Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA)
Date: 2008-09-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, electronic government, public administration, telematics, transmission network

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 29.9.2008 
COM(2008) 583 final 

2008/0185(COD) 

Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA) 

(presented by the Commission) 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

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CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

•  Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 

In  today's  Europe  citizens  are  free  to  work  and  re-locate  within  the  Union  and 
enterprises  free  to  trade  and  carry  out  business  across  the  Union.  When  they  do  this, 
they  frequently  have  to  interact  with  Member  States'  administrations,  which  they 
increasingly do electronically. To facilitate the electronic interaction with citizens and 
enterprises,  Member  States  have  gradually 
their  administrations, 
improving  their  business  processes  and  the  way  they  interact  with  citizens  and 
enterprises,  thereby  mostly  reducing  the  administrative  burden  and  costs  while 
increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the public services. 

transformed 

However,  there  is  a  high  risk  that  electronic  barriers  ("e-barriers")  will  emerge  from 
this transformation due to its national dimension and due to lack of interoperability at 
European  level  so  that  citizens  and  enterprises  are  not  able  to  interact  electronically 
with a national administration other than their own with the same ease as local citizens 
and enterprises. This could impede the good functioning of the internal market and the 
associated  freedoms  of  movement  with  negative  effects  on  the  openness  and 
competitiveness of markets and the mobility across borders as well as have impact on 
the  delivery  of  some  services  of  general  interest  to  citizens  and  enterprises,  whether 
economic or non-economic. 

At  the  same  time  the  challenges  facing  Europe  today  increasingly  require  common 
policy  responses  and  consequently  require  Member  States  to  join  forces  as  far  as  the 
implementation of such common policy responses is concerned. The implementation of 
a  broad  range  of  legislative  acts  is,  in  fact,  the  shared  responsibility  of  the  Member 
States  and  the  European  Commission  and  requires  interactions  across  borders  and 
sectors  by  means  of  Information  and  Communication  Technologies  (ICT)  which  is 
today an integral part of most legislative acts and a key instrument for the interaction 
between administrations. 

Member  States  and  the  Commission  need  to  strengthen  their  efforts  to  achieve 
interoperability  between  national  and  Community  ICT  solutions,  promote  commonly 
agreed  solutions  and  avoid  path  dependency  with  a  view  to  ensuring  efficient  and 
effective  interactions  between  European  public  administrations  in  support  of  the 
delivery  of  electronic  public  services  and  the  implementation  of  Community  policies 
and activities. 

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•  General context 

The  programme  on  interoperable  delivery  of  pan-European  eGovernment  services  to 
administrations, businesses and citizens1 (IDABC programme) has, as its  predecessor 

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L 144, 30.4.2004, as corrected in OJ L181, 18.5.2004, p. 25. 

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programme  on  interchange  of  data  between  administrations2  (IDA  programme),  been 
instrumental to achieve a steady progress in the co-operation between the Commission 
and Member States administrations. The IDA and IDABC programmes have provided 
a forum for exchange of ideas and experience, and have lent support to the execution of 
Community  policies  through  sectoral  projects  leading  to  the  establishment  of  a  wide 
portfolio  of  operational  trans-European  networks  and  services  in  traditional  policy 
areas such as agriculture, fisheries, employment, as well as in newer policy areas such 
as  home  and  justice  affairs,  communicable  diseases  and  health  and  consumer 
protection.  

Finally, the IDA and IDABC programmes have been providing administrative sectors 
and Member States with infrastructure services, i.e. frameworks, common services and 
generic tools, such as a communication platform known as sTESTA and characterised 
by a high level of security and availability, and several complementary tools aiming at 
achieving  interoperability  between  the  back-office  administrative  systems  and 
processes, as well as between back- and front-office services. In doing so, the IDA and 
IDABC  programmes  have  demonstrated  that  they  have  been  able  to  add  value  to  the 
exchange of information between administrative sectors compared to what could have 
been obtained from a separate and uncoordinated project approach. Capitalizing on the 
progress  of  existing  initiatives,  also  in  the  Member  States,  the  programmes  have 
demonstrated  that  a  co-ordinated  approach  can  contribute  to  delivering  results  faster, 
with higher quality and meeting business requirements, by means of first and foremost 
frameworks, generic services and common tools developed as infrastructure services in 
cooperation with the Member States. 

The IDABC programme comes to an end on 31 December 2009. The Commission now 
proposes  a  follow-on  programme  on  interoperability  solutions  for  European  public 
administrations  (ISA  programme)  focusing  on  back-office  solutions  supporting  the 
interaction  between  European  public  administrations  and  the  implementation  of 
Community policies and activities. The ISA programme will contribute to meeting the 
challenges and ensuring continuity while providing a forum for exchange of ideas and 
experience.  

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•  Existing provisions in the area of the proposal 

In the same way as the IDABC programme and the ICT Policy Support Programme of 
the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  framework  Programme3  (ICT  PSP  programme) 
presently complement each other in relation to a number of activities, with inter alia the 
ICT  PSP  programme  launching  pilot  actions  and  the  IDABC  programme  delivering 
input in support of the pilot actions, the ISA programme with its narrower focus will 
supplement  the  ICT  PSP  programme  in  certain  areas,  providing  input  as  well  as  a 
framework for industrialising and operating results achieved through the ICT PSP pilot 
projects. This complementarity will allow for synergies between the two programmes. 

The  ICT  PSP  programme  supports  mainly  pilot  actions  to  show  and  validate  the 

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OJ  L  203,  3.8.1999,  p.  1.  Decision  as  last  amended  by  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  885/2004  (OJ  L 
168, 1.5.2004, p. 1). OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 9. Decision as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 
885/2004. 
OJ L 310, 9.11.2006, p. 15. 

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importance  of  ICT  solutions  in  real  settings,  both  pilot  actions  addressing  innovative 
solutions or replication of best practices and pilot actions building on Member States 
ongoing initiatives. The ICT PSP programme does not support the implementation of 
solutions,  which  might  require  an  EU  layer.  This  layer  can  be  supported  by  the  ISA 
programme  which  endeavours  to  establish  common  operational  and  reusable  ICT 
solutions  which  respond  to  generic  needs  expressed  by  administrative  sectors  and 
Member States.  

In addition, the ISA and ICT PSP programmes contribute to different objectives with 
different  timelines  and  use  different  funding  mechanisms.  While  the  ICT  PSP  uses  a 
co-funding  mechanism  based  on  calls  for  proposals,  for  piloting  and  developing 
common  specifications,  the  ISA  programme  uses  a  fully  funded  mechanism  via  calls 
for tenders based on full and complete specifications for final implementation. 

Consequently,  the  ISA  programme  basically  acquires  final  products  whose  technical 
characteristics  are  known  from  the  beginning,  whereas  the  ICT  PSP  programme 
acquires  potential  results  via  projects  defining  the  characteristics  themselves.  As  a 
matter of fact, the ISA programme aims at supporting the implementation of solutions 
whereas the ICT PSP programme aims at identifying potential solutions. 

The  ISA  programme  will  maintain  the  IDABC  programme's  strong  focus  on 
organisational  governance  and  interactive  establishment  of  solutions  with  the  support 
of expert groups, to ensure close coordination, cooperation and dialogue with Member 
States  and  sectors  on  work  programme  actions.  Whenever  appropriate,  cross-
programme expert groups will be established as a platform for exchanging views and 
ensuring complementarity between the two programmes.  

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•  Consistency with the other policies and objectives of the Union 

Through facilitating the interaction between European public administrations, both by 
means  of  delivering  common  and  shared  services  and  tools  and  promoting 
interoperability,  the  ISA  programme  contributes  to  the  reinforcement  of  the  internal 
market  by  encountering  the  emergence  of  e-barriers  that  may  hamper  the  good 
functioning of the internal market. 

By  the  same  means,  the  ISA  programme  contributes  generally  to  ensuring  a  smooth 
implementation  of  Community  policies  and  initiatives  that  in  most  cases  imply  ICT 
support and often also the exchange of information across borders and/or sectors. 

In the same way as the IDABC programme is contributing to the implementation of the 
i2010 initiative and the related i2010 Action Plan, the ISA programme will contribute 
to implementing any follow-on initiative. 

Consequently, the ISA programme is not only consistent with existing policies but also 
highly  relevant  for  their  implementation,  achieving  considerable  synergies  through 
coordination across sectors and borders. 

2. 

CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

•  Consultation of interested parties 

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Consultation methods, main sectors targeted and general profile of respondents 

On  the  basis  of  a  discussion  paper  prepared  by  the  Commission  for  the  second 
exchange of views on a follow-on programme with the Member States as represented 
in  the  IDABC  management  committee,  the  Commission  prepared  a  paper  which  was 
presented at the IDABC mid-term conference in Slovenia on 12 and 13 February 2008 
and  discussed  with  the  IDABC  management  committee  in  March  2008.  Taking  due 
account  of  further  input  received  at  these  occasions,  the  Commission  launched  an  ex 
ante  evaluation,  comprising  desk  research,  pilot  interviews,  a  survey  of  the  Member 
States  and  workshops/working  sessions,  while  initiating  a  formal  stakeholder 
consultation  with  a  view  to  ensuring  that  programme  objectives  and  activities  would 
take due account of needs expressed.  

