98. Recalls that in its resolution of 20 April 2012 on ‘a competitive digital single market – e-government as a spearhead’, Parliament stressed the importance for the facilitation of mass adoption of factors including legal certainty, a clear technical environment, and open and interoperable e-invoicing solutions based on common legal requirements, business processes and technical standards; calls on the Commission to assess the need for uniform, open Union-wide standards for e-identification and e-signatures; notes that the major obstacles to crossborder access to the electronic services provided by public administrations are linked t ...[+++]o the use of electronic signatures and identification and to the problem of non-compatibility of e-government systems at EU level; welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market;

17. Insists on the need to further develop secure and effective e-services, such as electronic identification and authentication, and e-business applications, such as electronic invoicing, within the single market; welcomes, therefore, the Commission initiative intended to ensure mutual recognition of e-authentication and e-identification across the EU and the revision of the Electronic Signatures Directive in accordance with the Commission communication on the Single Market Act; calls on the Commission to come forward with a proposal for harmonising e-invoicing in the European Union;

Some eGovernment related actions: supports seamless cross-border eGovernment services in the single market (84), Member States (MS) to make eGovernment services fully interoperable (89), MS to ensure that Points of Single Contact function as fully fledged eGovernment centres (90), MS to agree a common list of key cross-border public services (91), foster EU-wide standards, interoperability testing and certification of eHealth (77), proposes a recommendation to define a minimum common set of patient data (76), a Parliament and Council Decision on mutual recognition of eID (83), implement cross-border eEnvironment services (86), white pape ...[+++]r on inter-connecting eProcurement capacity in EU (87), propose legislation on ICT interoperability (21), provide guidance on ICT standardisation and public procurement (23).

The Commission has put forward an ambitious but realistic proposal to modernise the EU's public procurement legal framework[6] as foreseen in the 2011 Single Market Act.[7] One objective of these proposals is to achieve a full transition to e-procurement in the EU by mid-2016.[8] The ultimate goal is “straight through e-procurement” with all phases of the procedure from notification (e-notification) to payment (e-payment) being conducted electronically.[9] This will maximise the efficiency gains of e-procurement for the public sector and allow European companies – especially SMEs – to exploit the full benefits of the Digital Single Marke ...[+++]t.

At the Spring European Council of March 2008, Heads of State or Government declared that it is crucial to put in place cross-border interoperable solutions for electronic signatures and e-authentication to improve the functioning of the ‘e-Single Market’.

ACTIONS The Commission will: Key Action 16: Propose by 2012 a Council and Parliament Decision to ensure mutual recognition of e-identification and e-authentication across the EU based on online 'authentication services' to be offered in all Member States (which may use the most appropriate official citizen documents – issued by the public or the private sector); Other actions: Support seamless cross-border eGovernment services in the single market through the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) and Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations (ISA) Programme; Review by 2011 the Public access to Environmental Information Directive; [62] Work with Member States and stakeholders to implement cross-border eEnviron ...[+++]ment services, notably advanced sensor networks; Define by 2011 concrete steps in a White Paper on how to inter-connect e-procurement capacity across the single market; Lead by example on open and transparent eGovernment by creating in 2010 and implementing an ambitious eCommission 2011-2015 action plan, including full electronic procurement.