Belgium (Brussels, Morning Newspaper) MEPs want public services to be accessible online, noting that digitalization is a step forward in cutting red tape and making public administrative services more efficient.
The decision was approved during a plenary session, today, with 557 votes in favour, 50 against, and 36 abstentions.
Citing the many benefits digitalization can bring, MEPs believe that the public sector will become more resilient and transparent, while administrative barriers for citizens and businesses, especially SMEs, will be reduced.
“The digital transition was accelerated by the pandemic and our citizens want to communicate more and more with the administration digitally. In such circumstances, we have to ensure that no one is left behind,” commented MEP Tomislav Sokol.
Protecting personal data
The digitalization of public services can be a double-edged sword. In order to raise trust in institutions and promote the use of digital public services, MEPs warn that people’s personal data needs to be better protected, especially their medical data and electoral records.
“We are aware that digitalization brings many positive benefits but protection of citizens’ data must be a priority, particularly in regard to the challenges in geopolitical circumstances and protecting sensitive data such as heath data,” added Sokol.
Given the increasing cyberattacks on government websites, governments must ensure the highest cybersecurity standards and protect individuals from data leaks, MEPs said.
With increased digitalization, there is a higher risk of cyber threats, such as data breaches and hacking attacks, which could result in sensitive information being leaked or stolen, leading to serious consequences for people and organizations.
Inclusiveness
The report further stresses that digital public administration should be inclusive and fully accessible for people with different needs, such as elderly people, persons with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged communities.
MEPs want e-Government applications to be easily understandable and functional. While “digital” should remain the preferred option, governments need to provide support to those unable to complete procedures online and ensure that eGovernance does not lead to any exclusion.
Last year, Finland ranked the European country with the highest score on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), according to Statista, ranking first in the human capital component thanks to the advanced digital skills of its citizens.
Denmark ranked first for its connectivity, while Estonia was the first in digital public services. Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania were the countries with the lowest scores in the digitalization of their economy and society.
Overall, the European Commission considers that all EU countries are making progress, but the overall picture of digitalization across its members is mixed. The level of convergence between them is increasing but the gap between the EU’s frontrunners and those with the lowest scores in the DESI is all too large, the EU executive stated.
Public procurement
As part of today’s vote, MEPs also called on making public procurement data fully accessible to improve public probity and accountability in public spending.
While the Parliament supports the Commission’s initiative to create a European data space for public procurement, it called for more investment in training and capacity building of public procurers.
