In the areas of electronic identity and online public procurement, many initiatives have been launched at national level to develop solutions. Bringing these sometimes divergent approaches into line and making them interoperable at European level is the focus of a series of Large-Scale Pilots (LSP) being launched with the support of the European Commission.
David Broster, Head of Unit, eGovernment and CIP Operations in DG Information Society and Media explains that the proposed LSP’s represent in many ways a new approach to developing cross-border interoperable solutions for complex areas where many initiatives are already underway.
'We face a situation where some countries have been spending billions whilst others are just starting. The general approach of the Large-Scale Pilots is not to sweep away national solutions and the good work already undertaken, but to make them interoperable'. 'National solutions will not be replaced, instead they will be aligned with common European standards and then linked together'.
'The Commission’s approach is very pragmatic', he explains. 'Though we call these projects "pilots" in fact they are much more than that. What we are developing is a "process" - a methodology for working with existing approaches and trying to find a common way forward which builds on what is already being done'.
As the Commission we see our role more in terms of providing the "cement" that will join together all these approaches into a coherent whole which will provide the interoperability we are seeking and provide a solution to "legacy" issues'.
Indeed, the STORK and PEPPOL Large-Scale Pilots are a response from the Commission to proposals put forward by Member States (MS) themselves. With the LSP’s we are essentially building on and leveraging what Member States are doing anyway', David Broster stresses.
Avoiding divergent solutions
As part of this approach, the Commission insists on a minimum of 6 Members States taking part. Also to ensure that other Member States do not initiate their own divergent solutions, a "reference group" of other potential future partners has to be established to keep everyone in the loop. The projects will be supported for a maximum of three years including at least one year with the project running operationally.
STORK and eID
The STORK (Secure idenTity AcrOss Borders LinKed) LSP consortium is trying to respond to the challenge around eID interoperability and find a solution which can provide cross-border recognition of eID and authentication across Europe.
The STORK project encompasses 13 Member States plus Iceland and has 29 participants in total. Its end-goal is to define and test common specifications for an overall cross-border architecture which is acceptable to all Member States and industrial interests.
'There are currently different trends across Europe. Belgium, Portugal and others favour an eID smart card. The Austria and Slovenia approach is based on virtual identification. The Anglo-Saxon model is based on other identification tools such as the passport', explains Frank Leyman of the Belgian consortium member, FEDICT.
'What we aim to achieve is the implementation of an EU wide interoperable system for recognition of eID and authentication that will enable business, citizens and government employees to use their national electronic identities in any Member State'.
'A citizen from country A who has an eID should be able to make a tax declaration in country B or access local social security services elsewhere as well as his pension rights. Similarly, a business should be capable of replying to a tender in country B or dealing with VAT from country C'.
Leyman stresses that the solutions they are looking for will need to be usable with as many technologies as possible and be open and scalable. A key strategic issue is to keep non-participating countries informed about developments on a continuing basis. Indeed some countries may be interested in participating at a later date and it is important that the direction they take is in tune with the rest. The consortium will provide "non members" with regular status reports via EU meetings. They will have the opportunity to provide feedback, comments and input.
The project involves close collaboration with the private sector. It will have a live website to allow everyone involved, directly or indirectly, to follow the work.
PEPPOL
A further important CIP large scale project currently under negotiation with the Commission is PEPPOL which is focused on pan-European Public Procurement Online. With the participation of Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Norway and the UK, the PEPPOL consortium has good representation across Europe. Members of the "reference group" could take advantage of the work done by the consortium at a later stage.
'Governments are the largest buyers in the EU. Larger than any multinational corporation. But the ability of government to handle key processes is falling behind major industries', explains Peter Sonntagbauer of Austria’s Federal Computing Center.
'Despite accounting for 16% of the EU’s GDP, national governments are lagging behind major industries in the way they handle supplier processes such as tenders, orders, delivery notes, catalogues, invoices, or payments'.
Following the 2005 Manchester ministerial declaration, initiatives in the procurement area involving the private sector, CEN (European Committee for Standardization), and the Commission have reached critical mass. PEPPOL sets out to coordinate this work and get all the initiatives together so that they all march in the same direction.
The broad vision is that any company in the EU can communicate electronically with any EU governmental institution over procurement. The strategy, Sonntagbauer stresses, is not to sweep away national solution but to make the national solutions interoperable. Pilots will be implemented which demonstrate the interoperability of national solutions. The workplan is spread over three years with an operational pilot scheduled for 2011.
The LSP will focus on eSignatures, Virtual company dossier, eCatalog, eOrdering, eInvoicing, Consortium Management, Awareness Training and Consensus building, Solutions Architecture design and Validation.
Article published in Synergy 10 - Special Edition |
Print