As  the  ISA  programme  is  focusing  on  interactions  between  European  public 
administrations,  the  formal  consultation  was  limited  to  the  Member  States  that  each 
was  requested  to  provide  only  one  reply  to  the  questionnaire.  The  consultation  was 
conducted  over  the  internet  from  30  April  to  20  June  2008.  26  Member  States 
responded to the consultation.  

The results of the consultation as well as the ex ante evaluation report are available on 
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7706. 

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Summary of responses and how they have been taken into account 

25  Member  States  see  a  significant  or  clear  need  for  the  establishment  and 
improvement of common frameworks. One sees no need. 

25  Member  States  see  a  significant  or  clear  need  for  supporting  and  promoting  the 
assessment of ICT implications of proposed or adopted Community legislation as well 
as the planning of the implementation of ICT systems. One sees a slight need.  

22  Member  States  see  a  significant  or  clear  need  for  supporting  and  promoting  the 
operation  and  improvement  of  existing  common  services  established  under  the  IDA 
and  IDABC  programmes  and  similar  initiatives  as  well  as  the  establishment, 
industrialisation,  operation  and  improvement  of  new  common  services  in  response  to 
new needs and requirements. Three see a slight need and one sees no need. 

22  Member  States  see  a  significant  or  clear  need  for  supporting  and  promoting  the 
improvement of existing generic tools developed under the IDA/IDABC programmes 
and similar initiatives as well as the establishment, provision and improvement of new 
generic  tools  in  response  to  new  needs  and  requirements.  Two  see  a  slight  need  and 
two no need. 

25  Member  States  see  a  significant  or  clear  need  for  accompanying  measures 
supporting other activities, whenever appropriate. One sees no need. 

23  Member  States  agree  or  mostly  agree  that  the  activities  specified  above  (and  in 
Article  3  and  5(4)  of  the  proposed  Decision)  cover  the  needs  expressed  by  Member 
States. Three have no opinion. 

25 Member States agree or mostly agree that the objective as specified in Article 1(2) 

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of the proposed Decision cover all activities specified above (and in Article 3 and 5(4) 
of the proposed Decision). One disagrees. 

25 Member States agree or mostly agree that there is a need for an IDABC follow-on 
programme  with  the  objective  specified  in  Article  1(2)  and  covering  the  activities 
identified in Article 3 and 5(4). One disagrees. 

Consequently, the needs expressed by Member States have been translated successfully 
into  activities  covered  by  the  overall  objective  of  a  follow-on  programme  that  is 
needed. 

•  Collection and use of expertise 

There was no need for external expertise. 

•  Impact assessment 

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the  effective  and  efficient 

If the Community would not launch the ISA programme, existing solutions offered in 
support  of 
interaction  between  European  public 
administrations would no longer be sustained, including solutions such as the European 
Interoperability Framework and sTESTA, without which the smooth functioning of, for 
instance, the Schengen agreement, the Visa Information System and other activities in 
the  area  of  justice,  liberty  and  security  would  be  endangered.  Furthermore,  the 
proliferation  of  disparate  solutions  could  inadvertently  increase  and  result  in  the 
erection  of  e-barriers  which  could  impede  the  smooth  functioning  of  the  internal 
market  and  the  associated  freedoms  of  movement.  Likewise  the  establishment  and 
operation  of  new  solutions,  whether  common  frameworks,  generic  tools  or  common 
services, would no longer contribute to ensuring an efficient and effective exchange of 
data  between  European  public  administrations.  With  no  new  programme,  far  fewer 
Community initiatives in support of interoperability at European level would be taken. 

Based  upon  these  considerations  as  well  as  the  challenges  and  needs  identified,  the 
option of not taking any action was discarded of and the option of proposing the ISA 
programme selected. 

By launching the ISA programme, the Community will make an important contribution 
to ensuring smooth interactions between European public administrations to the direct 
benefit  of  the  Member  States  and  the  Community  as  such  as  well  as  to  the  indirect 
benefit of businesses and citizens as final beneficiaries. 

The options of creating an agency was discarded of as the size of the programme would 
not reach a critical mass justifying the overheads and as the continuity of actions could 
not be ensured due to the time required for agreeing and setting up an agency. 

The option of integrating the programme in the CIP ICT PSP was discarded of due to 
differences  in  objectives,  focus,  location  of  actions  in  the  development/production 
chain, the timelines and funding mechanisms. 

The programme will add financial value to the Community intervention by establishing 
common  and  reusable  solutions  allowing  Member  States  and  sectors  to  avoid 
duplication  of  efforts.  Furthermore,  reusable  solutions  will  allow  economies  of  scale. 

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3. 

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The programme will add economic value by supporting the proper functioning of the 
internal  market  which  could  be  impeded  by  the  emergence  of  e-barriers  caused  by 
incompatible solutions chosen by individual Member States and sectors in the absence 
of common and shared solutions and by the lack of interoperability. Social value would 
be  added  in  as  far  as  the  programme  activities  will  indirectly  support  citizens  and 
businesses  as  users  of  cross-border  electronic  public  services  making  use  of  such 
common and shared solutions.  

LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL 

•  Summary of the proposed action 

The  ISA  programme  is  to  facilitate  the  efficient  and  effective  electronic  cross-border 
and  cross-sector  interaction  between  European  public  administrations  enabling  the 
delivery  of  electronic  public  services  supporting  the  implementation  of  Community 
policies  and  activities  by  ensuring  the  availability  of  common  frameworks,  common 
services  and  generic  tools  and  by  increasing  the  awareness  of  ICT  aspects  of 
Community legislation. 

•  Legal basis 

Article 156 TEC, as was the case for the IDA and IDABC programmes. 

•  Subsidiarity principle 

The  subsidiarity  principle  applies  insofar  as  the  proposal  does  not  fall  under  the 
exclusive competence of the Community. 

The objectives of the proposal cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States as 
Member  States  acting  independently  could  not  achieve  the  interoperability  necessary 
for cross-border and cross-sector electronic public services and not establish common 
and  shared  solutions  in  support  of  the  interaction  between  European  public 
administrations. 

Community action will better achieve the objectives of the proposal as the programme 
will establish and operate common services, generic tools and common frameworks in 
support  of  interoperability  with  a  view  to  facilitating  the  smooth  interaction  between 
public  administrations  across  borders  and  sectors  enabling  the  delivery  of  electronic 
public  services  supporting  the  implementation  of  Community  policies  and  activities. 
As such the programme has, by its very nature, a clear EU dimension. 

The proposal therefore complies with the subsidiarity principle. 

•  Proportionality principle 

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The  programme  will  support  the  provision  of  common  and  shared  solutions,  i.e. 
common  frameworks,  generic  tools  and  common  services,  to  be  applied,  whenever 
appropriate, by European public administrations for the exchange of information across 
borders  and  sectors.  Unless  otherwise  foreseen,  the  application  of  such  solutions  is 
basically subject to Member States' decision. 

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The establishment and improvement of common frameworks and generic tools will be 
financed  via  the  programme,  while  the  use  of  such  frameworks  and  tools  is  to  be 
financed by the users at any administrative level. The establishment, industrialisation, 
i.e. bringing solutions to a state of operational maturity, and improvement of common 
services  will  be  financed  via  the  programme  whereas  the  operation  of  such  services 
will  only  be  financed  via  the  programme  to  the  extent  that  their  use  may  serve 
Community interests. In other cases, the use of the services, including their operation 
on a decentralised basis, will be financed by the users. 

The  solutions  established  by  the  programme  will  basically  reduce  the  financial  and 
administrative  burden  falling  upon  European  public  administrations  interacting  with 
each other.  

The proposal therefore complies with the proportionality principle. 

•  Choice of instruments 

As it was the case for the IDABC programme, the legal act proposed is a Decision of 
the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  since  the  choice  of  a  regulation  or  of  a 
directive is not appropriate for implementing a Community programme. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

The financial envelope for the implementation of the ISA programme for the period 1 
January 2010 to 31 December 2015 is set at EUR 164.1 million, of which 103.5 million 
is  for  the  period  until  31  December  2013  as  foreseen  in  the  financial  programming 
2007-1013. 

Further  details  are  provided  in  the  Legislative  Financial  Statement  accompanying  the 
proposal. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

•  European Economic Area 

The proposed act concerns an EEA matter and should therefore extend to the European 
Economic Area. 

•  Candidate countries 

The proposed act is opened to participation by candidate countries. 

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2008/0185(COD) 

Proposal for a 

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA) 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular the first 
paragraph of Article 156 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission4, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee5, 

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions6, 

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

In accordance with Article 154 of the Treaty, to help achieve the objectives referred to 
in Articles 14 and 158 thereof and to enable citizens of the European Union, economic 
operators and regional and local communities to derive full benefit from the setting up 
of an area without internal frontiers, the Community contributes to the establishment 
and  development  of  trans-European  networks,  undertaking  actions  to  promote 
interconnectivity, interoperability and accessibility. 

