – a European record. October 2005 – First e-Voting attempt for the local elections on October 16. Nine thousand Estonians choose to vote from home using their e-ID. May 2006 – Banks, telephone operators and the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Communications sign an agreement to jointly launch the “Computer Protection 2009” program to make Estonia an exemplary world leader in terms of protecting citizens and their privacy, through the generalized use of e-services that require e-ID authentication. July 2006 – The university on-line registration portal is opened and is accessible from the citizens' portal. March 2007 – Estonia is the first country in the world to vote via internet for the general elections. 30,000 voters chose to vote via internet, i.e. 3%. May 2007 – Estonia announces it citizen SIM card, including an identification certificate delivered by the state for mobile telephone identification. Estonia is now on the same level as Finland who had launched this initiative in 2005. This program includes cooperation and interoperability with Finland. June 2007 – 2006 annual economic growth is reaching 11,4%.

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Strategic Priorities: The 2007-2013 plan for the information society will be a vector for Estonians to complete the renewal, competitiveness and energy of the Estonian democracy: • Estonia has since 1992 banked on the information society to ensure growth and competitive development, • The solidarity and pioneering approach of the different economic entities, whether public, private or third party, is a strength that Estonia intends to defend and develop, • E-inclusion, defending a cultural and linguistic identity and respecting the environment are values that must be reinforced throughout the development program, • The protection of individual rights and the right to individual security are areas in which no compromise is possible. Estonia intends to be a world leader in the protection/performance ratio. Efficient infrastructures and equipment: • The network for delivering e-ID has been in operation since 2002, • The broadband network for the interconnection of all government agencies, • The citizens portal – one-stop shop to access e-Government, • An architectural interoperability framework considered to be an example in Europe of best practice in this field, • A national body (CERT) for the protection, monitoring and prevention for the permanent and essential operation of the Estonian information society. What the experts say: The right to free Internet access features in Estonia’s constitution. When Estonia left the Soviet Union, it had to start afresh. It was the beginning of the internet era and Estonia banked a lot on this new technology. Consequently, it is now possible to connect to internet from absolutely anywhere in Estonia. Mobile telephones are also very popular and demand for mobile e-Services is growing rapidly. Parking is a good example. There are no parking meters. Parking is paid for by dialing a code on one’s mobile telephone. One of the most advanced countries in the European Union “Estonia started using new technologies early on. Internet is now used everywhere in the country. The Estonian government surprised everybody when it abolished the use of paper for its cabinet meetings. Ministers only use documents they have issued on the government internal network. Citizens may also perform a number of administrative formalities via internet, starting with the income tax declaration. Access to internet has even been recognized as a constitutional right.” “In terms of voting via internet,” continues Tarvi Martens, “after two conclusive experiences we can say there have been no technical problems until now. For Tarvi Martens, Estonia distinguishes itself from all other internet voting experiences by its high level of security. “In Switzerland, people received their personal code through the post, while in Estonia we skip this step that is less secure as all ID holders already have their code." Tarvi Martens Director of Operations for the National Certification Operator Internet voting project manager for the National Electoral Commission

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Participative democracy In Estonia, citizens may see the council of ministers live, they can modify bills and vote from home via internet. The result is greater transparency in the government’s decision-making and a greater interactivity to take account of citizens’ wishes. Internet is also a feature of the council of ministers. All the day’s questions are downloaded onto the computers; there is not a single sheet of paper on the desks. Estonians firmly believe this is quicker. In fact, their cabinet meetings only last about half an hour as opposed to an entire morning as in most larger European countries. Estonians also have an ecological argument: they save a lot of paper. Every minister has a computer on which he/she follows the debates and reacts to the agenda. Any decision taken during the council (excluding confidential documents concerning national security and diplomacy) is issued on internet minutes after the decision is agreed. This is assuredly an innovative and time-saving process that avoids bureaucracy and gives a modern image of politicians. This aim of this transparency is to reinforce citizens' trust in the citizens of Estonia so that they move on to e-Democracy. The Citizens Portal The citizens’ portal has a user-friendly interface which adapts to each individual’s specific needs. Only the services selected and set by the user appear on the home page. Some services send proactive messages in a timely manner, e.g. passport renewal reminder one month before it expires. This portal is accessible to all, especially as a national project launched in 1998 enabled Estonia's 247 local authorities to be permanently connected to internet broadband. Examples of remarkable applications: E-ticketing for public transport It is one of the most popular applications in Estonia. Users can benefit from ID-tickets using their e-ID cards to travel on public transport in Tallinn, Tartu, Viimsi and in the Harjumaa district. In 2005, passengers bought nearly a million ID-tickets (975,263). Over 110,000 citizens currently use this system every day. As electronic tickets are cheaper, the service has proved to be increasingly popular. Naturally, the transport operator knows the name of the passenger and their itinerary. The system relies on the trust between the public transport operator and citizens. It is of course still possible to travel with an anonymous paper ticket. The citizens SIM card An agreement between the telecom operator EMT and the national certification authorities SK has enabled the identification certificate to be developed on SIM cards, with the same level of security as for the e-ID card. This service was launched at the end of May 2007 and is being tested by 600 users. This project is part of our “Computer Protection 2009” initiative.

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Estonia launches mobile identification: After e-ID, m-ID? “Mobile-ID is a formidable development stage for Estonia as an innovative nation, declared Ain Järv, Director of Operations for the National Certification Operator during the launch conference at the end of May. As from now, we are meeting with experts from the world over and from Europe in particular. We intend to demonstrate that mobile telephones can also protect citizens, by enabling them to be identified in a secure manner and provide access to personal data in a secure environment. Anyone can have both the e-ID card and a mobile telephone with a secure citizen SIM card. The risk linked to the use of e-services will diminish. This will in turn lead to e-Government procedures being commonly used. We therefore estimate that the number of users will increase from 100,000 to 400,000 by 2009.” Ain Järv, Director of Operations for the National Certification Operator

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4.5 Finland e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 82 % (85% in 2006) Ranking : 13th in 2007 (9th in 2006) Number of households Number of companies

65.00%

97.00%

40.40%

86.00%

Downloaded forms in 2006

28.6%

89.00%

Sent completed forms to public authorities

14.9%

78.00%

Percentage with Internet access Internet access to public services

Key events and dates In 1999 – Finland is the first country to offer smart ID cards to its citizens. June 2003 – Implementation of an electronic signature chip in the e-ID card. April 2004 – Finland considered the increase in the use of e-ID to be too slow and therefore introduced an on-line identification system, without external media support, in order to make access to e-Government as easy and flexible as possible. The system uses a password and pin code and is issued by Finnish banks – on a similar profile to credit cards – which ensure face to face security at the time of issue. June 2004 – Integration of the social insurance card to the e-ID card on the same smart card. November 2004 – Launch of the mobile identification profile and of the citizens certificate for SIM cards. May 2005 – Launch of the “change address on-line” application in collaboration with the post office and the national population register. April 2006 – A study on e-Government shows that the Finns are attached to the use of eGovernment but that the services most used are local services (50%), in particular those of big cities who benefit from a greater autonomy in their administrative relationship to citizens. The services most used are in order those for: • Employment search and work legislation, • Income tax, • Libraries. September 2006 – The Finnish government adopts the 2007-2015 national strategic plan for the knowledge society. October 2006 – The Government adopts the use of e-ID for Government employees. The civil servant card is ICAO compatible, has a signature certificate and enables a physical and electronic authentication. It may be used as a travel document.

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Strategic Priorities: The Information Society Advisory Board (ISAB) was created in 1996 and renewed in 1999. It is responsible for the action plan to promote the current e-Government which was used by the Finnish Government. This program relies on 16 concrete proposals for citizens, businesses and public bodies. The main elements of the plan are as follows: Accelerate the reform for processes and activities of administrative services • Improve the digital integration within government agencies, • Provide the necessary skills in order to develop e-services, • Develop customer-oriented national services in the health and social sector, • Implement a single price for access to the services. Encourage the demand for on-line services • • •

Increase the participation of citizens in decision-making and choice of services, Implement portals that provide citizens with an easier access, Put in place challenges between administrative services oriented towards quality and customer satisfaction.

