Germany has some catching up to do

2021, the European Commission has presented goals and targets for a digital transformation of Europe until 2030 (see News August 2022). The main goal is the Europe-wide expansion of the digital infrastructure. The European Commission set out in its programme several digital principles,  a so-called digital compass to support the targeted implementation of the digital goals and a reporting obligation to monitor progress. The creation of a single digital market is to be advanced by the programme and more clarity in data protection is to be created.

Status quo of the digital path

Digital infrastructure is to be greatly expanded in companies and in public administration over the next few years. On 27 September, a

Digital infrastructure is to be greatly expanded in companies and in public administration over the next few years. On 27 September, a report on the current state of the European Commission's Digital Decade for enacting the digital transformation was published. The first progress report looks at how quickly the European Union (EU) is making progress towards the 2030 digital goals and where Member States still need to improve. The analysed focus areas of the report aim at digital skills, digital infrastructure, digitisation of businesses, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation of public services. Significant gaps exist in the provision of digital public services. This is a challenge because, according to the European Commission's Digital Decade, all administrative services are to be provided 100 per cent online by 2030. Citizens should be able to apply for services online and even have access to their personal electronic patient file.

was published. The first progress report looks at how quickly the European Union (EU) is making progress towards the 2030 digital goals and where Member States still need to improve. The analysed focus areas of the report aim at digital skills, digital infrastructure, digitisation of businesses, use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitisation of public services. Significant gaps exist in the provision of digital public services. This is a challenge because, according to the European Commission's Digital Decade, all administrative services are to be provided 100 per cent online by 2030. Citizens should be able to apply for services online and even have access to their personal electronic patient file.

Public services from offline to online

The European Commission has launched several initiatives in recent years with the aim of steadily simplifying the exchange of information between citizens and public administrations and the procedures for people and businesses. By 2030, 80 per cent of citizens and businesses should be able to prove their own identity online throughout the EU in order to use the administrative procedures made available digitally by the authorities. The legal framework is provided by the European Commission's proposed European Digital Identity (EUiD). This is a personal, European digital wallet in which various public administration documents such as social security certificates or electronic prescriptions can be stored via a mobile phone app.

Sluggish implementation in Germany

The report points out the need for progress in digitisation in Germany, in particular. The digitisation of public services is neither a short-term nor a quickly implemented project, but a long-term process that requires several allies. The European Union, the Member States and the relevant partners must all be brought on board to facilitate implementation. In Germany, although access and accessibility to public services are possible, few administrative services are digitalised in comparison to other European countries. In its report, the European Commission points to a lack of widespread availability of services and a lack of success so far in a pilot project on electronic identity use cases.

Looking back, the European Commission has invested a great deal in the development and expansion of digitisation during the current legislative period. This will certainly not change in the next legislative period. However, the Member States have to implement it and the grace period for the less digitised Member States will extend until 2030.