The Council has stressed in its conclusions of 1 December 2005 on the Commission's 
Communication  "i2010  –  A  European  Information  Society  for  growth  and 
employment" that more focused, effective and integrated policies of information and 
communication  technologies  (hereinafter  ICT)  at  both  European  and  national  levels 
are  essential  to  achieving  the  goals  of  economic  growth  and  productivity.  The 
Commission  was  invited  to  encourage  the  efficient  use  of  ICT  in  public  services 
through the exchange of experience and to develop common approaches on key issues 
such as interoperability and effective use of open standards. 

(3) 

In  the  Manchester  Ministerial  Declaration  of  24  November  2005,  the  Ministers 
responsible  for  ICT  policies  agreed,  inter  alia,  to  work  together  and  with  the 
Commission  to  share  existing  tools,  common  specifications,  standards  and  solutions 

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more  effectively  and  to  encourage  collaborative  development  of  solutions  where 
necessary. 

(4) 

In the Lisbon Ministerial Declaration of 19 September 2007, the Ministers invited the 
Commission  to,  inter  alia,  facilitate  cooperation  among  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  to  define,  develop,  implement  and  monitor  cross-border,  cross-sectoral 
interoperability,  and  stated  that  future  Community  legislation  should,  in  particular, 
anticipate and assess its impact on ICT infrastructures and service transformation. 

(5)  With the rapid development of ICT, there is a risk that Member States opt for different 
or incompatible solutions and that new e-barriers could emerge that would impede the 
proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market  and  the  associated  freedoms  of  movement. 
This  could  have  negative  effects  on  the  openness  and  competitiveness  of  markets  as 
well as have impact on the delivery of some services of general interest to citizens and 
enterprises, whether economic or non-economic. Member States and the Commission 
should  increase  their  efforts  to  avoid  market  fragmentation,  achieve  interoperability 
and  promote  commonly  agreed  ICT  solutions  while  ensuring  the  appropriate 
governance. 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

The  availability  of  common,  reusable  and  interoperable  solutions  as  well  as 
interoperable  administrative  back-office  processes  is  necessary  for  the  efficient  and 
effective  delivery  of  public  services  to  businesses  and  citizens  across  borders  and 
sectors. 

Continuous efforts are needed for ensuring cross-border, cross-sector interoperability, 
exchanging experience, establishing and maintaining common and shared approaches, 
specifications,  standards  and  solutions  as  well  as  assessing  the  ICT  implications  of 
Community legislation with a view to supporting efficient and effective cross-border 
interactions,  inter  alia,  in  the  implementation  of  Community  legislation,  while 
reducing administrative burdens and costs. 

To  meet  these  challenges  such  efforts  should  be  made  through  close  cooperation, 
coordination and dialogue between the Commission and the Member States, in close 
interaction with the sectors responsible for the implementation of Community policies 
and,  whenever  appropriate,  with  other  stakeholders,  giving  due  consideration  to  the 
priorities and the linguistic diversity of the Community. 

In line with Decision 2004/387/EC of 21 April 2004 on interoperable delivery of pan-
European  eGovernment  services  to  public  administrations,  businesses  and  citizens 
(IDABC)7  which  requires  the  Commission  to  define  mechanisms  to  ensure  the 
financial  and  operational  sustainability  of  infrastructure  services,  infrastructure 
services  should  be  maintained  and  operated  in  a  sustainable  manner.  Such 
infrastructure  services  have  been  agreed  with  Member  States  during 
the 
implementation of Decision 1719/1999/EC of 12 July 1999 on a series of guidelines, 
including  the  identification  of  projects  of  common  interest,  for  trans-European 
networks  for  the  electronic  interchange  of  data  between  administrations  (IDA)8  and 

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OJ L 144, 30.4.2004, as corrected in OJ L181, 18.5.2004, p. 25. 
OJ  L  203,  3.8.1999,  p.  1.  Decision  as  last  amended  by  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  885/2004  (OJ  L 
168, 1.5.2004, p. 1). 

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Decision 1720/1999/EC of 12 July 1999 adopting a series of actions and measures in 
order  to  ensure  interoperability  of  and  access  to  trans-European  networks  for  the 
electronic  interchange  of  data  between  administrations  (IDA)9  as  well  as  during  the 
implementation of the IDABC and other relevant programmes. 

(10)  The  IDABC  programme  comes  to  an  end  on  31  December  2009  and  should  be 
succeeded  by  a  Community  programme  on  interoperability  solutions  for  European 
public administrations (the ISA programme) meeting the challenges. 

(11)  The  ISA  programme  should  be  based  on  the  experience  from  the  IDA  and  IDABC 
programmes which have demonstrated that a co-ordinated approach can contribute to 
delivering  results  faster,  with  higher  quality  and  meeting  business  requirements,  by 
means of common and shared solutions established and operated in cooperation with 
Member  States.  These  activities  have  already  delivered  important  contributions  to 
ensuring  interoperability  in  support  of  electronic  exchange  of  information  between 
European public administrations and are continuing to do so. 

(12)  To  avoid  fragmentation  and  ensure  a  holistic  approach,  due  consideration  should  be 
given  to  the  European  Interoperability  Strategy  and  the  European  Interoperability 
Framework when priorities are set for the ISA programme. 

(13)  Solutions established or operated under the ISA programme should be demand-driven 
and, to the extent possible, form part of a consistent eco-system of services facilitating 
interaction  between  European  public  administrations  and  ensuring,  facilitating  or 
enabling cross-border, cross-sector interoperability. 

(14)  The ISA programme should ensure the availability of common frameworks, common 
services  and  generic  tools  in  support  of  cross-border  and  cross-sector  interaction 
between  European  public  administrations  as  well  as  support  sectors  in  assessing  the 
ICT  implications  of  Community  legislation  and  in  planning  the  implementation  of 
relevant solutions. 

(15)  Common  frameworks  should  comprise,  inter  alia,  common  specifications,  guidelines 

and methodologies as well as common strategies. 

(16)  While  ensuring  the  operation  and  improvement  of  existing  common  services 
established under the IDA and IDABC programmes as well as similar initiatives, the 
ISA  programme  should  support  the  establishment,  industrialisation,  operation  and 
improvement of new common services in response to new needs and requirements. 

(17)  While ensuring the improvement of existing reusable generic tools established under 
the  IDA  and  IDABC  programmes  as  well  as  similar  initiatives,  the  ISA  programme 
should support the establishment, provision and improvement of new reusable generic 
tools  in  response  to  new  needs  or  requirements,  inter  alia,  established  through  the 
assessment of ICT implications of Community legislation. 

9 

OJ L 203, 3.8.1999, p. 9. Decision as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 885/2004. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
(18) 

In  the  establishment,  improvement  or  operation  of  common  solutions  the  ISA 
programme should, whenever appropriate, build on or be accompanied by sharing of 
experience and solutions as well as exchange and promotion of good practices. 

(19)  Solutions  established  or  operated  under  the  ISA  programme  should  be  based  on  the 
principle of technological neutrality and adaptability with a view to ensuring also that 
citizens, enterprises and administrations are free to choose the technology to be used. 

(20)  The principles of security, privacy and protection of personal data should be taken into 

consideration in all activities covered by the ISA programme. 

(21)  While  the  involvement  of  all  Member  States  in  actions  under  the  ISA  programme 
should  be  encouraged,  actions  comprising  several  Member  States  can  be  initiated. 
Member  States  not  involved  in  such  actions  should  be  encouraged  to  join  at  a  later 
stage. 

(22)  The ISA programme should contribute to implementing any i2010 follow-on initiative, 
while  taking  into  consideration  other  Community  programmes  in  the  field  of  ICT, 
notably  the  ICT  Policy  Support  Programme  of  the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation 
Framework Programme as provided for in Decision No 1639/2006/EC of 24 October 
2006  establishing  a  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Framework  Programme  (2007-
2013)10, in order to avoid duplication of efforts. 

(23)  Synergies  with  the  private  sector  and  other  entities  should  be  sought  in  order  to, 
whenever  appropriate,  give  priority  to  solutions  available  on  and  sustained  by  the 
market. 

(24)  The  ISA  programme  should  be  implemented  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of  public 

procurement. 

(25)  Since the measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision are management 
measures  within  the  meaning  of  Article  2  of  Council  Decision  1999/468/EC  of  28 
June  1999  laying  down  the  procedures  for  the  exercise  of  implementation  powers 
conferred  on  the  Commission11  ,  they  should  be  adopted  by  use  of  the  management 
procedure provided for in Article 4 of that Decision. 

(26)  The ISA programme should be regularly monitored and evaluated in order to allow for 

readjustments. 

(27) 

International cooperation should be encouraged and in this respect the ISA programme 
should also be open to participation by the countries of the European Economic Area 
and  the  candidate  countries.  Cooperation  with  other  third  countries  and  international 
organisations  or  bodies  should  also  be  encouraged,  notably  within  the  framework  of 
the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and with neighbouring countries, in particular the 
Western Balkan countries. 

10 
11 

OJ L 310, 9.11.2006, p. 15. 
OJ  L  184,  17.7.1999,  p.  23.  Decision  as  last  amended  by  Decision  No  2006/512/EC  (OJ  L  200, 
22.7.2006, p. 1). 

