Digital Europe for All (DE4A) is a major three-year project, launched on January 1st 2020, to support the implementation of the Single Digital Gateway Regulation (SDGR) across Europe ((EU) 2018/1724) and make the digital single market a reality.
The three-year, large scale pilot has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under G.A. No. 870 635, and is being driven by 10 Member States and a consortium of 23 partner organisations.
This initiative will facilitate migration towards European Digital Public Services co-delivered across borders, across sectors and with different participants reinforcing trust in public institutions and unleashing multiple measurable positive impacts on efficiency gains and reductions in administrative burden and costs.
DE4A is in compliance with the Single Digital Gateway (SDG) – of which the European Commission states: “The single digital gateway will facilitate online access to the information, administrative procedures and assistance services that citizens and businesses need to get active in another EU country. By the end of 2020, citizens and companies moving across EU borders will easily be able to find out what rules and assistance services apply in their new residency. By the end of 2023 at the latest, they will be able to perform a number of procedures in all EU member states without any physical paperwork, like registering a car or claiming pension benefits.”
Achieving these objectives will be realised through three real-life cross- border pilots, chosen from the SDGR fully online administrative procedures, that will validate the DE4A approach in real-life settings:
1. Studying abroad, based on paperless procedures for students’ mobility will investigate improved process for higher education and study grant applications, as well as sharing diplomas and certifications for professional recognition.
2. Doing business abroad will meet business needs, retrieving and keeping up-to-date company data from authentic sources. It will also test more efficient ways of starting a business and creating and sharing digital annual reports.
3. Enabling Citizens’ Mobility across the EU will look at the process of registering a change of address, civil status certificates and retirement such as pension and claims information.
DE4A is being coordinated by ATOS Spain SA and Ana María Piñuela Marcos, Head of the Secure Societies and Societal Transformations Unit at its Research & Innovation department states: “DE4A will contribute towards the implementation of common solutions for the digitalisation of public services in cross-border situations”.
Ana continues: “We will create a breakthrough in validating across borders once only principle and SDG procedures with real citizens.”