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The European Union wants to make it easier for citizens to live and work in any of its member states – and the internet is at the centre of those plans
Would you like to study in Spain, work in Hungary or maybe retire in Italy?
Thanks to Sweden’s membership of the European Union (EU), you have a right
to settle and work in any member state, though it’s still not that easy. Apart
from the potential language barrier, it can be difficult getting access to your
healthcare information in a new country, for example, or using public services
across borders.
The EU is keen to develop secure cross-border services and is relying on
‘eGovernment’ – the use of information and communication technology to improve
government services – to achieve this. If the member states were able to
exchange information electronically, via the internet, it would make
collaboration much easier.
When it comes to eGovernment, Sweden is fairly advanced by comparison with most other countries around the world. But even so, it’s still been rather hit and miss. “We are good at developing things, but not at seeing things from a citizen’s perspective,” says Anna Kelly, the e-strategist for the city of Solna. “Right now, I’m missing the political vision.”
Something radical was clearly needed – not just in Sweden, but also across Europe – and the result was a joint declaration by 34 European countries, made in Malmö on 18 November 2009, with set objectives to be achieved by 2015.
The reasons for this Malmö Declaration are simple: member states need to deliver improved public services with fewer resources, and eGovernment works better if there is a culture of collaboration and if administrations can easily exchange data. Imagine that you are a French citizen living in Sweden but working in Denmark – you need to know that you will not encounter administrative barriers in your daily life.
The Declaration states that all EU citizens should be able to apply for eServices in the EU from any country, electronically; this will compel all member states to work together to create common portals and electronic document formats. “This is one of the forces behind the accelerating tempo of change,” says Magnus Enzell, Chairman of the government’s Cabinet Office group for e-subjects.
Swedish e-delegation chairman Mats Odell regards the current eIdentity system, which uses downloaded security certificates, as inefficient, inflexible and expensive, since it prohibits the use of public computers for sensitive tasks. Instead, he proposes a central ID store where the person requesting identification can confirm their identity, securing their personal data. This will prevent personal details from being stored everywhere.
“The switchover to einvoicing showed how quickly we can get things done,” says Enzell. “Many thought it was impossible, but we beat our deadline.”
One obstacle is that the EU doesn’t have jurisdiction over any individual country’s administration. However, it should be in all member states’ interest to increase efficiency, lower operating costs and improve mobility.
All this means that when that job opportunity crops up in Barcelona, Budapest or Bologna, you won’t need to think twice about taking it.
Extracted from our magazine supplement about Digital Sweden.