EN 

12 

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(28) 

In order to ensure the sound management of the financial resources of the Community 
and  to  avoid  needless  proliferation  of  equipment,  repetition  of  investigations  and 
divergent approaches, it should be possible to use solutions established or operated by 
the ISA programme by non-Community initiatives as long as no costs are incurred for 
the  Community  budget,  and  the  main  Community  objective  of  the  solution  is  not 
compromised. 

(29)  A financial envelope constituting the prime reference, within the meaning of point 37 
of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 between the European Parliament, 
the  Council  and  the  Commission  on  budgetary  discipline  and  sound  financial 
management  should  be  established  for  the  entire  duration  of  the  programme.  This 
envelope  should  also  cover  expenditure  related  to  preparatory,  monitoring,  control, 
audit and evaluation measures directly required for the management of the programme 
and  the  achievement  of  its  objectives,  and  in  particular  studies,  meetings  of  experts, 
information and publication measures, expenses linked to IT systems and networks for 
the  exchange  and  processing  of  information,  together  with  all  other  technical  and 
administrative  assistance  expenditures  that  the  Commission  may  incur  for  the 
management of the programme. 

(30)  Since  the  objectives  of  the  action  to  be  taken  to  facilitate  the  efficient  and  effective 
electronic  cross-border  and  cross-sector 
interaction  between  European  public 
administrations  enabling  the  delivery  of  electronic  public  services  supporting  the 
implementation of Community policies and activities cannot be sufficiently achieved 
by the Member states and can therefore, by reason of the scale and effects, be better 
achieved  at  Community  level,  the  Community  may  adopt  measures,  in  accordance 
with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity  as  set  out in Article  5 of the Treaty.  In accordance 
with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that article, this Decision does not go 
beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives, 

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

Article 1 
Subject matter and objective 

1. 

2. 

This Decision establishes, for the period 2010-2015, a programme on interoperability 
solutions for European public administrations, including Community institutions and 
interoperability 
bodies,  providing  common  and  shared  solutions  facilitating 
(hereinafter the "ISA programme").  

The objective of the ISA programme is to support the cooperation between European 
public  administrations  by  facilitating  the  efficient  and  effective  electronic  cross-
border  and  cross-sector  interaction  between  such  administrations  enabling  the 
delivery of electronic public services supporting the implementation of Community 
policies and activities. 

For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply: 

Article 2 
Definitions 

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

"interoperability" means the ability of disparate and diverse organisations to interact 
towards  mutually  beneficial  and  agreed  common  goals,  involving  the  sharing  of 
information  and  knowledge  between  the  organizations  via  the  business  processes 
they  support,  by  means  of  the  exchange  of  data  between  their  respective  ICT 
systems; 

"solutions" means common frameworks, common services and generic tools; 

"common  frameworks"  means  strategies,  specifications,  methodologies,  guidelines 
and similar approaches and documents; 

"common  services"  means  operational  applications  and  infrastructures  of  a  generic 
nature which meet common user requirements across policy areas; 

"generic  tools"  means  reference  platforms,  shared  and  collaborative  platforms, 
common  components  and  similar  building  blocks  which  meet  common  user 
requirements across policy areas; 

"actions" means studies, projects and accompanying measures; 

"accompanying  measures"  means  strategic  and  awareness-raising  measures, 
measures  in  support  of  the  management  of  the  ISA  programme  and  measures  in 
relation  to  sharing  of  experience  as  well  as  exchange  and  promotion  of  good 
practices.  

The ISA programme shall support and promote: 

Article 3 
Activities 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

the  establishment  and  improvement  of  common  frameworks  in  support  of 
interoperability across borders and sectors; 

the assessment of ICT implications of proposed or adopted Community legislation as 
well  as  the  planning  of  the  implementation  of  ICT  systems  in  support  of  the 
implementation of such legislation; 

the  operation  and  improvement  of  existing  common  services  as  well  as  the 
establishment,  industrialisation,  operation  and  improvement  of  new  common 
services; 

the  improvement  of  existing  reusable  generic  tools  as  well  as  the  establishment, 
provision and improvement of new reusable generic tools. 

Article 4 
General principles 

Actions  launched  or  continued  under  the  ISA  programme  shall,  whenever  appropriate,  be 
based on the following principles: 

EN 

14 

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(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

1. 

2. 

3. 

the principle of technological neutrality and adaptability; 

the principle of privacy and protection of personal data; 

the principle of security.  

Article 5 
Actions 

The Community shall, in cooperation with the Member States, undertake the actions 
specified in the rolling work programme referred to in Article 9, in accordance with 
the implementation rules laid down in Article 8. Such actions shall be implemented 
by the Commission. 

A study shall have one phase and be concluded by the final report. 

A project shall, whenever appropriate, have three phases: 

(a) 

the inception phase that shall lead to the establishment of the project charter, 

(b) 

the execution phase, the end of which shall be marked by the execution report, 
and 

(c) 

the operational phase starting when a solution is made available for use. 

The relevant project phases shall be defined when the action is included in the rolling 
work programme. 

4. 

The  implementation  of  the  ISA  programme  shall  be  supported  by  accompanying 
measures. 

Article 6 
Project charter and execution report 

1. 

The project charter shall comprise a description of: 

(a) 

(b) 

the  scope,  objectives  and  problem  or  opportunity,  including  the  expected 
beneficiaries  and  benefits  of  a  solution  as  well  as  quantitative  and  qualitative 
indicators for measuring such benefits; 

the approach, including the organisational aspects, such as phases, outputs and 
milestones,  and,  whenever  appropriate,  measures  to  facilitate  multilingual 
communication; 

(c) 

stakeholders and users as well as the related governance structure; 

(d)  details  of  the  solution,  including  its  coherence  and  dependencies  with  other 
solutions, a breakdown of expected costs,  timing  and requirements as well as 
an  estimate  of  the  total  costs  of  ownership,  including  the  yearly  costs  of 
operation, if any; 

EN 

15 

   EN 

 
 
(e) 

features; 

(f) 

constraints, including security and data protection requirements. 

2. 

The execution report shall comprise a description of: 

(a) 

(b) 

the scope, objectives and problem or opportunity measured against the project 
charter; 

the  project  effectiveness,  including  a  measurement  of  achievements,  incurred 
costs, actual timing and requirements against the project charter, an analysis of 
the  expected  return  on  investment  as  well  as  the  total  costs  of  ownership, 
including the yearly costs of operation; 

(c) 

organisational  aspects,  including  the  suitability  of  the  applied  governance 
structure  and,  whenever  appropriate,  recommendations  for  a  post-execution 
governance structure; 

(d)  whenever  appropriate,  the  proposed  plan  for  rolling  out  the  solution  to  the 

operational phase as well as the service level indicators; 

(e) 

the end user and technical support material available. 

Article 7 
Solutions 

1. 

Common frameworks shall be established and maintained by means of studies. 

Studies shall also serve as means for supporting the assessment of ICT implications 
of  proposed  or  adopted  Community  legislation  as  well  as  the  planning  of  the 
implementation of solutions in support of the implementation of such legislation. 

Generic tools shall be established and maintained by means of projects. Projects shall 
likewise  be  a  means  of  establishing,  industrialising,  operating  and  maintaining 
common services. 

Article 8 
Implementation rules 

In the implementation of the ISA programme due consideration shall be given to the 
European Interoperability Strategy and the European Interoperability Framework. 

Involvement of the largest possible number of Member States in a study or project 
shall be encouraged. 

The establishment or improvement of solutions shall, whenever appropriate, build on 
or be accompanied by sharing of experience as well as by exchange and promotion 
of good practices. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

EN 

16 

   EN 

 
 
4. 

5. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

To avoid duplication and to speed up the establishment of solutions, results achieved 
by  other  relevant  Community  and  Member  States  initiatives  shall  be  taken  into 
account, whenever appropriate. 

To  maximise  synergies  and  ensure  complementary  and  combined  efforts,  actions 
shall,  whenever  appropriate,  be  coordinated  with  other  relevant  Community 
initiatives. 

The initiation of actions, the definition of its phases and the establishment of project 
charters and execution reports shall be carried out and monitored by the Commission 
as  part  of  the  implementation  of  the  rolling  work  programme  established  in 
accordance with Article 9. 

Article 9 
Rolling work programme 

The Commission shall establish a rolling work programme for the whole duration of 
this Decision for the implementation of actions.  

The Commission shall approve the rolling work programme and, at least once a year, 
any modification thereof. 

Without  prejudice  to  Article  10(4),  the  procedure  referred  to  in  Article  12(2)  shall 
apply in respect of the approval by the Commission of the rolling work programme 
and any modifications thereof. 

4. 

For each action, the rolling work programme shall, whenever appropriate, include: 

(a) 

(b) 

a  description  of  the  scope,  objectives,  problem  or  opportunity,  expected 
beneficiaries and benefits as well as the organisational and technical approach; 

a  breakdown of  the  expected costs and, whenever appropriate, the  milestones 
to be reached. 

5. 

A project may be included in the rolling work programme in any of its phases. 

Article 10 
Budgetary provisions 

1. 