Improve access and user education • Promote the use of and ability within small and medium-sized businesses to obtain and develop e-commerce applications, • Ensure a proactive e-inclusion policy and generalize the deployment of broadband and the use of interactive television, • Deploy authentication services, independent from the equipment and as easy as possible to use – with alternative choices for citizens – via mobile telephones for example. Coordination • Reinforce the cross-departmental management policy, in relation with the entities responsible for the development of the government bodies and territory, • Give a central coordination role in terms of e-Government to the Ministry of Finance and reinforce the powers of the JUHTA – information management advisory committee within government bodies, • Involve all government agencies in the delivery of e-services, in relation with the government plan for the information society, • Make a special effort at the Ministry of the Interior to switch to transaction mode for eservices in this field.

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In Finland, e-Government relied on proximity from an early stage The various regions or urban centers in Finland have a great autonomy to manage their relationship with citizens. This led to local initiatives where public service relays are operated from service offices. The services on offer are based on a voluntary commitment agreement before the law, the “Citizen Services Agreement” to which subscribe the partners who take part in the service delivery process. Private-sector service operators are admitted as signatories of the agreement. These participants are most often local authorities, the SII (State Insurance Institution, similar to a public services house), employment agencies, administrative courts of large towns, tax offices, the administration of the transport and equipment network, the national land register, the parishes, as well as private organizations that offer postal services, insurance services and internet access. The services on offer are the distribution and reception of forms, advice in tax-related and work matters and the issue of permits and licenses by the police. There are 183 service offices for citizens. Local authorities participate in 132 offices, employment agencies in 103, the post office in 8 and parishes in 12. Finland’s model has been applied for nearly 10 years and shows that joint public/private activities can be really organized. Preparatory work is currently under study by the Ministry of the Interior in order to develop a legal basis for joint public service activities, based on more formal 'PPP' (public/private partnerships) type agreements.

Secure access to e-Banking services with the national e-ID card in Finland.

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Specific example of an innovative application: the citizens SIM card

A country proud of its leadership in mobile telecommunications and who promotes their use At the start of the years 2000, Estonia and Finland signed a cooperation agreement concerning e-Government. Estonia was issuing one million e-ID cards while in the space of 7 years Finland had only deployed 100,000 cards. Finland has never actively promoted its e-ID card and has let citizens choose whether to use it. However, looking closely, the situations are not so different considering that in 2007, only 100,000 Estonians are estimated to use the card’s electronic devices, as most people prefer using the physical identification and e-ticketing options. Finland thought the electronic signature was complex and that the use of e-services through mobile telephones would be more rapidly successful. The first SIM cards with citizens’ certificates are now available since the end of 2005. The distribution will be generalized to the whole country. All mobile telephone operators must progressively coordinate with the national register of populations and Finland’s police to ensure the authentication of citizens and issue SIM cards. The certificates will progressively replace the ‘user IDs’ and passwords for all applications as they provide an identification guaranteed by the State, which is an added factor for trust and for the use of on-line applications. The Finnish register of populations will be the first to adopt the identification mobile citizen certificate for its own services, for changes of address and for the consultation of data in the register of populations. The Fins’ appetency for mobile-Government services is spreading. Indeed, Estonia in turn launched in May 2007 its initiative to popularize secure e-ID on mobile telephone SIM cards, hoping for a significant market share by 2009.

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4.6 Portugal e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 90 % (83 in 2006) Ranking : 4th in 2007 (12th in 2006) Number of households

Number of companies

35.00%

77.00%

14.00%

53.00%

Downloaded forms in 2006

10.70%

53.00%

Sent completed forms to public authorities

11.50%

54.00%

Percentage with Internet access Internet access to public services

Key events and dates 1991 – Creation of INFOCID, interdepartmental information system for citizens, a collaborative network of all state organizations that liaise with citizens. 1997 – Approval by the council of ministers of the Green Paper on the development of the information society in Portugal. 1998 – Launch of the “digital cities” program to improve administrative services and reinforce the competitiveness of businesses. 2000 – the operational aspect of the plan for the information society is adopted – investment of 625 million euros. 2001 – INFOCID becomes the national portal for citizens’ and businesses’ e-Government. March 2004 – the national citizens portal (Portal do Cidadão) replaces the INFOCID portal. November 2004 – Plan renewed by the UMIC, the national agency for the development of the knowledge society and e-Government in order to reduce bureaucracy and improve the administrative services and productivity. January 2005 – Launch of the e-Procurement and public procurement national portal. July 2005 – Launch of the initiative and service “Create a company in an hour”. January 2006 – Any Professional subject to pay tax – businesses and independents – must declare their tax on-line. January 2007 – Electronic billing is generalized. February 2007 – Creation of the AMA – Agency for the Public Services Reform. February 2007 – Portugal issues the first e-ID card compliant with the IAS (Identification Authentication Signature) European standard, as defined by CEN 224 WG 15. First cards issued in the Azores islands before generalization to the Continent in the Autumn. Five services in a single card: identification, tax payment card, voting card, social insurance card, health card. Facial and digital biometrics included in the chip. August 2007 – Following the Azores pilot, the Portuguese government has started rolling out its citizen card to recipients on the mainland. This will gradually spread to other regions from October 2007.

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Strategic Priorities: The aim of Portugal’s e-Government plan is to transform the public sector into an integrated and collaborative customer-oriented entity, thereby positioning Portugal among the leading countries in terms of quality of service to citizens and businesses. The increase in citizens' satisfaction regarding these multi-channel services delivered 24/7 should in time lead to a true international recognition of the quality on offer and a feeling of pride on the part of the citizens for their public services. Efficient infrastructures and equipment: • •

• • •

The citizens’ card has been deployed since February 2007, An architecture of government portals federated by the national plan for e-Government with : o A citizen’s portal, o A government portal, o A cultural portal, o A portal for local administrative services, o A portal for autonomous regions, o A portal for public procurement, A “citizen shop” physical relay over the entire territory, Broadband access in all schools, A national library network to democratize access to knowledge.

Our priorities: the successful deployment of e-ID and e-Gov 2.0 “With the Agency for Public Services Reform (AMA), we are moving from e-Gov 1.0 – in reference to Web changes – to e-Gov 2.0 which involves a complete dematerialization and a commitment to paperless administration. It is the only way to gain in productivity, save time, eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, improve the competitiveness of our services and administration and especially, to provide citizens with services they need. However, the ergonomics must not diminish the legal security required. Which is why e-ID and high security authentication are more relevant than ever. In terms of deployment and relays in the field, we do not neglect the fact that bank cards are already widely used by e-services. A collaboration with banks to deliver more integrated services may be considered. It would be interesting if bank machines could update administrative documents and read citizens’ cards.” Anabela Pedroso – President of AMA Lisbon, 3 May 2007

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Specific example of an innovative application: the citizens’ card Portugal’s citizen card "cartão de cidadão" is an example of collaboration between various States. In March 2007, the Portuguese Prime Minister launched in the Azores islands the deployment of an electronic “citizen card”: the "cartão de cidadão". The archipelago was chosen as a pilot scheme, with an extension over a five-year period to the entire Portuguese population from the end of 2007. At the time of writing, it is the latest card to be issued and benefits from the most recent results of the European standards and technological research. The Portuguese authorities wished to benefit from Belgium’s pioneering experience in terms of electronic identity cards and therefore signed a collaboration agreement.

Indeed, Anabela Pedroso explained that the contact maintained for a year and a half with the Belgian authorities facilitated the Portuguese choices. The Belgian company Zetes is a technological partner, and along with Gemalto, has an initial seven-year commitment. The main differences with the Belgian e-ID are the absence of a single national number and a biometric identification function using a digital fingerprint (off-line verification technology "match-on-card" promoted since the success of the e-justice European project).

The Portuguese constitution forbids a single central database or register. There are therefore several identifiers on the citizen card, at the back of the card.

