Irish government ponders prisoner tagging: The latest amendments to the Irish government's Criminal Justice Bill include measures to track criminals electronically, which could reduce the number of people in prison. Under the proposed legislation, the courts will have the power to make restriction of movement orders, as an alternative to putting offenders in prison. Tagged individuals will be required to be in specific places at specific times. For example, some individuals will be monitored to ensure that they are attending classes or training courses. Electronic tags may also be used to monitor prisoners when they are out on temporary release. Sources within the Gardai have welcomed the measure. Tagging has been used in the UK since 1999 and has been under consideration by the Irish government since 2003. For more on this story, read ElectricNews.net.
Microsoft opens up Office to rivals: Microsoft has announced that it is to open up access to its Office applications, in response to moves by the European Commission to promote accessibility to e-government services. The software giant said that it will give competitors access to file formats such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel so that PC users will be able to work with Microsoft documents without having to purchase the company's proprietary software. The European Commission has been encouraging companies like Microsoft, IBM and Sun Microsystems to adopt open standards for office documents and to make their products interoperable. IBM and Sun moved to open up their document formats last year. Had Microsoft not made the move, the Commission could have stopped using Microsoft Office for the creation of public documents and may have advised all 25 EU member states to follow suit.
EU aims to improve transparency: The European Commission is making lists of expert groups that influence the legislative process available online, as part of an attempt to increase transparency in its decision-making. The preparation and implementation of policies at EU level is increasingly reliant on expert advice, and the EU aims to improve transparency in this process by publishing online a searchable Register of Expert Groups. The register, which contains about 1,300 formal and informal advisory bodies, provides basic information on the activities of each group and details of their composition, although no information on individual experts is given due to privacy reasons. The project is part of a wider Transparency Initiative by the EU, whose aim is to "increase openness and accessibility of EU institutions, raise awareness over the use of the EU budget and make the Union's institutions more accountable to the public."
Preston launches video e-mail service: The local council of Preston says that it is the first city in the UK to offer citizens a free video e-mail service, reports e-Gov Monitor. Available from 14 internet kiosks around the city, the service will allow users to send up to 30 seconds of video footage for free. The local authority is hoping that the kiosk's simple interface will appeal to people who find it hard to use a keyboard or lack computer skills, encouraging people to engage with technology. The council partnered with telecoms firm BT on the rollout of the project, which was funded by a STG600,000 prize the council received last year from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's E-Innovation Fund, in recognition of its efforts to make all of its services available online. The council said it also plans to use the funds to provide free websites to local community groups, locally made internet broadcasts and an SMS system.
Lebanon to roll out e-procurement system: The government of Lebanon is implementing an e-procurement system for five ministries, it was announced at the recent World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia. The system is being rolled out with technical assistance and an e-government grant of USD498,000 from the Development Gateway Foundation, in partnership with the Italian government. The Development Gateway Foundation is a non-profit organisation whose mission is to help developing countries make the most of the internet. The e-procurement system, which will see the five ministries posting tenders on one website, aims to cut costs by streamlining procurement processes and creating a more competitive bidding environment. The Lebanon's Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) is the agency that has been charged with implementing the e-tenders system.
Autor: Sylvia Leatham
Quelle: ElectricNews, 23.11.2005
