'New information technology is a lever to bring about this transformation in government and public administrations; it can also help remove the bureaucratic red tape that is slowing up European business,' said Mr Stanca.
'It is for this reason that we have to support the IT industry's ability and its strategic role in making available these technological instruments. This will be the foundation for any further growth or competitiveness,' he said, adding that providing political commitment to the information and communication technologies (ICT) industry was particularly crucial, given the current economic climate in the sector.
However, to become a meaningful agent in the modernisation of public governance, eGovernment cannot remain technology focused, Mr Stanca claimed: 'eGovernment is not just a combination of informatics and technology, it is a path we have to follow based on human, technological and organisational capital,' he explained. This point was also taken up by EU Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society Erkki Liikanen, who noted that in the future, ICT has to be combined with investment in the reorganisation of public funding and the improvement of civil servants' skills. 'A more productive public sector will also benefit the private sector and make companies more competitive,' he said.
For the purpose of shared prosperity and for the provision of an open society, both Mr Stanca and Mr Liikanen agreed that further political commitment is needed in order to cultivate a long term public-private partnership: As long as politicians are not fully convinced of the medium and long term benefits which eGovernment can bring to the public sector and to public governance, the willingness to participate and fund such initiatives will be limited, they said.
However, as Gerard Druesne from the European institute for public administration's (EPIA) explained, Europe is already demonstrating its ability to work in this way. In his presentation of the EPIA study 'eEurope in Europe: the current state of affairs', he noted that administrative authorities are already working closely with private partners to bring about examples of innovative and competitive forms of public administration. 'Perhaps, we are seeing for the first time the emergence of 'integrated eGovernment',' he suggested.
'We have seen a considerable transformation across Europe and we are witnessing a stage at present where the traditional power structure of society based around a State, is moving to a more flexible one that listens to market needs to a greater extent,' he continued.
Professor Druesne noticed that in the projects submitted for the eEurope 2003 awards for eGovernment alone, more than 20 per cent of local administrations focused on services, contributing to the enhancement of job creation, productivity and overall competitiveness. These projects illustrated an openness and willingness to share information, which the professor believes is key for the sustainable competitiveness of Europe.
However, in order to continue fostering such exchanges and common objectives, Professor Druesne believes there is a need for an effective and sustainable framework to be put into place, calling it a prerequisite for the broad development of the best solutions at affordable costs. 'If the Commission agrees, we would suggest establishing a permanent platform which would facilitate exchange of experiences and best practices between public administrations right throughout Europe,' Professor Druesne concluded.
Quelle: Cordis