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Harmonize approaches between States – the basis for trust “The aim, according to both countries” continues Anabela Pedroso, “is not only to share skills in terms of e-Government, but eventually to also develop common applications. Both Portugal and Belgium agree that the future of the European community lies in this type of initiative. The interoperability between states, for example in terms of access to legal information, will take place through bilateral trust agreements before generalization on a European scale.” In fact, both countries wish to lead by example in terms of harmonization of identification processes on a European scale. Many European countries are currently preparing the launch of e-ID. The risk would be to have a variety of incompatible systems and the appearance of new standards that would call into question the investments made by the pioneering countries. An important stage was reached in May 2007, with the launch of a European request for quotes relating to the inter-operability of identification facilities. In July 2007, the presidency of the European Union is Portuguese and its Secretary of State for Information Technologies made it clear that e-ID will be a priority. Experience feedback concerning the implementation of e-ID: be aware of the naming standardization issue “The interoperability between services is not only technical, it is also organizational and semantic. For example, when administrative services wish to interoperate, and prevent identity fraud which is ever increasing, the issue of the coding of names and addresses is tricky, and one which we recommend States about to issue their electronic identity card address as soon as possible. We have had to finely review all our administrative registers to remove any redundancies from our systems and registers while keeping them independent from each other in order to respect privacy. It is a task not to be underestimated. E.g.: Who am I? My name is Anabela Damásio Caetano Pedroso. However I am on record as Anabela Caetano Pedroso, or Anabela Pedroso, or with my full name. If I am a foreign resident, from Europe in particular, I have the right for my name to be spelt correctly. There are over 390 different characters if we combine all the languages and special characters or alphabets from the 27 states. I may also have several addresses and some combinations of my name may be known at various addresses. E.g. property purchased before or after marriage. Or even concerning healthcare and related rights. However it is citizens' right to keep these differences and administrative services must adapt while combating fraud. A compromise is necessary. We must simply remember that ID management is a lot more cultural than planned for the modern information process. These two social, and even economic, realities must coexist.” Anabela Pedroso Interview in Lisbon, 3 May 2007

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Remarkable innovation and feedback: The citizen shops – making e-Government a physical and human reality The “citizen shops” come under the institute for the management of citizen shops, a public administrative institute that is financially autonomous. It is placed under the authority of the Ministry of Finance. The “citizen shops” are completed by “information stations” (“postos de atendimiento” or PAC) whose role is to provide information at the request of users.

e-Government is too conceptual! Concrete reference points are needed first to build trust. The citizen shops (Lojas do Cidadao) are a new general interest concept. The aim is to concentrate the main public services in the same location, in what resembles more a supermarket than an administrative office. One of the main shops in Lisbon is over 10,000 m2 on two floors connected by escalators and conveyor belts. A stylish building with 90 counters spread out and organized by type of activity, more reminiscent of luxury department stores in Paris, than a super post office. Anabela Pedroso, our guide and previously an administrator of the institute for the management of citizen shops says “We must prove to citizens that dematerialization brings real benefits and comforts. The citizen shops are the physical reflection of a one-stopshop: Learning and trust begin with face-to-face contact. At least 5 years are needed for a real cultural change to take place. Face-to-face contact is even more justified for proximity services, which must not be neglected as it is where the most tangible success is played."

The diversity of public bodies collaborating and participating in the services provided by publicservice houses is a reflection of the global approach used. This covers the directorate general for social protection, civil servants, public agents, general pension funds, the directorate general for legal services which issues civil status certificates and extracts, the general inspectorate of economic activities and the directorate general for taxes (over 50 bodies are included). There are also relays from the Ministry of Health, the Post Office, the railways and the national tourism agency. Counters for companies and notaries are featured. Private structures such as banks and telecommunication services are also involved. In addition, the “citizen shops” issue official documents: passports, identity cards and driving licenses in particular. The “entrepreneurship counters” provide information and advice for any new business and the use of more general counters enables all administrative obligations and procedures for the allocation of aids and subsidies to be carried out.

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4.7 Sweden e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 87 % (90% in 2006) Ranking : 7th in 2007 (4th in 2006) Number of households

Number of companies

77.00%

96.00%

48.70%

78.00%

Downloaded forms in 2006

30.70%

78.00%

Sent completed forms to public authorities

21.40%

53.00%

Percentage with Internet access Internet access to public services

Key events and dates 2000 – Launch of the e-Government national strategy “the 24/7 agenda” and the objective “administration to serve democracy”. An “internet for all” program is also launched. May 2002 - The Swedish Agency for Public Management signs the agreement to issue 2.5 million electronic signature certificates with the six main banks, the post office and the telecom operator Telia. December 2002 – The office for patents and brands is the first to receive electronically signed files. April 2004 – Framework agreement for a standard and secure infrastructure enabling the interoperability of government e-services, including e-identification, secure exchanges, and the management of authorizations and access rights. October 2004 - launch of the government steering portal "www.sverige.se" February 2005 – National plan to drastically reduce bureaucracy and simplify administration within the 8 ministries and 46 government agencies. May 2005—Launch of the national model to measure the progress and efficiency of eGovernment. Launch of the first joint international e-Government portal (Sweden - Finland Denmark). October 2005 – Launch of the biometric passport and e-ID cards (also biometric), ICAO compatible, with two interfaces including one “no contact” and the other providing access to eGovernment applications. January 2006 – Reorganization and launch of the Verva agency – to lead and coordinate the development action of the e-government policy. There are 47% of electronic prescriptions transmitted by doctors to the national pharmacy unit (state monopoly) – 80% aimed for in 2010. May 2006 – The five main banks come to an agreement for a common electronic billing in compliance with European standard UN/CEFACT and cross-industry exchange standards based on XML connectors to improve the competitiveness of businesses. Launch of the national policy for e-health.

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4.8 France e-Europe/CapGemini 2007 level of sophistication: 87% (85 in 2006) Ranking : 6th in 2007 (10th in 2006)

Number of households

Number of businesses

41.00%

87.00%

N.C.

N.C.

Percentage with Internet access Internet access to Public Administration Key events and dates 1998: Launch of SESAM-Vitale program, nationwide.

March 2001 and December 2000, adoption of laws on the Electronic Signature. March 2002, launch of online Tax Services for VAT (Télé TVA) and Income Tax (TéléIR) – TéléIR reached 7.5 million declarations in 2007. February 2003, creation of the "Agence pour le Développement de l’Administration Electronique" (Agency for the Development of Electronic Administration), responsible for coordinating e-Government policy. February 2004, publication of the e-Government Strategic Plan "ADELE". October 2004, national launch of "39 39", a help and support call center to facilitate the use of Public Services in addition to "Service-Public.fr". December 2004, law to simplify the legal and regulatory framework for the development of e-Government. May 2005, launch of the online address change service. July 2005, publication of the guidelines PRIS V2 (Inter-sector Security Referencing Policy) and RGS (General Security Guidelines), common frameworks for the electronic signature and certification for electronic exchanges. December 2005, creation of the "Direction Générale de la Modernisation de l’Etat" (General Department of State Modernization), attached to the "Ministère des Finances et de l’Industrie" (Ministry of Finance and Industry). June 2006, pilot launch of the Personal Medical File, enabling the patient to establish secure digital access to his or her medical information. November 2006, eBourgogne (Burgundy Region, launched in 2003) and e-Mégalis (Brittany) represent benchmarks in terms of online public purchasing platforms. January 2007, launch of the "Administration 24h/24" portal designed for administrative procedures with citizens and businesses. Amongst the most popular services: consultation of reimbursement rates for healthcare and, for businesses, the single recruitment declaration merging seven paper forms. Over the course of 2007, 300 other administrative forms will be online. Citizens may also follow the progress of their own file online. February 2007, creation of the "Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés" (National Agency for Secure Identity Documents), responsible for designing, producing and distributing all the secure identity documents issued by the State. The priorities for 2009 are biometric passports and electronic identity cards.

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In France, for businesses, online procedures like Télé TVA use a certificate on a microprocessor integrated in a USB key. As for the 7.5 million online tax declarations in 2007 (20% of tax payers), these were made with software-based e-ID.

Strategic priorities: The ADELE program 2004-2007 for Electronic Administration foresees the implementation of a common framework for the development of e-Government services for citizens, businesses and public officials with the following objectives as a priority: • Make life easier for everyone, citizens, businesses or local authorities, through the provision of permanently accessible necessary services, • Generate trust by guaranteeing the security and protection of citizens' personal information and giving them the means of controlling its use by public officials, • Contribute to modernizing public administration and the work of its agents and to improving the service/cost ratio of its processes. The ADELE program is based on four fundamental requirements: • • • •

Permanent consideration of the users and the needs they have expressed, Provision of services for all, including a voluntary policy of e-Inclusion, Creation of a pact of trust between State and citizens, Provision of more services with greater efficiency whilst keeping public spending under control.

The imminent provision of an electronic national identity card will enable citizens to have a simpler and more secure exchange with public administration electronically.

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Efficient infrastructures and equipment: •

The AdER broadband network based on a Virtual Private Network including transport, the directory and messaging service and a connection to the European interadministrative network TESTA,

•

A set of national portals and services like: o

Service-Public.fr launched in October 2000 which includes a database full of practical and helpful information on using all of the administrative procedures and on public organizations with its associated Call Center on "39 39", launched in 2004,

o

Administration 24h/24, a portal launched in January 2007, includes nearly 600 dematerialized public procedures and forms including the 30 most frequently used in the country. 300 new services will be available by the end of 2008 to reach the objective of complete dematerialization of public exchanges between citizens, businesses and Administrations,

•

A total of 48 million SESAM-Vitale health cards contributing to the third-party payment system, saving nearly 80 million paper-based transactions per month,

•

The French e-ID card will be available as of 2009 for gradual national deployment.

