European Commission Erkki LIIKANEN Member of the Commission for enterprise and information society E-government and the Lisbon strategy IDA Conference , Brussels

2 Why is productivity growth important? For wage earners: allows increases in real wages an in living standards For firms: enhances competitiveness and growth For governments: lager tax base

3 Contributors to productivity ICT investment + (re-)organisation + skills A lesson learned from the e-economy: Productivity =

4 Three thrusts of eGovernment Encourage growth of productivity Increase efficiency, flexibility and adaptability of public sector organisations. New, better quality, more accessible services to enterprises and citizens.

5 eEurope 2005 Security Benchmarking Good Practice Broadband (wired, wireless), multi-platform (PC, TV, mobile, …) E-GovernmentE-Health E-Learning E-Business Policy Measures Steering Group

6 E-government: creating a favourable environment for economic growth Encouraging the uptake of ICTs, an enabling technology for productivity growth through product and process innovation. Cutting the costs of red tape. Providing better information on national regulatory environments.

7 eEurope achievements The number of basic public services available online is up by 10 % over 2001.

8 Europe: the forgotten dimension? Transborder mobility of people, trade and investments requires cross-border e-government services. 2 million Europeans live in another country. Citizens life events are increasingly European. Countless enterprises have established presence in another Member State. E-government services stopping at borders may become an obstacle to the single market.

9 E-government: the internal dimension Applying ICT to improve the efficiency and flexibility of the public sector implies increased use of ICT investment in skills re-organisation of internal business processes and interactions with clients.

10 Inclusion: an issue for all Lack or limitation of access to e-services can mean marginalisation in society. A challenge for all: facilitate usability widen access through multiple channels support other languages make prices more attractive...

11 Conclusion E-government services promote continued take- up of ICT. Combining ICT with improvement of skills and organisational change, e-government can make the public sector more efficient. To be equitable and to encourage mobility, e- government must be pan-European.

12 More information IDA: eEurope: