Representatives of 30 Member States participated at the meeting on eGovernment beyond 2005 hosted by the Dutch Presidency on 28 September 2004. The group issued a set of recommendations for modernizing and stimulating innovation in public administrations.

The eEurope Advisory Group's eGovernment subgroup emphasized the objective of creating world class European public administrations, that integrate technology to efficiently serve the needs of citizens and businesses alike. Modernized, innovative governments are key to meeting the Lisbon goals and remaining in the forefront of competition, therefore, the recommendations call for the initiation of a far-reaching transformation process. 

The recommended process covers policy cooperation and coordination, exchange of best practices, joint actions for pan-European services, interoperability, coherent strategies for EU-wide support, innovative public-private partnerships, organizational reforms, high-level commitment of political leadership, workforce training mechanisms, and viable financing solutions.

The group advocates a focused approach that defines clear targets and delivers a visible impact - for example, a 25% reduction of the administrative burden, the establishment of paperless administration, and a commitment to pan-European interoperability, identification and services.  

Further information

- European Commission - Information Society DB - eGovernment Research & Development

Sources

European Commission:

- European Commission (EC). 1 October 2004. "eGovernment beyond 2005: CoBrA recommendations for modern and innovative public administrations by 2010". (IP/04/1167). Retrieved from EC Press Releases.

- European Commission (EC). Retrieved on 5 October 2004. "eGovernment Research & Development". Retrieved from EC, Information Society, eGovernment site.

- European Commission (EC). Retrieved on 25 October 2004. "eGovernment Research & Development". Retrieved from EC, Information Society, eGovernment site.