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What the experts say:

An "Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés" (National Agency for Secure Identity Documents) for the protection of citizens' personal identification data What pivotal role can a cross-departmental Agency like ANTS play in providing the guarantees the Citizen is looking for? The Agency is a new player. Our role is first and foremost to guarantee an equal level of trust for all documents delivered by the State and in particular when giving access to the digital world. In this environment, it is essential to protect citizens against fraud and therefore any attempt to steal their Identity. Our role also meets the needs of working across organizations, which is essential in an environment of European exchange to facilitate relations between different countries and Administrations. From this point of view, the Agency's contribution to standardization work is a major working goal. First and foremost, this enables each State to recognize the official documents of nationals from another European State. Interoperability must be taken into account consistently as soon as the identity documents are designed. In this way, new generations of identity documents will now include a smart card and sometimes biometric data. This will be the case for the new biometric passport in compliance with the European directive of 13 December 2004. The Agency's role is also to innovate by inventing more global solutions likely to increase the value of the service to the Citizen.

In your opinion, what does e-ID bring to the development of an e-Government policy focused on the citizen? Electronic identification as a key to access personal information shall contribute to simplifying the citizens' procedures, improve their daily lives and enable them to save time through the ability to make several requests remotely in full confidence. The objective for the State is a clear will to adapt administrative systems to suit the changing lifestyle of the citizen. Both the quality and efficiency of public service are major preoccupations in its relation with citizens. In this context, e-ID brings guarantees and an essential comfort to the practice of digital exchanges, by securing and facilitating the personalization of service procedures, whilst protecting the citizen's private life and personal data. E-ID will also indirectly improve the quality of Public Officials' work by allowing them to free-up the time for tasks with higher added value.

What does French industrial development bring to this field specifically? France is the birthplace of the smart card and has innovation parks recognized on a worldwide level. France is particularly active in all the work on standardizing trust linked to card infrastructures, like the IAS (Identification – Authentication - Signature) pillar, of which Version 2 will be deployed at European level with the support of the Commission's CEN standardization bodies.

Raphaël Bartolt – “Préfet” and Director of the "Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés" July 2007

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Our national guidelines have enabled us to best prepare for the future, although the real digital revolution has yet to come. The SDAE* contributes to European work on the interoperability of Identity Documents. What is your understanding of this? The citizen declares him/herself to a network of trust to integrate it and be recognized, for example a member state which delivers an ID document as a proof. The passport has enabled the network of trust to be widened to other States. ID documents will follow the same route, in compliance with the European principle which in fact operates like a federation of networks of trust. Identification can therefore not escape this principle of federation where each State is responsible for its own citizens. This federation is not built through imposed standardization, but through bilateral agreements between networks of trust including their respective identity suppliers. This principle of federation of identity and of interconnection between networks of trust through "n to n" bilateral relations is what France essentially defends as being the most respectful of the principle of subsidiarity.

Is it not this French exception, constituted by the absence of a Central Population Register, that has delayed Electronic Identity projects? The absence of a central database in France, regarded as a structural weakness (an individual can register in two Departments without the State being able to link these two requests for identity documents), is today proving infinitely modern and very in phase with the fundamental will of the citizen to define him or herself freely and create an identity for the various networks of trust to which he/she belongs and above all to be able to separate these when there are several of them. Linking identities should be possible at the free will of the citizen who may wish to establish a link between several identities if he or she gains enough advantages from this. It is therefore the State's responsibility to create advantages that may encourage the citizen to concede this part of his/her liberties. In fact, the right to multiple identities when this is desirable and wanted is very modern and in conformity with the Internet. In an essentially mobile world, this is one of the effects of the progressive dissolution and obsolescence of the absolute character of identity, so dear to the 20th century: we therefore need to prepare for this. What is the status of a virtual person in Second Life, that consumes, sells virtual goods and earns physical money? If I cannot dissociate my virtual self from my physical self, I lose the right to be another. In France we have actually been managing this potential ambivalence for years.

How do you explain the fact that France does not appear amongst the leaders in e-Government in spite of the agreed great effort? France is known as the home of Descartes where, in essence, we strive to reflect and model before acting, sometimes even to the detriment of our initial effectiveness. Although we have developed citizen applications (Taxes, Directory, Service-public.fr and Adèle portals with more than 300 procedures), it is probably through the quality of our national guidelines that we have most prepared the future and comfort of so-called e-Government 2.0, the spirit of which drives the wave of new services we are deploying today. It is probably one of the first European efforts to code rules relating to the legal and regulatory aspects of practicing Public Information Systems to the benefit of interoperability, security and accessibility. However and paradoxically, the cultural revolution relating to the power of the digital world has yet to take place. The 21st century is an age of networks and of sharing whilst we have inherited a long history anchored in hierarchical and centralized information management. The revolution is to think that an administrative procedure is not an end in itself: it is just a means to meet a need and its modernization must obviously keep this final goal, but how important is its form? The efficiency of the exchange can be organized much better when we accept that satisfaction of the need is the only constant - along with the respect of everyone's rights, of course.

Jean Séverin Lair – Assistant Director of the "*Service de Développement de l’Administration Electronique" August 2007

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5. Summary: what we are learning from more advanced countries 1. The general state of health of e-Government progress, locally and nationally e-Government is recognized as a powerful catalyst in the evolution of a society towards becoming integrated in the digital world. Until recently, during the process of modernization of public services, the emphasis has been on “public”. Today, it is firmly on “service”. As a result, public service is now the same as any other kind of service, making it comparable to banks, telecommunications operators, leisure service providers and any other businesses investing heavily in their customer relationships for more than ten years. As such, e-Government – christened 2.0 in an analogy with the personalization power of the Web 2.0 – reached maturity in 2006 and now focuses on satisfying the needs of the citizen, supplying citizen-centric services. In contrast, during the period between 1999-2005, satisfying the needs of the administration in question prevailed. The OECD has shown that to-date, there is an average of 1.6 hits per citizen per year in Europe (Accenture 2005) for national services like on-line tax returns, despite their uncontestable success. In comparison, frequency of usage for web services such as online banking and travel or leisure purchases vary from several times a month to several times a week and the same applies to services relating to citizens’ daily lives. The study shows a greater sensitivity for so-called ‘local’ services such as those involving society and health, finances and education, complemented by slightly less sensitivity for services involving transport and access to public leisure activities.

2. e-Government 2.0 – The era of ‘citizen-centric’ administration Consumerism has become a fundamental cultural fact, and the public sphere does not escape this. It is essential to deliver the right service to the right person at the right time, with as much pro-activity as possible. The service must be delivered to the consumer and not the other way around. This service is personal, the citizen-consumer is recognized and their past history means they walk away from the transaction knowing that the administration has an instant memory of their shared exchanges. Knowledge of the client and improvement in services requires better-adapted tools – that is to say marketing tools. More advanced countries have put together study groups that are representative of customer targets with test panels carried out before product launches. In terms of service distribution and customer education, it should be noted that consulting a website is a voluntary act: people must connect, type in the address or look for it using a search engine, and first and foremost, the site must come to mind. Pushing information – via email or GSM for example – reminds people of the existence of the site, increases site traffic, builds loyalty and above all, plays heavily on the site’s role as a source of information.

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3. Associating virtual and physical relationships – the path to e-Inclusion Citizen boutiques – making e-Government a physical and human reality It is necessary to prove to the citizen that virtual interaction brings real benefits and comforts. Some countries have pursued this multi-channel strategy to its very limits by associating eGovernment with a very dynamic local policy through Citizen Boutiques (Portugal), Public Service Houses (France, Spain), e-Government hypermarkets (Greece) and Local Service Offices (Finland). Thus, one can prove the physical reality of a single contact point to citizens. Indeed, a relationship based on learning and trust gets off to a better footing with face-to-face contact. It takes at least five years for a real cultural adaptation. And face-to-face is fully justified in local service and is a significant contributing factor to success. Internet access for all (including offers for equipment grants) is another factor in e-Inclusion. It should be noted that Estonia has included the right to free Internet access in its Constitution. 4. A paperless government Beyond the best service to citizens, a paperless government is becoming an interesting ambition to complement e-Government. (eRecht in Austria, the Council of Ministers in Estonia, Belgian social security, eGov Plan Phase II in Portugal etc.) Thus, Austria and Estonia are deliberately demonstrating a reduction in bureaucracy and a simplification of exchanges with the state at the highest levels as an attractiveness factor for their respective territories.

