EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 155: Brev og bilag vedr. Berlinerklæringen om offentlig digitalisering

Europaudvalget 2020-21
EUU Alm.del Bilag 155
Offentligt

Berlin Declaration

Digital Society and

Value-Based Digital Government

at the ministerial meeting during the

German Presidency of the Council of the European Union

on 8 December 2020

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EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 155: Brev og bilag vedr. Berlinerklæringen om offentlig digitalisering

Preamble

Digital transformation opens up new opportunities and new forms of social participation and public opinion-

forming processes, with the potential to engage all members of our societies. Digital technologies offer new ways

of solving societal issues and making governments and public institutions more efficient and effective. Our soci-

eties ought to benefit fully from such new opportunities. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a pro-

found impact on our societies from an educational, economic, leisure and behavioural perspective, it also high-

lights that digital technologies can enable our societies to effectively tackle sudden and extreme challenges and

that inno ati e digital tools can be de eloped incorporating the European Union’s alues and fundamental rights.

However, this is only possible if people are adequately skilled and provided with easy access to the necessary

technology

and connecti ity. We need to explore the lessons learned from this pandemic ith a ie to crisis

prevention and resilience on a broader scale and the boost it has given to the digital transformation. We need to

seize this unique opportunity to more actively shape the strategic direction of the digital transformation in our

Member States.

The 2017 Tallinn Declaration on eGovernment marked a milestone for a service-oriented, reliable and inno-

vative eGovernment in Europe. As the goals and framework of the declaration remain undisputed, we reconfirm

our common political commitment regarding the stated priorities with a view to ensuring high quality, user-

centric and seamless cross-border digital public services for citizens and businesses in developing a future-ori-

ented European Single Market. Yet, the success of a modern and innovative Digital Government hinges on the

involvement of as many members of our societies as possible, especially those who feel anxious about digitalisa-

tion, security and privacy, or find it difficult to keep pace with rapid technological development. What is at stake

is true digital empowerment of our citizens who want to benefit from a digitalised world. Everyone should be

able to seize the opportunities offered by digitalisation. No one should be left behind.

This declaration aims to contribute to a value-based digital transformation by addressing and ultimately

strengthening digital participation and digital inclusion in our societies. We need a compass to navigate the digital

transition, aligned by our common European fundamental rights and values and shaped by participatory pro-

cesses that to some extent may themselves need to be redesigned by involving citizens and the general public in

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open consultations, online and offline. As emphasised by the Treaty on European Union (TEU), we draw inspira-

tion from

the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal

values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of

law.

We elcome ongoing efforts to impro e digital cooperation on a global scale, in particular the UN Secretary

General’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, as

ell as ongoing initiati es like the Coalition of the Willing,

that

aim to combine strengths in digital government transformation at EU level. By making sure that the digital trans-

formation is based on our strong common democratic and ethical values and the following principles, we can

take advantage of new technologies for the common good while striving for an ever-closer European Union.

I. Principles

Acknowledging the laws, rules and values on which the European Union rests1 as well as key initiatives, legisla-

tion and strategies for shaping the digital transformation and strengthening the European Single Market2, we

reaffirm our commitment to respect and defend individual freedoms and rights, while ensuring that these are

exercised in respect of the freedoms and rights of others. We acknowledge the public sector as an essential ele-

ment for the European Single Market and a driving force for new and innovative technological solutions for public

services and societal challenges. Public authorities at all levels must lead by example to strengthen the tenets of

the European Union by adopting the following cornerstone principles in the digital sphere:

in particular, the fundamental rights set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

i.e. Council Conclusions of June

Shaping Europe's Digital Future ;

Council Conclusions of 7

June

on the Future

of a highly

digitised Europe beyond 2020:

Boosting digital and economic competiti eness across the Union and digital cohesion

; the European Com-

mission’s Digital

Package, including the overall strategy

Shaping Europe’s Digital Future,

the European Data Strategy and the White Paper

on Artificial Intelligence; the Tallinn Declaration on eGovernment and the eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020 with their shared commit-

ment to user centricity, simplicity of services, user friendliness, accessibility and convenience; a strengthened EU Digital Government Strat-

egy and Government Interoperability Strategy [in preparation]; the Web Accessibility Directive ensuring access to public sector websites

for the 80 million people with disabilities in the EU; the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resili-

ence; the Next Generation EU instrument to foster sustainable and resilient growth in view of the COVID-19 Pandemic; the Single Digital

