Proposal for a Regulation laying down measures for a high level of public sector interoperability across the Union (Interoperable Europe Act)

Summary:

Legislative initiative - tabled by the European Commission on 18 November 2022 - aimed at strengthening cross-border interoperability and cooperation in the public sector across the European Union (EU). The initiative is also known as the Interoperable Europe Act.

Further information:

Member States of the European Union have been investing intensely in the digitisation of their public administration. However, the digital transformation of the public sector has not been complemented by interoperability across the EU. Interoperability involved the sharing of information and knowledge between organisations through the business processes they support, by means of exchanging data between their network and information systems. This cannot be achieved solely by technical means; it needs agreements and established processes between different organisations, aligned data descriptions, laws that allow for those data exchanges and structured long-term cooperation.

Regulating cross-border interoperability is essential to further development and completion of the EU's Digital Single Market. The specific objectives of this draft law include:

• ensuring a consistent, human-centric EU approach to interoperability from policymaking to policy implementation;
• establishing an interoperability governance structure designed to enable public administrations from all levels and sectors, as well as private stakeholders, to work together;
• co-creating an ecosystem of interoperability solutions for the EU’s public sector.

The legislative proposal was adopted by the European Commission on 18 November 2022, alongside an accompanying Communication.

• Primary Source

Official

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)720: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Final evaluation of the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:720:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)721: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:721:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2022)722: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2022:722:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 21/11/2022: New Interoperable Europe Act to deliver more efficient public services through improved cooperation between national administrations on data exchanges and IT solutions https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_6907

European Commission: Questions and Answers: Interoperable Europe Act (21 November 2022) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_6908

---