5. Security and Trust The user-friendliness of digital tools cannot justify any reduction in legal security that such exchanges need. That is why e-ID and strong identification are hot news, more now than ever. At stake in the digital transformation of our exchanges is the continuity of law whatever the media, in order for digital exchanges to enjoy the same legal security as physical ones. The EU directive from December 1999 fixed the framework. e-Government and the European i2010 program are included within this.

6. e-ID and traceability for e-Government success All analysis has demonstrated that e-ID is an essential element in the “Chain of Trust” which provides the framework for the security of digital exchanges. Through the fact it certifies the identity of the person carrying out the exchange and also protects access to citizens’ personal data, e-ID is an significant factor in the success of e-Government policy. Nonetheless, it emerges from the analysis of the ‘trust market’ that the real need underlying the growing demand for security is above all, to organize traceability and insurance against new risks, particularly those linked to digital exchanges the make up the backbone of the knowledge society. But to encourage support, traceability must obey a fundamental principal of ethics and of harmony: every new constraint is perceived as balanced if it is accompanied by or rewarded with new rights and/or sufficient benefits. Work done in many countries concerning the right to anonymity and efforts at encouraging transparency and giving back citizens the control over the use of their own electronic identity, along with the traces they generate are perfect examples of this (e.g. the Belgian ‘MyFile’ application).

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In particular, this highlights one of the obstacles that biometrics rollout has encountered in many countries, because this balance has not yet been found and the establishment of a central fingerprint database is still being met with stiff opposition. Protecting the citizen, education and communication are the main thrusts which should see the removal of these obstacles. 7. Transparency and MyFile-type applications The transparency of the e-Governmental machine, or of public management in its entirety, is obviously about reinforcing citizens’ trust in the Internet and helping them take the step towards e-Democracy for those who wish to move in this direction. Using a site such as ‘MyFile’, angled towards the citizen and where all access to the citizen’s personal data by public servants is held by name, with a request application and a demand for justification, and that is open to everybody, gives the feeling of benefiting from a new right, balancing out the notion of hyper-traceability which is often attributed to e-Government. But traceability is also about making public the debates and deliberations of national and local authorities. Estonia’s choice to broadcast online the adoption of every decision taken by the Council of Ministers just moments after the fact – excluding confidential documents regarding national security and diplomacy – is undoubtedly an innovative method which, in addition to saving time and avoiding bureaucracy, makes politicians seem resolutely modern and approachable. 8. Citizen protection and take-up Traceability in general and the constraints it entails in terms of individual liberty would appear to be a fair price for a win-win relationship for access to innovative services and their benefits, starting with e-Government services to improve citizens’ lives and businesses’ functioning. Experience shows that traceability is judged to be acceptable if:

• • •

The perception of its constraints is evaluated as minor compared to the received or hoped-for benefits (mobile telephony, bank card payments, transport, voting etc.), The practice is regulated by an effective ethical framework that guarantees its use and promotes positive individual and collective development, Means of transparency and privacy protection are provided to everyone in order to very easily facilitate the use of personal data and avert their misuse, fraud or unauthorized usage.

9. Participatory democracy At the origin of the obstacles and the apprehension during the early days of collaborative democracy, there was, a powerful cultural brake on progress in terms of the relationship between authority and collectivity. In fact, citizens have scarcely more reason to fear online voting than they do money transfers via electronic banks, or online tax declarations. Estonia’s experience with the country’s parliamentary elections in March 2007 offered an interesting method. A double procedure, where the secret vote in the polling booth acted as a back-up for anyone who felt their e-Vote was not correct is a very interesting idea. With this method, the e-Vote took place several days before the physical vote. Votes were, however, counted at the same time. In Estonia, citizens can watch sessions of the Council of Ministers live, they can modify legislation and vote from home, thanks to the Internet. This means more transparency in government decision-taking and greater interactivity leading to a better understanding of what people want. This same system applies to an increasing number of municipal councils in France.

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10. Interoperability, mutual differences and acceptance: trust comes first Interoperability is about creating a relationship of trust and a secure electronic dialogue between two structures in the same or in different countries. It covers the legal, organizational and semantic aspects as well as trust, security and technical frameworks. “For European interoperability, we must begin by mutually accepting each other’s systems and differences.” This phrase sums up where the success of a real interoperability strategy lies. The example of bilateral or multilateral collaboration between states demonstrates that this will exists and that it has already contributed to concrete successes (e-ID and e-Government between Belgium and Portugal, Austria and Slovenia, Estonia and Finland etc.) This was eloquently summed up by one Austrian official: “When we wish to interoperate with our European neighbors, it is not up to us to say whether the documents they deliver are of a quality that suits us when these documents are official and delivered to their citizens by legitimatelyelected public authorities. It is up to us to know how to read them and interpret the data they contain in order to securely access our e-Government platforms.” And one Belgian official adds: “We must, at all costs, avoid creating new digital barriers beyond the old frontiers”. Thus, some see e-Government and the efficiency of e-ID as a spearhead for the emergence of a truly social Europe where workers may circulate freely, protected by the interoperability of their social services, insurance and employer information. 11. Bank/state relationships for citizens Public or private payment? Just payment. The state of the banking market in different countries has a significant bearing on this relationship. Banks justifiably consider that the credit card identifies the client in their eyes, within a framework of trust widely accepted by the financial community. But in many countries, a constructive bank/state relationship has enabled a situation where the bank integrates its services onto e-ID and in exchange, becomes a local partner for distributing e-Government services. Some countries are examining the possibilities for bank ATMs to provide access for updating administrative documents and to be able to accept and read citizen cards.

Some countries are examining the possibilities for bank ATMs to provide access for updating administrative documents and to be able to accept and read citizen cards.

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12. Mobile phone or smart card? Starting with non-exclusive pocket media This debate is set to continue for a good few years yet, just like the debate over paper or electronic media. We know that the multiplication of different media only creates a marginal absorption effect during a very long first phase, and leads to increased flow. Finland (2005) and Estonia (2007) have thus announced their Citizen SIM Card programs including an ID certificate delivered by the state for identification using a mobile phone. The mobile phone is particularly popular in these states and the demand for mobile eServices is growing rapidly. Estonia already offers a service for parking payment by entering a code on a mobile telephone. The distribution of SIM cards with citizen certificates will eventually be standard across the country. In these countries, all mobile operators are gradually coordinating with the national population register and the police, to ensure citizen authentication and the distribution of SIM cards. A trial for e-ID certificates on SIM cards was launched in Austria in 2005. It emerged that the public authorities’ role is to deliver these ID certificates to citizens by offering them the widest possible choice of the different ways of they can be used. Whether they are on a banking card, a mobile telephone or a social security card, the citizen must have the right to select their preferred access method. Within this context, the public authorities’ mission is to guarantee that the access method and mode of implantation of the ID certificates they deliver is secure, cannot be falsified and protects the citizen from fraud.

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PART 1: OVERALL VIEW OF THE MARKET AND ITS CONTEXT PART 2: PRACTICAL VIEW OF EXPERIENCES AND APPLICATIONS PART 3: CONCLUSIONS

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CONCLUSIONS Lessons learnt from the most advanced countries • •

Benefits of and obstacles to the identity system based on smart cards Summary of European feedback and best practices

e-Government: a catalyst for modernization In the vast majority of countries, e-Government spearheads extensive modernization of public services and government bodies. It has been proven that a high level of digital equipment in households and businesses is an essential vector for prosperity and growth. The enhanced growth and well-being of these countries following their commitment to digital technology speaks for itself. Most States are determined to make themselves more attractive by promoting a fluid and modernized administration system, which may even be paperless, to serve citizens and those involved in social and economic affairs. As in all revolutions, the most flexible and resourceful are the first to reap the benefits of the transformation (Estonia, Malta, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, etc.). One of the major challenges faced when modernizing public services is taking account of the consumer culture prevalent in today’s society, which encourages citizens always to expect ever greater customization and tailoring of services to meet their complex needs. Another challenge is the “defragmentation” of government bodies by forging a single, crossdepartmental information management system, while protecting citizens’ confidential data or at least allowing them to control the use of such data. In order to determine the lessons to be learnt from the comparative analysis of trends and best practices, we shall consider the impact of current modernization on the following: 1. The State and Public Authorities 2. The security of the link between government bodies and their customers: e-ID 3. The service provided: e-Government 4. The reassertion of ethical principles and related values: e-Governance