Funds  shall  be  released  on  the  basis  of  the  reaching  of  specific  milestones  which 
shall be the following:  

(a) 

for the initiation of a study, an accompanying measure or the inception phase 
of  a  project  the  milestone  shall  be  the  inclusion  of  the  project  in  the  rolling 
work programme;  

(b) 

for the initiation of the execution phase of a project the milestone shall be the 
project charter;  

EN 

17 

   EN 

 
 
2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

1. 

2. 

(c) 

for the initiation of the subsequent operational phase of a project the milestone 
shall be the execution report.  

Milestones to be reached during the execution phase as well as the operational phase, 
if any, shall be defined in the rolling work programme. 

If a project is included in the rolling work programme in its execution or operational 
phase, funds are released upon inclusion in the rolling work programme. 

Modifications  to  the  rolling  work  programme  concerning  budgetary  allocations  of 
more  than  EUR  400.000  per  action  shall  be  adopted  in  accordance  with  the 
procedure referred to in Article 12(2).  

The  ISA  programme  shall  be  implemented  on  the  basis  of  the  rules  of  public 
procurement. 

Article 11 
Community financial contribution 

The establishment and improvement of common frameworks and generic tools shall 
be funded fully by the ISA programme. The use of such frameworks and tools shall 
be financed by the users. 

The  establishment,  industrialisation  and  improvement  of  common  services  shall  be 
funded fully by the ISA programme. The operation of such services shall be funded 
fully  by  the  ISA  programme  to  the  extent  that  their  use  may  serve  Community 
interests.  In  other  cases,  use  of  the  services,  including  their  operation  on  a 
decentralised basis, shall be financed by the users. 

3. 

Accompanying measures shall be funded fully by the ISA programme. 

Article 12 
Committee 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

The  Commission  shall  be  assisted  by  a  committee  called  the  committee  on  Cross-
border 
(hereinafter  "the  CIO  committee"),  composed  of 
representatives of the Member States and chaired by the Commission. 

Interoperability 

Where reference is made to this paragraph, the management procedure laid down in 
Articles  4  of  Council  Decision  1999/468/EC  as  last  amended  by  Council  Decision 
No  2006/512/EC  of  17  July  2006  shall  apply,  in  compliance  with  Article  7(3)  and 
Article 8 thereof.  

The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be three months. 

The CIO Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure. 

EN 

18 

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1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

Article 13 
Monitoring and Evaluation 

The Commission shall regularly monitor the implementation of the ISA programme. 
It shall explore synergies with complementary Community programmes. 

The Commission shall annually report to the CIO committee on the implementation 
of the ISA programme. 

Solutions shall be subject to a review every two years. 

The ISA programme shall be subject to an interim and a final evaluation, the results 
of which shall be communicated to the European Parliament and the Council by 31 
December 2012 and 31 December 2015 respectively.  

The  evaluations  shall  examine  issues  such  as  relevance,  effectiveness,  efficiency, 
utility,  sustainability,  coherence  of  the  ISA  actions  and  assess  performance  against 
the  objective  of  the  ISA  programme  and  the  rolling  work  programme.  The  final 
evaluation  shall,  in  addition,  examine  the  extent  to  which  the  ISA  programme  has 
achieved its objective. 

The  evaluations  shall  also  examine  the  benefits  yielded  by  the  actions  to  the 
Community  for  the  advancement  of  common  policies,  identify  areas  for  potential 
improvement  and  verify  synergies  with  other  Community  initiatives  in  the  area  of 
cross-border, cross-sector interoperability. 

Article 14 
International cooperation 

The  ISA  programme  shall  be  opened,  within  the  framework  of  their  respective 
agreements  with  the  Community,  to  participation  by  the  countries  of  the  European 
Economic Area and the candidate countries. 

Cooperation with other third countries and international organisations or bodies shall 
be encouraged, notably within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership 
and with neighbouring countries, in particular the Western Balkan countries. Related 
costs shall not be covered by the ISA programme. 

Article 15 
Non-Community initiatives 

Without prejudice to other Community policies, solutions established or operated by the ISA 
programme may be used by non-Community initiatives, as long as no extra costs occur for the 
Community budget and the main Community objective of the solution is not compromised.  

EN 

19 

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Article 16 
Financial provisions 

1. 

The  financial  envelope  for  the  implementation  of  the  Community  action  under  this 
Decision  for  the  period  from  1  January  2010  to  31  December  2015  is  set  at  EUR 
164.1  million,  of  which  EUR  103.5  million  is  for  the  period  from  1  January  2010 
until 31 December 2013. 

For  the  period  following  31  December  2013,  the  amount  shall  be  deemed  to  be 
confirmed if it is consistent for this phase with the financial framework in force for 
the period commencing in 2014. 

2. 

The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the 
limit of the financial framework. 

Article 17 
Entry into force 

This  Decision  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  twentieth  day  following  its  publication  in  the 
Official Journal of the European Union. 

It shall apply from 1 January 2010 until 31 December 2015.  

Done at Strasbourg, …. 

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

20 

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LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

1. 

NAME OF THE PROPOSAL: 

Proposal  for  a  Decision  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on 
interoperability solutions for European public administrations (ISA). 

2. 

ABM / ABB FRAMEWORK 

Policy Area(s) concerned and associated Activity/Activities:  

Information and Communication Technologies – Operational programme under title 
26 "Commission's administration" 

Activity:  26  03  Interoperable  Delivery  of  pan-European  eGovernment  services  to 
public administrations, businesses and citizens 

3. 

BUDGET LINES 

3.1. 

Budget  lines  (operational  lines  and  related  technical  and  administrative 
assistance lines (ex- B..A lines)) including headings: 

26 03 01 01  Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (ISA)12 

26 01 04 01  Interoperability  Solutions  for  European  Public  Administrations  (ISA) 
— Expenditure on administrative management 

3.2. 

Duration of the action and of the financial impact: 

Period of application: 1st January 2010 – 31st December 2015 

Payments from the Community budget may be made beyond 31st December 2015 on 
amounts committed during the period of application. 

3.3. 

Budgetary characteristics: 

Budget 
line 

26030101 

Type of expenditure 

New 

EFTA 
contribution 

Contributions 
from applicant 
countries 

Heading in 
financial 
perspective 

Non-
comp 

Diff13 

YES 

YES 

26010401 

Non-

Non-

NO 

YES 

YES 

YES 

1A 

1A 

12 

13 

This new budgetary item will replace the present budget line 26 03 01 01 "Pan-European eGovernment 
Services to Public Administrations, Enterprises and Citizens (IDABC)". Completion of IDABC actions 
will be covered by item 26 03 01 02 "Completion …" 
Differentiated appropriations 

EN 

21 

   EN 

 
                                                 
comp 

diff14 

14 

Non-differentiated appropriations hereafter referred to as NDA 

EN 

22 

   EN 

 
                                                                                                                                                         
4. 

SUMMARY OF RESOURCES 

4.1. 

Financial Resources 

4.1.1. 

Summary of commitment appropriations (CA) and payment appropriations (PA) 

EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

Expenditure type 

Section 
no. 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015 
and 
later 

Total 

Operational expenditure15 

Commitment Appropriations 
(CA) 

8.1. 

Payment 
(PA) 

Appropriations 

a 

b 

23.00  25.20 

26.00 

26.10 

28.50 

30.50 

159.3 

5.75 

23.55 

25.40 

26.00 

26.73 

51.87 

159.3 

Administrative expenditure within reference amount16 

Technical  &  administrative 
assistance (NDA) 

8.2.4. 

c 

TOTAL REFERENCE AMOUNT 

Commitment 
Appropriations 

Payment Appropriations 

a+c

b+c

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

4.8 

23.80  26.00 

26.80 

26.90 

29.30 

31.30 

164.1 

6.55 

24.35 

26.20 

26.80 

27.53 

52.67 

164.1 

Administrative expenditure not included in reference amount17 

Human 
associated 
(NDA) 

resources 

and 
expenditure 

Administrative  costs,  other 
than  human  resources  and 
not 
associated 
included 
reference 
in 
amount (NDA) 

costs, 

8.2.5. 

d 

8.2.6. 

e 

2.141  2.191 

2.191 

2.191 

2.191 

2.191 

13.097 

0.046  0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.291 

Total indicative financial cost of intervention 

TOTAL CA including cost 
of Human Resources 

TOTAL  PA  including  cost 
of Human Resources 

25.98
6 

28.24
0 

29.04
0 

29.14
0 

31.54
0 

33.54
0 

177.488 

8.736  26.59

0 

28.44
0 

29.04
0 

29.76
5 

54.91
5 

177.488 

a+c
+d
+e 

b+c
+d
+e 

15 
16 
17 

Expenditure that does not fall under Chapter xx 01 of the Title xx concerned. 
Expenditure within article xx 01 04 of Title xx. 
Expenditure within chapter xx 01 other than articles xx 01 04 or xx 01 05. 

EN 

23 

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The  growth  of  the  budget  over  the  years  reflects  the  operational  costs  for  an 
expanding  portfolio  of  common  services  and  generic  tools,  put  at  the  disposal  of 
Commission  services  and  Member  States  for  the  implementation  of  interoperable 
cross-border information systems. 

Co-financing details 

Not applicable.  