Gateway Regulation enabling user friendly, cross-border access to digital public services; the eIDAS Regulation with the aim of offering

trustworthy cross-border digital identity for interoperability of services across Europe; data governance rules based on voluntary data con-

tribution to encourage the development of federated, safe, secure and trusted common European data spaces for strategic sectors in order

to facilitate the use of publicly available data and the free movement of data, such as the Directive on Open Data and the Reuse of Public

Sector Information,

A European strategy for data COM

66 final, the Regulation on

the Free Flow of Non-Personal Data in compli-

ance with the legal framework for the protection of personal data, especially the General Data Protection Regulation; the Cybersecurity

Act, the Directive on Security of Network and Information Systems (NIS Directive) and the Council Conclusions on cybersecurity capacity

and capabilities building in the EU,

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(1) Validity and respect of fundamental rights and democratic values

All human beings are equally entitled to be treated with respect and fairness - both in the analog and in the

digital sphere. The existing rights, values and the corresponding legal framework of the European Union apply

regardless of our means of communication and irrespective of the use of analog, digital, hybrid or integrated

formats. Our common core foundations such as the rule of law, our concern for human dignity, right to au-

tonomy, and shared ethical values must prevail in the digital world. European democracy must be protected

from both disinformation and outright attacks on elections with due respect for the freedom of expression.

All citizens should be able to verify the authenticity of online information, websites and applications. Every-

one, especially children and young people, needs the best possible protection from malicious cyber activity

like cyber bullying, mobbing or grooming. We strive for a digital transformation in which every person recog-

nises that fundamental rights and freedoms laid out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European

Union as well as shared fundamental values like respect for others, transparency, privacy and authenticity of

information form the cornerstone of all interactions, including in the digital sphere.

(2) Social participation and digital inclusion to shape the digital world

All people of Europe should be able to participate in and benefit fully from digital opportunities on an un-

conditional basis and without discrimination. We recognize the need for equal access to an open Internet for

all parts of society, including disadvantaged groups and citizens with disabilities, as a cornerstone of diversity

of opinion, pluralism, innovation and progress. Governments and public authorities at all levels should lead

by example

and pro ide digital ser ices,

shift from eGo

hich respond to and e ol e

ith citizens’ digital preferences. As

hen encouraging inclusion or

the majority of citizens use mobile devices for access to the internet, we need to pay tribute to the paradigm

electronic Go ernment to mGo

mobile Go ernment

aiming to provide seamless, transparent, accessible and user-friendly digital government services. Citizens

must be able to use such digital services without having legal knowledge. The members of our societies

should have the opportunity to help shape the digital transformation and share their ideas and content with

others unimpeded, while respecting the rights of third parties. The public sector should encourage such wider

participation in policy-making by involving society in the design of public services through co-creation, ex-

perimentation and collaboration.

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(3) Empowerment and digital literacy

Every citizen and business in Europe should be able to navigate the digital world with confidence and in a

self-determined manner. Users should be further empowered to manage their digital identity and to protect

their personal data and privacy online. They should be made aware of the risk within the digital world result-

ing from cybercrime and other threats to information security or privacy. Citizens and businesses should have

the option of seamless and easily accessible interaction with public administrations following the digital-by-

default approach. Aside from fair, transparent and user-friendly digital procedures and services, that are

based on the concept of privacy by design, this demands digital literacy on the part of the user. It is our

common interest that the people of Europe maintain autonomy by keeping control over their data and its

use. They should be empowered to consistently decide for themselves about the scope, visibility and exist-

ence of their own digital footprint. Life-long learning and the development of digital skills should be pro-

moted and include ethical, technical, legal, ecological and social aspects.

(4) Trust and security in digital government interactions

Everyone should be able to navigate the digital world safely, authenticate and be digitally recognised within

the EU conveniently. All people of Europe should avail of an easy to use, widely accepted and secure elec-

tronic identification conforming to European standards (e-ID), which allows them to securely access public,

private and cross-border digital services. As a broad acceptance of digital government depends on trust, we

must ensure that citizens and businesses are able to rely on trustworthy and verifiable digital government

applications and services, which are in full conformity with high security standards and respond to user

needs. Moreover, in order to ensure a free, open and safe digital domain and enhance social trust, funda-

mental rights and security should be integrated in all policies with a digital dimension. To foster trust in

digital interactions with the public sector, suitable regulatory frameworks must be provided that ensure

transparency, predictability, security-by-design and, where necessary, reinforcement or adjustment of exist-

ing provisions.