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The State and Public Authorities: when the State becomes a Service Provider 1. The reversal of our relationship with the concept of the public interest tends to lead us to consider public authorities as a service provider to whom we have entrusted the task of managing our rights and protecting us from any risks, who in short has a tacit contractual obligation to meet our individual needs. 2. Nevertheless, the attachment to public sector services remains strong, as we consider them to be impartial and therefore more ethical than private-sector services. 3. It is not surprising that e-Government has been most successful in areas where public authorities have wholeheartedly embraced this cultural transformation, presenting themselves to the public as a service provider that has taken on-board the changes in mentality which are taking place in the western world in particular or, better still, giving citizens a say as to how this transformation manifests itself. 4. Those who have best “marketed” this cultural shift and positioned the public authorities as a service provider that is capable of driving and promoting change, rather than reluctantly enduring it, have achieved the most spectacular uptake. This is only the case if the positioning is accompanied by a significant effort in education and communication. 5. In short, and herein lies the ambiguity of modernization and its promotion, e-Government service providers should ideally: a. Demonstrate their capacity to provide a service that is as efficient, inventive and pioneering as private-sector service providers, in particular by using the best methods and tools from the private sector (IT, marketing, customer relations, payment, access, etc.) b. Maintain, but also emphasize, an image of authority, ethical, symbols and values and create a sense of community and guarantee social cohesion.

Estonian ID-card web page (fragment) – here in English – help, blog, success stories..

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6. This is why, in a majority of countries, e-Government has become a national challenge where citizens are invited to participate in the modernization process. The close attention paid by various countries, particularly in Europe, to the annual rankings assessing their progress is quite significant. 7. This self-assertion and rapid transformation from ‘passive’ to ‘active’ consumer bring about a second cultural transformation and lead to participatory government. The political ideas are driven by public demand. e-Democracy is in its infancy and will rapidly become a key cultural and societal trend. The most common example at present is electronic voting. However, Estonia’s interactive Council of Ministers on the Internet will not remain an isolated case for long. e-ID: from Identity to Electronic Identification In its broadest sense, identity is first and foremost a complex cultural and patronymic link. Different languages, spelling variations and the variety of possible patronymic forms make its management complex. Identity is an intimate link loaded with cultural significance. It goes beyond what defines us as unique. It may carry with it a history of patronymic names – which can be multiple; particularly in southern Europe – and can often cause difficulties for modern, automated information systems. At a time when differences are emphasized and valued, individuals naturally want to preserve the multiple roots of their identity in the various dimensions of their current or past private lives. Identity is also a key to access the electronic form of personal files. Identification is used so that systems can authenticate citizens’ identity. It enables the management of the authorizations granted to identified users, according to who they are, what their role is and what mandates and rights they have in relation to their specific request. It opens the doors to the digital world and is the key to a citizen's personal filing cabinet where files entrusted to the State are kept. In order to avoid any confusion, an electronic signature is used to indicate approval of electronic documents. It also ensures the document cannot be tampered with and retains its integrity. Authentication, signature and filing are essential features of any digital system, ensuring validity, legal security, fraud prevention and protection of the privacy of citizens. But, let us have no illusions about it, this century is that of traceability, the price for an open world in which opportunities are increasing exponentially, but so are risks. Some States have preferred multi-service and multi-identifier identification titles. When communication between users is vital for the service that we require, we need to be able to trace communications in a transparent manner to make sure there is no abuse. It is not by chance that the “My file” sites used in Belgium are so successful, as they show all the uses made of personal data by government bodies, thus offering maximum transparency and engendering trust. e-ID is one of the keys to e-Government. As e-ID is a central element in building trust and protecting citizens with respect to the digital management of their files, it is not surprising that e-Government is most successful in countries that have organized widespread use of an electronic identification system run by the State.

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e-Government: the Front Office of a “service-oriented” State If we had to attempt to define it, we would say that it is the Front Office for the “Government-toCitizen” service provider whose ultimate purpose is to contribute to the optimum efficiency of a continuing positive relationship between these two parties. At the end of football world cups, it is customary to name a "dream team" of the best players on the planet. If we were to have a similar approach for e-Government, compiling all the best practices observed, the ideal site would: For the Individual/Citizen

• •

•

•

Organize and facilitate learning. For example, in Estonia, e-Government is currently included in the civic education of young people at school, Promote the service, facilitate information gathering and knowledge, organize communication in the same way modern private-sector service providers manage their customer relations. In Belgium, websites, brochures, ideas contests, radio adverts, 24/7 help lines and local coordination have all been used, Organize access to and presentation of the site on the basis of needs, with an access by end-use and by rights field. (Virtual one-stop shop but also real eGov store). The State’s back office has its own structure, but this must be hidden from now on. When we order a car, the manufacturer does not tell us about the difficulty involved in swapping parts from one production centre to another. This is normal. It is the same for government bodies, Coordinate and pool information to ensure accessibility and responsiveness, and meet the demand for real-time services which is currently becoming widespread. Offer the possibility of face-to-face communication as well as electronic services in the interests of promoting e-Inclusion and solidarity with the most disadvantaged.

For government bodies

•

• • • •

Drastically reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, undertake necessary reengineering work, ensure interoperability of processes and migrate from a paper-based culture to an electronic culture: …this may represent something of a revolution, but it is a necessary transition, Prioritize the need for transparency, whose effect on uptake and success is proven and undeniable, Emphasizing the protection of individuals’ privacy and personal data is essential to obtain their trust and ensure the success of e-Government. The use of e-ID, essential if this challenge is to be met, must be designed with this approach in mind, Using banks as partners for payment and including them in the Network of Trust as vectors for the promotion of e-Government accelerates the implementation process, Using as many local and proximity applications as possible to promote the daily use of eID – a gateway to e-Government – will boost uptake. Cooperation between States and local authorities enables the emergence of local authorities to be emphasized as well as their contribution to e-Government on a national scale.

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e-Governance: placing people’s well-being above everything else Governance is the qualitative dimension of e-Government management. It is a major factor in e-Government communication. High quality objectives, if extensively promoted and broadcast, may also have a positive impact on uptake and help to build trust in eGovernment. The areas addressed, in the form of a charter or indirectly through the very nature and priorities of the applications used will enable the following aspects to be emphasized: • Culture and ethics • Legal security, as an essential human right • Transparency as a proof of trust • Secure services. Concerning the dematerialization of legal acts, compliance with legal provisions must be promoted or emphasized so that this secondary but potentially difficult question is not at the heart of the debate. Only the nature and form of benefits to the customer are central. The rest is a question of equipment and logistics. In short, citizens simply want an efficient, transparent and protective state. Estonia’s decision to become the world champion in protecting citizens' privacy is as much a product of its history as of the awesome efficiency with which cross-departmental information is organized. It can therefore be shown that efficiency – regardless of scale – can serve human development. Some argue that the Estonian case is simply a convenient justification of our argument. It is nonetheless a shining example. *****

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Appendix A

Main eGovernment services in:

•

Austria

•

Belgium

•

Estonia

•

Finland

•

Portugal

•

Sweden

•

France

Levels 1 and 2 – On-line information and access to download a form Level 3 – Interaction with the site: downloading and sending a form on-line Level 4 – Bilateral interaction with possible payment and authentication of the user

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e-Government in Austria at-a-glance

Level

Public services for citizens

1 2

Comments

3 4

1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

X https://finanzonline.bmf.gv.at/

2.

Job search through Employment Offices

X

3.

Social security (at least 3 of the following services) Unemployment benefits Family allowances Reimbursement of medical costs

X http://www.ams.or.at/ - downloadable forms X https://finanzonline.bmf.gv.at/ Third party payer with the e-Card

Student cover and insurances

A

N A

Compiling and posting CVs, searching on-line Contact portals - chats between companies and candidates

X http://www.stipendium.at/ - Interactive Service

4.

Official documents (Passport – Driving license)

X

X

http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/2/Seite.020000.html Driving license issued automatically - Smart Card after exam

5.

Vehicle registration (new, used, imported)

N

A

Service provided automatically by insurers and dealers

6.

Building permit

X

7. 8.

Police declaration and complaints (theft – breakin) Library and documentary resources search

X

9.

Issue of life events certificates

http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/226/Seite.2260000.html

X X

10. Registration for higher education - Universities

Public services for businesses

X N

4.

Payment of social contributions Tax returns - Notifications and payment VAT - Notifications and payment Setting-up a business on-line

5.