4.1.2.  Compatibility with Financial Programming 

⌧  Proposal  is  compatible  with  existing  financial  programming.  For  the  period 
following 31 December 2013, the amount shall be deemed to be confirmed if it 
is consistent for this phase with the financial framework in force for the period 
commencing in 2014.  

(cid:133) 

(cid:133) 

Proposal  will  entail  reprogramming  of  the  relevant  heading  in  the  financial 
perspective. 

Proposal  may  require  application  of  the  provisions  of  the  Interinstitutional 
Agreement18 (i.e. flexibility instrument or revision of the financial perspective). 

4.1.3.  Financial impact on Revenue 

⌧  Proposal has no financial implications on revenue 

4.2. 

Human Resources FTE (including officials, temporary and external staff) – see 
detail under point 8.2.1. 

Annual requirements 

Total  number  of  human 
resources 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015 

20 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

5. 

CHARACTERISTICS AND OBJECTIVES 

5.1. 

Need to be met in the short or long term 

The ISA programme will have to meet the needs for common frameworks, awareness 
of ICT implications Community legislation, common services, and reusable generic 
tools. 

These  needs  have  been  identified  through  exchanges  of  views  with  sectors  and 
Member  State  representatives,  the  ex  ante  evaluation  as  well  as  the  formal 
consultation as specified in the explanatory memorandum. 

18 

See points 19 and 24 of the Interinstitutional agreement. 

EN 

24 

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The  main  beneficiaries  of  activities  launched  under  the  programme  are  European 
public administrations. Businesses and citizens will mainly benefit indirectly. 

5.2. 

Value-added  of  Community  involvement  and  coherence  of  the  proposal  with 
other financial instruments and possible synergy 

All the activity areas covered by the ISA programme fall under shared responsibility 
of  Member  States  and  Community.  Therefore  the  ISA  programme  will  only 
intervene where a demonstrable European added value is present, as specified in the 
explanatory memorandum. The management committee of the ISA programme will 
ensure  coherence  and  complementarity  with  activities  at  Member  States  level.  At 
Community  level,  inter-service  coordination  will  ensure  alignment  of  activities  in 
sectors  as  well  as  with  the  ICT  Policy  Support  Programme  of  the  Competitiveness 
and Innovation framework Programme  (CIP) with a  view to maximising coherence 
and  synergies.  The  close  cooperation  and  coordination  with  Member  States  and 
sectors will help the programme constantly to assess actual needs, the proportionality 
of activities and the respect of subsidiarity. 

As specified in the explanatory memorandum, the ISA programme will add primarily 
financial  and  economic  value  to  the  Community  intervention  and  contribute  to  the 
reinforcement and implementation of Community policies and legislation, achieving 
considerable synergies through coordination across sectors and borders. 

As  likewise  specified  in  the  explanatory  memorandum,  the  coherence  with  and 
complementarity to the ICT Policy Support Programme of the Competitiveness and 
Innovation  framework  Programme  (CIP)  is  ensured  and  expected  to  lead  to 
synergies. 

5.3. 

Objectives, expected results and related indicators of the proposal in the context 
of the ABM framework 

The overall objective of the ISA programme is to facilitate the efficient and effective 
electronic  cross-border  and  cross-sector  interaction  between  European  public 
administrations  enabling  the  delivery  of  electronic  public  services  supporting  the 
implementation of Community policies and activities. As such its objective links in 
basically with all Community policies and contributes to their implementation. More 
specifically it supports the single market by contributing to preventing the emergence 
of e-barriers, while at the same time supporting the principles and needs underlying 
the Lisbon Strategy. 

Please refer to the summary of the ex ante evaluation for details on expected results 
and indicators. 

5.4.  Method of Implementation (indicative) 

⌧  Centralised Management 

⌧ 

directly by the Commission 

(cid:133) 

indirectly by delegation to: 

(cid:133) 

executive Agencies 

EN 

25 

   EN 

 
(cid:133) 

bodies set up by the Communities as referred to in art. 185 of the 
Financial Regulation 

(cid:133) 

national public-sector bodies/bodies with public-service mission 

(cid:133) 

Shared or decentralised management 

(cid:133)  with Member states 

(cid:133)  with Third countries 

(cid:133) 

Joint management with international organisations (please specify) 

Relevant comments: 

EN 

26 

   EN 

 
6. 

MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

6.1.  Monitoring system 

Regular  monitoring  of  the  implementation  of  the  programme  is  foreseen,  in 
accordance with the principle of sound financial management and the Commission's 
administrative  procedures.  Monitoring 
the 
management committee on progress made in implementing the supported activities. 

includes  an  annual  reporting 

to 

For monitoring individual projects, detailed project charters and the execution reports 
are  required,  against  which  achievements  will  be  measured.  Funds  are  released  on 
the basis of the reaching of these milestones. 

Furthermore, solutions will be subject to a review every second year. 

By  means  of  the  programme  indicators  specified  in  the  summary  of  the  ex  ante 
evaluation,  the  programme  achievements  will,  at  regular  intervals,  be  measured 
against the objectives and results. 

6.2 

Evaluation 

6.2.1.  Ex ante evaluation 

The ex ante evaluation was used to formally verify that the intervention is based on a 
coherent  strategy  which  is  in  line  with  the  needs,  problems  and  issues  that  it  is 
supposed to address. It also helped to ensure that it is complementary to and coherent 
with  other  interventions  and  that  the  necessary  monitoring  and  evaluation  systems 
are  designed  into  the  implementation  of  the  programme  in  order  to  facilitate  the 
interim  and  final  evaluations.  It  explains  why  the  Commission  opted  for  a 
programme  of  the  nature  defined  in  the  proposal  and  presents  the  expected  added 
value and impacts. Finally the ex ante evaluation estimates the required financial and 
human  resources  and  provides  a  basic  log  frame  comprising,  inter  alia,  results  and 
indicators.  

The results of the ex ante evaluation have been fully integrated in the proposal in line 
also with the results of the consultation. 

The  full  report  is  available  on  http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7706  and  a 
summary is annexed to the financial statement. 

6.2.2.  Measures taken following an intermediate/ex-post evaluation (lessons learned from 

similar experiences in the past) 

The  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the 
Council  on  the  evaluation  of  the  implementation  of  the  IDABC  programme19 
concludes  that  the  interim  evaluation  draws  largely  positive  conclusions  while 
highlighting  a  few  shortcomings  that  it  recommends  for  consideration  in  the 

19 

EN 

COM(2006) 
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0611:FIN:EN:HTML 

final, 

610 

27 

http://eur-

   EN 

 
                                                 
implementation  of  the  IDABC  programme.  All  the  recommendations  that  could  be 
relevant for in the ISA programme are catered for. 

full 

The 
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/5707/3. 

report  on 

IDABC 

the 

interim  evaluation 

is  available  on 

6.2.3.  Terms and frequency of future evaluation 

The ISA programme will be subject to an interim and a final evaluation, the results 
of  which  will  be  communicated  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  by  31 
December 2012 and 31 December 2015 respectively. 

The  interim  and  the  final  evaluation  as  well  as  the  necessary  budgetary  allocations 
will be included in the ISA work programme. 

7. 

ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES  

A large number of financial and administrative control mechanisms are provided for. 
The programme will be implemented through public procurement in accordance with 
the rules and procedures defined in the Financial Regulation. They apply throughout 
the process and include: 

•  Establishment of the work programme, subject to the opinion of the management 
committee, with milestones for the release of funding ensuring controllability of 
achievements and costs; 

•  Appropriate  drafting  of  tender  specifications  ensuring  controllability  of  the 

achievements of the required results and of the costs incurred; 

•  Qualitative and financial analysis of the tenders; 

•  Involvement of other Commission departments throughout the process; 

•  Verification  of  results  and  examination  of  invoices  before  payment,  at  several 

levels; 

•  Internal audit. 

EN 

28 

   EN 

 
8. 

DETAILS OF RESOURCES 

8.1. 

Objectives of the proposal in terms of their financial cost20 

Commitment appropriations in EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

Type of output 

Av. 
cost 

of 

(Headings 
Objectives, 
and 
actions 
outputs should be 
provided) 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015r 

TOTAL 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

No. 
outputs 

Total 
cost 

OPERATIONAL 
OBJECTIVE 21 

The overall objective of the ISA programme is to facilitate the efficient and effective electronic cross-border and cross-sector interaction between European public administrations 
enabling the delivery of electronic public services supporting the implementation of Community policies and activities. 

Action 1. 

Establishments and improvement of common frameworks 

Cost 

2.0 

Action 2. 

Assessment of ICT implications of EC legislation 

Cost 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

12.0 

12.0 

Action 3. 

Establishment , industrialisation, operation and improvement of common services22 

Cost 

12.0 

13.2 

14.5 

15.1 

17.5 

19.5 

91.8 

Action 4. 

Establishment and improvement of re-usable generic tools 

Cost 

3.0 

4.0 

3.5 

3.0 

3.0 

3.0 

19.5 

Action 5. 

Implementation of accompanying measures 

20 

21 
22 

EN 

Compared with the "low" and "high" options in the ex ante evaluation, this breakdown takes the "high" option for those activities that are considered most useful by the 
Member States and the "low" options for the other activities (that are still considered useful by the Member States). 
As described under Section 5.3 
The increase in budget from 2014 onwards is the result of the start of operations of new services that will have been developed during the first years of the programme. 