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(5) Digital sovereignty and interoperability

Digital sovereignty is key in ensuring the ability of citizens and public administrations to make decisions and

act in a self-determined manner in the digital world. We must ensure that all underlying digital components

of ICT solutions (hardware, software, and services) meet European requirements. We must create the right

conditions for Europe to develop and deploy our own key digital capacities, including the deployment of

secure cloud infrastructure and interoperable services that fully comply with European legal provisions and

ethical values. Common standards, modular architectures and the use of Open-Source Software (OSS) in the

public sector are facilitators for deploying and developing strategic digital tools and capacities. We must

ensure the availability of diverse and high-performing digital solutions to guarantee freedom of choice and

the ability to change IT modules when necessary. Software, data and tools generated by the public sector

should be reusable and openly accessible as long as this is compliant with fundamental rights. As explained

in the European data strategy, a strengthened interoperability framework, as well as suitable regulatory

frameworks are key in helping Europe benefit from the economic value of data, thus creating a single market

for data that will ensure Europe's global competitiveness and data sovereignty.

(6) Human-centred systems and innovative technologies in the public sector

We need to ensure that the European Union further strengthens its pioneering role in the research on secure

and trustworthy technology design and that the opportunities of Emerging Disruptive Technologies (EDT)

including the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, distributed ledger technologies,

and quantum computing are put at the ser ice of all European Member States’ citizens, and businesses. Such

technologies carry great potential for evidence-based policy-making and play a key role in providing user-

centric public services. With reference to the current Presidency Conclusions

on The

Charter of Fundamen-

tal Rights in the context of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Change and related key documents3, we aim

to promote a human-centred, responsible and common-good oriented development and use of AI and other

novel technologies in the public sector. The human-centred approach aims to ensure that such applications

are inclusive, help solve societal challenges and do not reproduce harmful social or economic biases. The

public sector has a role-model function in ensuring that the development and application of these novel

i.e. the Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence (COM(2018) 795 final) and the Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence

presented by the EU High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence.

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technologies is firmly rooted in our common fundamental rights and values and underpinned by a regulatory

framework that is sufficiently flexible to mitigate the risks while accelerating innovation and competitive-

ness.

(7) Towards a resilient and sustainable digital society

One of the most pressing challenges and responsibilities for Europe is keeping our planet and people healthy

and better preserving our natural foundations of life. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a warning that

new crises of unforeseen nature are likely to emerge in the future. In times where healthcare systems are

under unprecedented pressure, digital solutions have proved essential in crisis management. We ought to

explore and continuously follo

up on the lessons to be learned from the COVID-19

pandemic and the

ell-being.

boost it has given to digital transformation. We also need to make sure that the increasing use of digital

technologies does not harm but rather contributes to people’s physical and psychological

addition, the digital transformation in Europe needs to be closely aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustain-

able Development and the Paris Agreement as well as the goals of the European Green Deal. With reference

to the current work on Council Conclusions on Digitalisation for the Benefit of the Environment , we need

to ensure that a sustainable digital transformation serves our citizens and businesses on an individual level

as well as our society as a whole, while at the same time safeguarding the preservation of our natural foun-

dations of life.

II. Policy action areas

In accordance with the principles outlined above, we will in our countries take steps and -building on the expe-

rience of the Tallinn Declaration - call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions for support to

implement and monitor progress towards the following objectives. The policy action areas stated below will be

applied in ways that are appropriate and feasible in each country and digital public service context. In concrete

terms, we will

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a) Promote fundamental rights and democratic values in the digital sphere by

promoting the validity of fundamental rights in the digital sphere and adopting measures to strengthen

compliance with fundamental rights and values;

enhancing our efforts to ensure that the public opinion-forming and democratic decision-making pro-

cesses are not manipulated by improper or malicious use of new technologies;

supporting the fight against cybercrime, particularly online child abuse and sexual exploitation as well as

online grooming;

applying and promoting measures (i.e. digital codes of conduct) that aim to achieve an understanding of

mutually respectful, fair and dignified online behaviour towards one another.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States by 2024