Submitting official statistics

6.

Customs declarations

7.

Permits and Authorizations relating to the Environment

8.

Public procurement

http://www.statistik.at/adress-gwr-online/start.shtml

A

Level 1 2

1. 2. 3.

Service now on-line – uses on-line electronic signature X Universities are responsible for the service

11. Changes of address 12. Healthcare services – appointments and medical data

http://www.polizei.gv.at/ X http://www.bibliotheken.at/

Comments

3 4 X http://www.elda.at/ X https://finanzonline.bmf.gv.at/ X https://finanzonline.bmf.gv.at/ One-stop shop developed with Chambers of Commerce X X

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http://www.statistik.at/ http://www.pawa.bmwa.gv.at/ - integral part of the X "paperless government” program X https://www.e-shop.gv.at/e%2Dshop/ - public X procurement portal, undergoing tests since 2003.

e-Government in Belgium at-a-glance Public Services for Citizens

1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

2.

Job search through Employment Offices

3.

Social security (at least 3 of the following services)

Level 1 3 4 2

X http://www.taxonweb.be/ X

Possibility of drafting – posting CVs and searching for jobs on-line

Family allowances Reimbursement of medical costs

X

http://www.kszbcss.fgov.be Initial registration is face to face – forms may be downloaded Automatic Third party payer with the SIS card

Student cover and insurances

X

Downloadable benefits forms

X

http://www.diplomatie.be/fr/travel/passports.asp http://www.mobilit.fgov.be/fr/route/Permis/permcond.htm Information service – documents processed by local authorities -

Unemployment benefits

4.

Official documents (Passport – Driving license)

5.

Vehicle registration (new, used, imported)

6.

Building permit

7. 8.

Police declaration and complaints (theft – breakin) Library and documentary resources search

9.

Issue of life events certificates

10. Registration for higher education - Universities

X

N A N A X

12. Healthcare services – appointments and medical data

Public Services for businesses

Payment of social contributions

2.

Tax returns – Notifications and payment

3. 4.

VAT - Notifications and payment Setting-up a business on-line

5.

Submitting official statistics

6.

Customs declarations

7.

Permits and Authorizations relating to the Environment

x

On-line complaints monitoring will be implemented in 2007

X

Regional Service Complete on-line service tested in the Brussels Region - 5 X local authorities out of 19

X

For information only X

Relating to e-ID and the issuing local authority http://www.health.fgov.be/ - in progress - In 2004 the Government gave the green light for an on-line health service for patients, professionals and government.

X

Level 1 2

1.

Service automatically delivered by insurers and dealers Decentralized and local service

X

11. Changes of address

8.

Comments

Comments

3 4 X https://www.socialsecurity.be/ http://www.minfin.fgov.be/ including uploading of forms X with electronic signature X Another EdiVAT service enables uploading with EDI One-stop shop developed with support from the Chambers X of Commerce X X

In 2007 replacement by a “paperless customs” service. Electronic declaration mandatory from 2008

X A major program for the development of a federal X

Public procurement

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portal of offers and responses to public procurement requests

was launched, under the supervision of the inter-ministerial federal steering committee for public procurement

e-Government in Estonia at-a-glance

Public services for citizens

Level 1 2

3

Comments 4

1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

X http://www.emta.ee/

2.

Job search through Employment Offices

X

3.

Social security (at least 3 of the following services)

http://www.tootukassa.ee/ Compiling and posting CVs and searching on-line

Unemployment benefits

X http://www.tootukassa.ee/ - downloadable forms

Family allowances

X http://www.eesti.ee/

Reimbursement of medical costs

X http://www.eesti.ee/ - Third party payment based on contract

Student cover and insurances

4.

Official documents (passport – driving license)

5.

Vehicle registration (new, used, imported)

6.

Building permit

7.

Police declaration and complaints (theft- break-in)

8.

Library and documentary resources search

9.

Issue of life events certificates

X

http://www.hm.ee/ - information service

Certificates issued face-to-face http://www.eesti.ee X

http://www.pol.ee/ X http://helios.nlib.ee/

X

For information only - http://www.eesti.ee X

11. Changes of address

Public services for businesses

must be issued face-to-face

X X

10. Registration fro higher education - Universities

12. Healthcare services – appointments and medical data

http://www.mig.ee/ Passports and Driving licenses

X

X

N

Entirely interactive system with on-line instructions and decision - requires identification using e-ID http://w3.andmevara.ee/index.php?lang=rar

A

Level 1 2

3

Comments 4

1.

Payment of social contributions

X

http://www.emta.ee/

2.

Tax returns – Notifications and payment

X

http://www.emta.ee/

3.

VAT - Notifications and payment

X

http://www.emta.ee/

4.

Setting-up a business on-line

X

5.

Submitting official statistics

6.

Customs declarations

X

7.

Permits and Authorizations relating to the Environment

X

8.

Public procurement

X

X

One-stop-shop developed with support from the Ministry for Justice http://www.stat.ee/

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http://klis.envir.ee/ http://register.rha.gov.ee/ - Since 2001 – A national portal for the publication of public request for quotes

e-Government in Finland at-a-glance

Level

Public services for citizens

1 2

3

Comments 4

1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

X http://www.vero.fi/

2.

Job search through Employment Offices

X

3.

Social security (at least 3 of the following services) Unemployment benefits Family allowances Reimbursement of medical costs

searching on-line - Identification using password or e-ID

X http://www.kela.fi/ - Transaction Service N

A

http://www.kela.fi/ - Automatic Service http://www.kela.fi/ - Service without Third Party payment - request

X

for reimbursement X

Student cover and insurances

4.

Official documents (passport – driving license)

X

5.

Vehicle registration (new, used, imported)

N

6.

Building permit

X

7.

Police declaration and complaints (theft- break-in)

8.

Library and documentary resources search

9.

Issue of life events certificates

X http://www.kela.fi/ - Service for information only http://www.poliisi.fi/ Passports and Driving licenses must be issued face-to-face Declarations made by insurances

A

Local or Regional Applications X

http://www.poliisi.fi/ X http://www.kirjastot.fi/

X

National register related service http://www.oph.fi/ - Interactive system- but X especially for information

10. Registration fro higher education - Universities 11. Changes of address

12. Healthcare services – appointments and medical data

http://www.mol.fi/ Compiling and posting CVs and

X

http://www.muuttoilmoitus.fi/

X

Information for Services and Regulations

Level

Public services for businesses

1 2

3

Comments 4

1.

Payment of social contributions

X

http://www.vero.fi/

2.

Tax returns – Notifications and payment

X

http://www.vero.fi/

3.

VAT - Notifications and payment

X

http://www.vero.fi/

4.

Setting-up a business on-line

5.

Submitting official statistics

6.

Customs declarations

7.

Permits and Authorizations relating to the Environment

X

8.

Public procurement

X

http://www.ytj.fi/ - Information and downloadable forms

X X

http://www.stat.fi/ X

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hhttp://www.tulli.fi/ http://www.ymparisto.fi/ - Information http://www.hansel.fi/ - Government agency that provides e-Procurement

e-Government in Portugal at-a-glance

Level

Public services for citizens

1 2

Comments

3 4 http://www.e-financas.gov.pt/ - on-line declaration pre-completed by tax department

1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

X

2.

Job search through Employment Offices Social security (at least 3 of the following services) Unemployment benefits Family allowances Reimbursement of medical costs Student cover and insurances

X http://www.iefp.pt/

3.

X N A X

4.

Official documents (passport – driving license)

X

5. 6. 7.

Vehicle registration (new, used, imported) Building permit Police declaration and complaints (theft- break-in)

X X X

8.

Library and documentary resources search

9.

Issue of life events certificates

A

X X

10. Registration fro higher education - Universities 11. Changes of address

X

12. Healthcare services – appointments and medical data

X

Public services for businesses

1. 2. 3.

Payment of social contributions Tax returns – Notifications and payment VAT - Notifications and payment

4.

Setting-up a business on-line

5. 6. 7.

Submitting official statistics Customs declarations Permits and Authorizations relating to the Environmnent

8.