29 

EN 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Cost 

TOTAL COST 

4.0 

23.0 

4.0 

25.2 

4.0 

26.0 

4.0 

26.1 

4.0 

28.5 

4.0 

30.5 

24.0 

159.3 

EN 

30 

EN 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.2. 

Administrative Expenditure 

8.2.1.  Number and type of human resources 

Types of post 

Staff to be assigned to management of the action using existing and/or 
additional resources (number of posts/FTEs) 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015 

Officials or 
temporary 
staff23 (XX 01 
01) 

A*/AD 

10 

B*, 
C*/AST 

7 

3 

Staff  financed24  by  art. 
XX 01 02 

Other  staff25  financed by 
art. XX 01 04/05 

10 

7 

4 

10 

7 

4 

10 

7 

4 

10 

7 

4 

10 

7 

4 

TOTAL 

20 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

The  need  for  human  and  administrative  resources  shall  be  covered  within  the 
allocation  granted  to  the  managing  DG  in  the  framework  of  the  annual  allocation 
procedure.  

The allocation of posts in the period 2014-2015 should take into account a possible 
reallocation of posts between services on the basis of the next financial framework. 

8.2.2.  Description of tasks deriving from the action 

•  The  AD  posts  cover  the  actual  management  of  the  programme:  elaboration  of  the  work 
programme,  management  of  the  budget,  management  of  the  public  calls  for  tenders 
associated  with  the  execution  of  the  programme,  management  of  the  contract  associated 
with  the  execution  of  the  programme,  follow-up  of  projects  and  studies,  contacts  with 
Commission  services  and  Member  State  experts,  organisation  of  expert  meetings, 
workshops  and  conferences.  Also  included  is  the  head  of  unit,  the  legal  advisor  to  the 
programme and the secretariat of the management committee. 

•  The AST posts provide support in the following areas: 

•  Secretarial tasks, organisation of missions (2 persons) 

•  Budget  management,  calls  for  tenders,  contracts  and  payments  of  invoices  (2 

persons) 

•  Information dissemination and communication (2 persons) 

23 
24 
25 

Cost of which is NOT covered by the reference amount 
Cost of which is NOT covered by the reference amount 
Cost of which is included within the reference amount 

EN 

31 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
•  Logistics:  organisation  of  meetings  and  workshops,  invitations  of  experts, 

reimbursement of experts, document management (1 person) 

•  The END posts support the actual management of the programme, complementing the AD 
posts  mainly  in  areas  related  to  coordination  with  the  Member  States,  the  follow-up  of 
projects and studies and the organisation of expert meetings, workshops and conferences. 

8.2.3. 

Sources of human resources (statutory) 

⌧  Posts currently allocated to the management of the programme to be replaced 
or extended (20 including three ENDs that have at present contracts ending end 
2009) 

(cid:133) 

(cid:133) 

Posts pre-allocated within the APS/PDB exercise for year n 

Posts to be requested in the next APS/PDB procedure 

⌧  Posts  to  be  redeployed  using  existing  resources  within  the  managing  service 

(internal redeployment) 

(cid:133) 

Posts required for year n although not foreseen in the APS/PDB exercise of the 
year in question 

Remark:  Due 

to 

synergies  between 

the 
services/development units in the DG for Informatics, it is estimated that 4 to 6 
posts  foreseen  in  the  ex  ante  evaluation  for  the  establishment/operation  of 
services and the establishments of tools will not be needed. 

IDABC/ISA  unit 

and 

the 

EN 

32 

   EN 

 
8.2.4.  Other  Administrative  expenditure  included  in  reference  amount  (XX  01  04/05  – 

Expenditure on administrative management) 

Budget line 

(number and heading) 

EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015   TOTAL 

Technical 

and 
1 
assistance (including related staff costs) 

administrative 

Executive agencies26 

Other 

technical 

and 

administrative 

assistance 

- intra muros (service contracts)27   0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

2.4 

- extra muros 

2  Expert  groups  meetings,  information 
and communication 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

0.4 

2.4 

Total  Technical  and  administrative 
assistance 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

4.8 

8.2.5.  Financial cost of human resources and associated costs not included in the reference 

amount 

Type of human resources 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015 

EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

1.989 

1.989 

1.989 

1.989 

1.989 

1.989 

0.152 

0.202 

0.202 

0.202 

0.202 

0.202 

Officials  and  temporary  staff 
(XX 01 01) 

Staff  financed  by  Art  XX  01 
02  (auxiliary,  END,  contract 
staff, etc.)  

(specify budget line) 

cost 

Total 
of  Human 
Resources  and  associated 
in  reference 
costs 
amount) 

(NOT 

2.141 

2.191 

2.191 

2.191 

2.191 

2.191 

26 

27 

Reference should be made to the specific legislative financial statement for the Executive Agency(ies) 
concerned. 
Intra  muros  technical  assistance  (with  very  specific  technical  skills),  assisting  the  Commission  staff 
with the verification of the quality of services provided by contractors and/or to assist the Commission 
staff during the elaboration of technically complex documents. 

EN 

33 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Calculation– Officials and Temporary agents 

Number of posts as in point 8.2.1, times 117000 euro per post 

Calculation– Staff financed under art. XX 01 02 

Number of posts as in point 8.2.1, times 50578 euro per END 

8.2.6. Other administrative expenditure not included in reference amount 

EUR million (to 3 decimal places) 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

2015  TOTAL 

XX 01 02 11 01 – Missions 

0.046 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.291 

XX 01 02 11 02 – Meetings & Conferences 

XX 01 02 11 03 – Committees28  

XX 01 02 11 04 – Studies & consultations 

XX 01 02 11 05 - Information systems 

2 

Total 

Other  Management 

Expenditure (XX 01 02 11) 

3  Other 

expenditure 

administrative 
including reference to budget line) 

nature 

of 

an 
(specify 

expenditure, 
than  human  resources  and 
in 

Total  Administrative 
other 
associated  costs  (NOT 
reference amount) 

included 

0.046 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.291 

0.046 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.049 

0.291 

Calculation - Other administrative expenditure not included in reference amount 

700  euro  per  mission,  5  missions  per  year  for  AD/END  staff  (visits  to  member  states, 
dissemination of results in workshops and conferences) 

28 

2 Committee meetings per year (2*15000 euro) are included in 8.2.4.1. 

EN 

34 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Summary of the ex ante evaluation 

(Full report available at http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/7706) 

1. 

METHODOLOGY 

The  ex  ante  evaluation  is  a  process  that  supports  the  preparation  of  proposals  for  new  or 
renewed Community intervention. It aims at gathering information and carrying out analyses 
that help to define objectives, to ensure that these objectives can be met, that the instruments 
used are cost-effective and that reliable later evaluation will be possible.  

The ex ante evaluation addresses the requirements of Article 27 of the Financial Regulation29 
as  specified  in  Article  21  of  the  Commission  Regulation  on  the  implementation  of  the 
Financial Regulation30. 

The  ex  ante  evaluation,  which  was  carried  out  by  external  consultants,  was  based  on  desk 
research,  interviews  and  two  mini-surveys  of  Member  States  and  IDABC  staff  as  well  as 
workshops/working sessions. 

2. 

PROBLEMS ANALYSIS AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT 

The pan European dimension of eGovernment and the concept of interoperability  

Member States are increasingly making use of ICT in the provision of public services, aiming 
at  increasing  effectiveness  and  efficiency.  Although  the  consumption  of  such  eGovernment 
services at Member States level is increasing, the consumption at pan-European level remains 
low.  However,  when  Member  States  need  to  interact  across  borders  in  support  of  such 
services  or  in  support  of  the  implementation  of  EU  legislation,  interoperability  is  a  pre-
condition. 

General policy principles underlying a new public intervention 

European  strategies  and  policies  have  already  identified  and  embedded  the  need  for  more 
interoperability  and  more  efficient  and  effective  delivery  of  public  services.  A  new 
community action should be based upon the principles underlying such  current policies and 
strategies (e.g. the enhancement of the Single Market and the Lisbon strategy). 

Factors hampering cross-border and cross-sector interoperability in eGovernment 

The pan-European dimension of e-government is hampered by various factors, some relating 
to institutional, cultural, legal and political differences between Member States, others to the 
lack of pan-European approach to common issues.  

Identification of target groups and key actors 

A follow-on action should focus on the primary beneficiaries, i.e. European administrations, 
that  by  means  of  interoperability  will  increase  their  efficiency  and  effectiveness  through 

29 
30 

OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p.1 as amended 
OJ L 357, 21.12.2002, p. 1 as amended 

EN 

35 

   EN 

 
                                                 
improved interactions with other administrations, i.e. other Member States and EC sectors, on 
pan-European issues. Businesses and citizens will benefit indirectly.  

Needs assessment for a community action 

Some  of  the  needs  have  already  been  addressed  by  past  and  current  EC  programmes, 
including the IDA and IDABC programmes, leading to the provision of common guidelines 
and frameworks as well as tools, services and infrastructures. Further action should build on 
these efforts. The need for renewed community actions has two sides: 

•  The continuity and sustainability of solutions developed, and 

•  The provision of responses to evolving or new needs expressed by Member States and/or 

sectors. 