Engage in strategic projects with the aim of increasing awareness of the relevance of a value-based dig-

ital transformation, i.e. by building platforms to exchange and further develop national and European

strategies ith regard to digital transformation digital round tables and by organising cross-border

and international exchange (i.e. workshops);



Translate abstract fundamental rights regulation into tangible policies and strive to set an example by

incorporating fundamental rights into public sector innovation policies and technology procurement

rules;



Encourage the establishment of ethical and technological expert councils to provide advice to and foster

debate among citizens.

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Further facilitate the Alliance to Better Protect Minors Online;

Develop guidelines, codes of conduct and other instruments to strengthen compliance, fight against

harmful content, and further support actions to coordinate and tackle child sexual abuse material

online



Continue supporting the development and expansion of the European Digital Media Observatory to

combat online disinformation.

in reference to the

OECD report Children & Young People’s Mental Health in the Digital Age Shaping the Future .

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b) Enhance social participation and inclusion by

reinforcing digital policy dialogue with citizens to promote social cohesion and active participation of

civil society in democratic political discourse;

encouraging citizens and government administrations to more strongly explore the use of digital tools in

shaping the political discourse on digital transformation;

ensuring that the digital transformation is inclusive of and accessible for persons with disabilities and

developing relevant policies to deal with existing participation gaps especially with regard to de-

mographics and remote or rural areas;

making public services fully available via standard mobile devices and accessible for persons with disa-

bilities, including secure possibilities for electronic identification;

promoting solutions aimed at minimising digital exclusion or aimed at adjusting to a changing economic

and social world.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States by 2024



Put co-creation and collaboration with citizens into practice and encourage the use of digital tools to

foster participation of citizens in political-decision-making;



Provide easy access to services for the mobile channel by enabling citizens to use their mobile devices

to carry out digital public services and by cooperating at EU level in establishing necessary elements for

ensuring mobile device interoperability across borders;



Ensure that the digital transformation is inclusive of and accessible for persons with disabilities and el-

derly persons and increase our efforts to make public services and information fully digitally accessible

in accordance with the Web Accessibility Directive and the European Accessibility Act.

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Facilitate cooperation between Member States in finding effective approaches to help vulnerable groups

to become more self-sufficient, including simple language, alternative service channels, skills and hard-

ware to ensure inclusiveness for all citizens;



Continue to work with Member States to support the implementation of the Web Accessibility Directive

and the European Accessibility Act, and to foster the development of digital accessibility skills in the IT

professions.

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c) Foster digital empowerment and digital literacy by

fostering measures that contribute to impro ing citizens’ digital literacy, a areness, skills and reinforcing

their ability to act and make informed decisions in the digital sphere;

enhancing our continuous and relentless efforts to ensure that European citizens and businesses are in a

position to control their data and their digital identity;

strengthening development and actual use of digital skills and tools in the public sector,

encouraging advanced managerial skills training due to new digital modes of operation in view of the

increased shift towards remote working practices and contactless modes of doing business (e.g. cashless

payments, smart contracts, electronic signatures);

paying particular attention to diversity, inclusiveness and gender equality when fostering digital compe-

tencies in the public sector.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States by 2024



Initiate workshops, training etc. in order to promote digital skills and awareness in the public sector;



Continue to provide easily accessible, user-friendly services and seamless digital public services, tools

and applications;



Launch and promote initiatives to ensure that the general public is equipped with access and a minimum

understanding of digital technologies and digital skills i.e. online ser ice of digital ambassadors .

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Launch a Digital Skills platform which will be a one-stop-shop for digital skills initiatives (including on

new technologies like AI and cybersecurity), self-assessment tools and related information from all over

Europe in 2021;



Continue to support the EU-wide network of Safer Internet Centres, offering awareness, helpline and

hotline services to protect and empower children online, to enable them to grow into resilient digital

citizens;



Consolidate and expand the European Digital Education Hub, which will be a central interface for digital

education initiatives across the EU (involving national advisory services on digital education, linking na-

tional policies and enabling cross-sector cooperation on digital education initiatives);

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

Facilitate collaboration on media literacy skills to ensure awareness of the developing online environ-

ment and the roles of algorithms and other AI tools as well as AR, VR and mixed reality.