Public procurement

X http://www.seg-social.pt/ - downloadable forms http://www.seg-social.pt/ - Information and forms Free Service in Public Centres http://www.asocialensinosuperior.pt/ - Forms and Interactive simulations for choice of guarantee http://www.portaldocidadao.pt/ - on-line request possible For the license, form downloading site

On-line service – Request for extracts http://www.acessoensinosuperior.pt/ - Acceptance X Simulators by University http://www.portaldocidadao.pt/ - Form - Physical signature required http://www.portaldocidadao.pt/ - Information

Level 1 2

Comments

3 4

X X

http://www.dgrn.mj.pt/autom/infoauto.asp http://www.portaldocidadao.pt/ - Information http://www.psp.pt/ Information http://www.porbase.org/ - 160 libraries in the area

X http://www.seg-social.pt/ X http://www.e-financas.gov.pt/ X http://www.e-financas.gov.pt/ http://www.cfe.iapmei.pt/ one-stop-shop - Centre for X Business Formalities http://www.ine.pt/ X http://www.e-financas.gov.pt/de/jsp-dgaiec/main.jsp http://www.iambiente.pt/ http://www.compras.gov.pt/ - Government portal program X launched in 2005 - Information Transaction in the near future

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e-Government in Sweden at-a-glance Level

Public services for citizens

1 2 1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

2.

Job search through Employment Offices

3.

Social security (at least 3 of the following services) Unemployment benefits Family allowances Reimbursement of medical costs Student cover and insurances

3 4 http://www.skatteverket.se/ - on-line declaration preX completed by the tax department- confirmation and payment possible by telephone

N A NA A X

Official documents (passport – driving license)

5.

Vehicle registration (new, used, imported)

6.

Building permit

X

7.

Police declaration and complaints (theft- break-in)

X

8.

Library and documentary resources search

9.

Issue of life events certificates

X

X

10. Registration fro higher education - Universities 11. Changes of address

X N

1 2 Payment of social contributions Tax returns – Notifications and payment VAT - Notifications and payment

4.

Setting-up a business on-line

5. 6.

Submitting official statistics Customs declarations

7.

Permits and Authorizations relating to the Environment

8.

Public procurement

X http://www.samorg.org/ - downloadable forms Automatic payment from birth Third party payment – no measures necessary http://www.csn.se/ - Forms and Info – Interactive site being launched http://www.polisen.se/ - Information - License: http://www.vv.se/ - e-DL under study X http://www.vv.se/ http://www.skl.se/lopsedelbanner.asp?C=24 - Information and Local http://www.polisen.se/- on-line declarations http://www.bibliotek.se/ - search tool including all X libraries http://www.skatteverket.se/ - on-line birth certificates using e-ID http://www.vhs.se/ - national coordination and X Interactive portal http://www.adressandring.se/ - Service offered by the Swedish post office Decentralized service – some regional sites have on-line services

A

Level

Public services for businesses

1. 2. 3.

http://www.ams.se/

X

4.

12. Healthcare services – appointments and medical data

Comments

Comments

3 4

X X

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X http://www.skatteverket.se/ X http://www.skatteverket.se/ X http://www.skatteverket.se/ https://www.foretagsregistrering.se/ one-stop-shop- the X forms must be completed and signed using e-ID http://www.scb.se/ X http://www.tullverket.se/ http://www.skl.se/lopsedelbanner.asp?C=24 downloadable forms http://www.avropa.nu/ - a government portal exists X but the service is increasingly provided by private operators specializing in public procurement

e-Government in France at a glance Level

Public Services to the Citizen

1 2

3

Comments 4

1.

Income tax, declaration and payment

http://www.impots.gouv.fr/ - online declaration X pre-completed by the Tax Service - signature by software certificate provided

2.

Job searches through Employment Offices

X http://www.anpe.fr/

3.

Social Security (at least three of the following services) Unemployment benefit Family allowances

X http://www.assedic.fr/ - situation managed online X http://www.caf.fr/ http://www.ameli.fr/, X https://www.administration24h24.gouv.fr/ - Third Party Payment – with the SESAM Vitale card

Reimbursement of medical costs

http://www.cnous.fr/, X https://www.administration24h24.gouv.fr/- Forms and Info - Some interactive applications

Student coverage and insurance

4.

Official Documents (Passport – Driver's license)

5.

Vehicle Declaration (New, used & imported)

6.

Building Permit

7.

Police declarations and claims (Theft - burglary)

8.

Research in libraries and documentary databases

9.

Issue of certificates of life events

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/

X

X X

X http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/ http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/ - Forms to download http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/; https://www.administration24h24.gouv.fr/ - Forms and Information. Physical submission http://www.culture.fr/; http://www.bnf.fr/; http://www.bpi.fr/ X Search tool provided - Reservations and requests for copies

X

https://www.administration24h24.gouv.fr/; https://www.acte-naissance.fr/DemandeActe/Accueil.do Online birth certificates – marriage and death certificates soon

10. Registration for further education - Universities

X

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/ - RAVEL Service - OCAPI or RACINE to make registration requests

11. Changes of address

X

https://www.administration24h24.gouv.fr/; http://www.changement-adresse.gouv.fr/ - With dispatching Great success: 200,000 in the first year (2005)

Healthcare Services - Appointments and medical 12. information

http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/N17.xhtml?, http://www.platines.sante.gouv.fr/

X

Level

Public Services to Business

1 2

3

1. 2. 3.

Payment of Social Contributions Tax Declarations - Notification and Payment VAT - Notification and Payment

4.

Online business start-up

X

5. 6. 7.

Submission of official statistical data Customs Declarations Permits and Authorizations linked to the Environment

X

8.

Public Purchases

X

Comments 4 X http://www.net-entreprises.fr/ X http://www.impots.gouv.fr/ X http://tva.dgi.minefi.gouv.fr/ http://www.cfenet.cci.fr/ - Chambers of Commerce - There are other private online networks for formalities http://www.sessi.fr/ X http://www.douane.gouv.fr/ http://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/ http://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/ - Mandatory above a X a given threshold since 1 January 2005 – Several regional platforms like e-Bourgogne or town sites

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Bibliography Danilo MARTUCCELLI , Grammaire de l’Individu – Ed. Gallimard 2002 – Folio Essais François DUBET, Danilo MARTUCCELLI , Dans Quelle Société Vivons Nous – Ed. SEUIL – Collection l’Epreuve des Faits 1998 G. LE CRADINAL, J-F. GUYONNET, B. POUZOULLIC , La Dynamique de la Confiance – Ed . DUNOD –1997 R. LAUFER, M ORILLARD, Logiques Sociales 2000

La Confiance en Question – Ed. L’Harmattan – Collection

Agnès BRADIER , Deputy Head of the e-Government UNIT, EC - DG Infso & Media , Le Gouvernement Electronique : Une Priorité Européenne – Ed. de l’ENA – Revue Française d’Administration Publique N° 110, 2004, pp 337-348 Peter VANVELTHOVEN , State Secretary for State Computerization, Belgium, and Jan de Prest - Note de Politique Générale 200 7, Belgium computerization ICT General Policy 2007 Viviane REDING , EC Member in charge of Information Society & Media, E-Government 2010 : Citizens and Business first Ed EUROSPACE S.R.L. 2006 Youval ECHED – Cabinet YeMA CONSULTANTS, Un internet de confiance pour l’administration électronique, Ed. Cahiers Stratégiques de l’AFNOR - ENJEUX N° 241 – février 2004, pp 40 – 43 OECD iGovernment Working papers series and Richard HEEKS, Benchmarking eGovernment: Improving the National and International Measurement, Evaluation and Comparison – Ed. University of Manchester Institute for Development Policy and Management, 2006 Etude EC i2010, CAP Gemini, Online Availability of Public Services: How Is Europe Progressing? 6th Measurement, DG INFOS & MEDIA - Ed EUROSTAT - innore_cgey http : //europa.eu.int/information_societey/eeurope/2005/all_about/benchmarking/index_en.htm Etude EC i2010, CAP Gemini, The User Challenge Benchmarking The Supply of Online Public Services : 7th Measurement September 2007 - DG INFOS & MEDIA. Transatlantic Secure Collaboration Program, http://www.tscp.org. Wikipédia – item Data Security, http:// fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sécurité_des_données Base de Données Eurostat - Eurostat/UNECE demographic projections · Eurostat 2007 – www.ec.europa.eu/eurostat Agence Wallonne de Télécommunication, Atelier de Sensibilisation à la sécurité en Région wallonne - 12 février 2007 European Project MODINIS, Status of Identity Management in European eGovernment Initiatives Report IIR 1, EC DG Infso et Media 6 june 2006 EC DG INFSO & MEDIA, Ralf Cimander (Ifib Germany), Andreas Aarma (SK, Estonia), eGovernment, Interoperability at Local and Regional Level, e-Id in Estonia, Good Practice Case, 17 october 2006

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www.gemalto.com

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