Actual needs are for: 

•  ensuring the coordination function 

•  raising awareness 

•  enhancing the dialog with industry stakeholders 

•  consolidating and re-using existing tools, services and infrastructures  

•  identifying ICT implications of EC legislation 

•  securing data and information exchange and securing systems 

•  establishing common frameworks, guidelines and specifications. 

3. 

ADDED VALUE OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 

Although  the  legal  competence  in  the  field  of  the  national  delivery  of  public  services  to 
citizens  and  to  business  lies  with  the  Member  States,  the  responses  to  a  survey  sent  to  the 
members of the IDABC management committee has shown agreement on the added value of 
Community intervention. 

Applying  counterfactual  arguments  in  assessing  the  need  for  Community  action,  the 
evaluation inter alia concluded that:  

•  Pan-European  organisational  interoperability  would  be  difficult  to  achieve  without 

European Community intervention. 

•  The  technical  infrastructure  services  established  by  past  and  current  programmes  would 
cease to exist without Community intervention, in which case Member States and sectors 
would need to find individual solutions. 

•  Common  solutions  that  can  be  shared  by  the  administrations  in  different  Member  States 

would not be developed without Community intervention.  

EN 

36 

   EN 

 
•  The coordination function at the European level would be difficult and costly to set up at 

the level of the Member States by Member States themselves.  

4. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY AND EXPECTED RESULTS 

Using  the  objectives  already  identified  by  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  (MSs) 
through  initial  discussions,  six  objectives  for  Community  action  are  elaborated,  one  being 
strategic and five being operational: 

•  Develop a European Interoperability Policy; 

•  Enhance consideration of ICT dimensions within EU legislation; 

•  Foster the use of common frameworks; 

•  Increase the use of common services; 

•  Increase the use of reusable generic tools; 

•  Provide accompanying measures to support the overall action. 

For each of these general objectives, specific objectives, expected results and related indicates 
have been developed in the ex ante evaluation. The outcome of this exercise can be presented 
as follows in a streamlined manner: 

EN 

37 

   EN 

 
Objectives 
(activities) 

Establishment 
and 
improvement of 
common 
frameworks 

Expected results 

Indicators31 

Coherent set of frameworks creating a 
context in which Member States (MSs) and 
sectors can discuss cross-border and cross-
sector interoperability 

Smoother implementation of PEGSs 

Number of common specifications, guidelines, 
methodologies, strategies etc. 

Surveys (MSs & sectors): 

– 

– 

– 

Completeness 

Relevance 

Usage 

National and international referencing 

Assessment of 
ICT implication 
of EC legislation 

Smoother implementation of EC legislation 
through consideration of the ICT 
dimensions in design phase 

Identification of needs for services and 
tools supporting timely implementation of 
legislation 

Number of relevant legislative acts identified 

Number of successful contacts between sectors 
and programme 

Number of new required solutions identified 

Understanding of ICT dimensions of EU 
policies 

Surveys (MSs & sectors): 

Number of solutions implemented 

Smoother implementation of PEGSs 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Awareness  

Completeness 

Relevance 

Usage 

Timeliness 

Establishment, 
improvement 
and operation of 
common services  

Availability of a set of common services 
meeting needs of sectors and MSs  

Benchmark of the quality of common services 

Number of known users of common services 

Professional delivery of a coherent services 
portfolio 

Surveys (MSs and sectors): 

Smoother implementation of PEGSs 

– 

– 

Completeness 

Relevance 

31 

The indicators for certain activities, e.g. coordination and cooperation activities are, by necessity, rather 
"soft". This is due to the fact that their direct impacts or outcomes are difficult to measure because (a) 
they are often influential in nature, rather than direct actions, (b) they are therefore difficult to isolate 
from contextual factors, and it is thus difficult to establish direct causal relationships, (c) the impact on 
final  beneficiaries  usually  depends  on  subsequent  implementation  of  solutions  by  Member  States  and 
sectors. 

EN 

38 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
– 

– 

Usage 

Adequacy 

Project specific indicators (to be determined) 

EN 

39 

   EN 

 
 
Establishment 
and 
improvement of 
reusable generic 
tools 

Availability of a set of tools meeting needs 
of sectors and MSs  

Benchmark of the quality of generic tools 

Number of known users of generic tools 

Professional delivery of a coherent tools 
portfolio 

Surveys (MSs and sectors): 

Smoother implementation of PEGSs 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Completeness 

Relevance 

Usage 

Adequacy 

Project specific indicators (to be determined) 

Implementation 
of 
accompanying 
measures 

Organisation of 
the exchange of 
information and 
sharing of best 
practices 

Increased awareness of best practices  

Number of platforms users 

Reuse of best practices 

Number and size of communities 

Actual reuse, sharing and collaboration 
(success stories) 

Surveys (MSs and sectors):  

– 

Usefulness of the platform for 

– 

– 

– 

finding information 

sharing experiences 

starting collaboration 

Improvement of 
the coordination 
function 

More synergies and less duplication of 
activities 

Success stories 

Surveys (MSs and sectors): 

More harmonious and coherent 
approaches 

Common understanding among 
stakeholders 

More cross-sectoral cross-border 
collaborations when systems are being 
designed 

– 

Does  the  programme  provide 
effective 
and 
collaboration between MSs and 
sectors? 

coordination 

EN 

40 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To increase the 
visibility of 
common services 
and of reusable 
generic tools 

Increased awareness of common services 
by potential users (MSs and sectors) when 
designing PEGS  

Number of contacts with the programme at the 
initiative of the DGs  

Consideration of common services and 
tools 

Number of PEGS using common services and 
tools 

Strategic and 
support activities 

Improvement of the programme  

Evaluation reports 

5. 

DELIVERY  MECHANISMS,  INSTRUMENTS  FOR  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF  THE 
ACTION 

In  order  to  achieve  the  above-mentioned  objectives,  the  action  should  make  use  of  various 
types  of  delivery  mechanisms,  instruments  and  activities.  The  instruments  should  not  differ 
from the IDABC instruments.  

6. 

POLICY OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND COHERENCE OF THE ACTION  

Three options were assessed in the ex ante evaluation. One option supposed that the activities 
would  be  transferred  to  a  regulatory  agency.  As  this  option  would  imply  too  high  overhead 
costs  and  could  not  be  implemented  timely  enough  to  be  operational  end  2009,  the  option 
could not be recommended.  

Another option would be to transfer the programme to the CIP ICT PSP, which could allow 
certain coherence and, possibly, synergies in activities. However, in spite of commonalities, 
there  are  important  differences  in  objectives,  focus,  location  in  the  development/production 
chain, the timelines and funding mechanisms. Advantages gained through this option would 
definitely be counterbalanced by disadvantages. 

For  these  reasons,  the  ex  ante  evaluation  concludes  that  the  two  programmes  should  not  be 
merged and recommends keeping the baseline option, an independent programme.  

However, strong cooperation would be needed at operational level to ensure awareness and 
coordination  as  well  as  at  strategic  level  when  work  programmes  are  designed,  first  and 
foremost between the follow-on programme and the CIP ICT PSP programme, which should 
also cooperate when working groups are established. 

7. 

VOLUME OF APPROPRIATIONS 

Two proposals for the budget of the follow-on programme are made. The “low" option would 
require a budget of EUR 159 millions whereas the “high” option would require a budget of 
EUR 220 millions, broken down by objective: 

Objectives  

Million EUR 
Low option 

Million EUR 
High option 

1. 

Develop an European Interoperability Policy 

3 

6 

EN 

41 

   EN 

 
 
 
Enhance the consideration of ICT aspects in the EU legislation 

Foster the use of common frameworks 

Increase the use of common services 

Increase the use of reusable generic tools 

Accompanying measures 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

Total 

6 

9 

99 

18 

24 

159 

12 

12 

124 

30 

36 

220 

The  minimum  staffs  needed  for  the  follow-on  programme  is  estimated  at  25  full  time 
equivalents whereas the high option would be 32. 

8. 

CONCLUSION  

Although preceding programmes have already greatly contributed to the extension, deepening 
and better functioning of the Single Market by making available IT solutions as well at to the 
efficient  and  effective  cooperation  between  European  public  administrations,  Community 
intervention  would  still  be  needed  to  ensure  the  continuity  and  sustainability  of  actions 
already established and for the provision of answers to evolving or new needs expressed by 
Member States and sectors. 

The objectives should be to: 

•  develop a European Interoperability Policy 

•  enhance the consideration of ICT aspects in the EU legislation 

•  foster the use of common frameworks 

•  increase the use of common services 

•  increase the use of reusable generic tools. 

In consideration of the activities and the delivery mechanisms needed to reach the objectives, 
the most appropriate policy option would correspond to the baseline option, i.e. a follow-on 
programme. 

The  budgets  would  be  EUR  159  millions  for  a  “low”  option  and  EUR  220  millions  for  a 
“high”  option.  The  staffs  needed  to  implement  the  options  would  be  25  and  32  persons 
respectively.  

EN 

42 

   EN