Malta joins EU data interchange programme

Six EU accession countries, including Malta, have joined a programme called Pan-European Interchange of Data between Administrations.

The programme will allow them to join the infrastructure that EU institutions and member states use to exchange data for the purposes of applying EU law, enforcing single market rules, and supplying e-government services across borders to citizens and businesses.

Malta, Slovenia, Poland, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Cyprus have signed memoranda of understanding with the European Commission formalising their participation.

Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen said the IDA programme was the backbone of the EU's effort to provide modern eGovernment services in the Union.

By joining the programme, accession countries demonstrate their commitment to use pioneering technology to provide such services to their citizens, Mr Liikanen said.

Services available to IDA participants include dedicated software, technical guidelines and interoperability frameworks for implementing eGovernment solutions.

Another important aim of the IDA programme is to co-ordinate and finance electronic networks to implement EU legislation which requires exchange of information between member states and European institutions.

Having access to these networks will help accession and candidate countries take up and implement EU legislation.

Last year, initiatives were launched to inform accession and candidate countries about the programme. This year, IDA Information Days were organised in Bulgaria, Malta and Poland.

Hungary will be next to sign the memorandum, and Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and three candidate countries Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey will follow in 2003.