d) Strengthen trust through security in the digital sphere by

taking steps to make widely usable, secure and interoperable electronic identification and trust services

for electronic transactions available for each European resident and providing trustworthy, user-centric,

accessible and reliable public services and information;

applying adequate criteria to data generated or collected with support from public funds in order to fa-

cilitate their reuse;

paying tribute to principles of cyber-ethics such as transparency, accountability and confidentiality when

providing digital public services and promoting honesty, integrity and obedience to the law among users;

strengthening efforts

to make data stored by Member States’ public administrations immune from any

unwanted interference.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States States by 2024



Promote the rollout and use of notified eID means and introduce incentives for the private sector to use

European trustworthy and notified eID;



Consider ways to foster agreement on ICT security requirements;



Promote responsible and legally compliant re-use of data and the Once-Only Principle in line with the

Tallinn Declaration and encourage new concepts such as personal data management based on user con-

sent.

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Continue working towards developing an EU-wide Digital Identity framework allowing citizens and

businesses to securely and seamlessly access online public and private services, while minimising dis-

closure and retaining full control of data;



Promote the exchange of best practice and the formation of links among competent national and re-

gional authorities, in order to make best use of existing structures and groups such as the NIS coopera-

tion group and the European cooperation network on elections.

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e) Strengthen Europe’s

digital sovereignty and interoperability by

agreeing on common European requirements for technology providers and solutions in the public sector

(including security, data protection, interoperability, reusability) by accommodating existing require-

ments of the EU and Member States;

fostering our own key digital capacities to develop and deploy digital solutions in a secure cloud infra-

structure and for public services;

establishing common standards and modular architectures;

making public sector data within the European Union freely available based on demand in accordance

with the Directive on Open Data and Reuse of Public Sector Information (EU 2019/1024);

providing adequate, secure and affordable spaces to foster innovation through testing and experimenting

with data and digital technologies (i.e. sandboxes);

reducing administrative burdens on European businesses and citizens by implementing the Single Digital

Gateway Regulation ((EU) 2018/1724) and promoting cross-border implementation of the Once-Only

Principle in accordance with existing European rules and interoperability frameworks while paying par-

ticular attention to a demand-driven course of action;

fostering interoperability by design of policies, data, solutions and services to enhance cross-border and

cross-sector interconnections.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States by 2024



Work with the European Commission to jointly agree on concrete deadlines and criteria such as a de-

mand-driven approach for providing further suitable public services online for EU cross-border use;



Jointly work towards agreements on requirements for technology providers and solutions in the public

sector that are essential for digital sovereignty;



Implement common standards, modular architectures and

–

when suitable

–

open source technolo-

gies in the development and deployment of cross-border digital solutions.

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Establish and promote platforms for data exchange and reuse of data data spaces like those in the

context of the European Health Data Space and establish the European Alliance on Industrial Data and

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Cloud with a view to building the next generation of secure, resilient and energy-efficient cloud com-

puting capacities in Europe;



Continue coordinating cross-border interoperability and strengthen the European interoperability

framework;



in close cooperation with Member States support innovative public-private (GovTech) cooperation and

promote the development, sharing and reuse of open source standards, solutions and specifications

across borders;



Promote coherent high quality data across Member States by ensuring implementation of the Di-

rective on Open Data and the Re-Use of Public Sector Information ((EU) 2019/1024) with common

standards;



Ensure through the Better Regulation framework that policies and legislative acts proposed by the Eu-

ropean Commission are digital-ready and interoperable by default. Support the exchange with Mem-

ber States through a community around Better Legislation and pilot and share solutions.

f) Create value-based, human-centred AI systems for use in the public sector by

promoting an AI ecosystem based on European values and rules that unlocks the social and economic ben-

efits of this technology for European citizens and businesses through

fostering responsible, accountable public welfare and human-centred development and use of trans-

parent and explainable AI as well as the promotion of competitiveness and innovation in the European

Union;

ensuring that necessary safeguards are in place to prevent, detect and remedy unlawful discrimination

through the use of AI systems in the public sector;

enhancing our common efforts to provide effective ICT security tools and requirements to prevent un-

authorised access and use, manipulation of data or malicious interference with self-learning algorithms;

increasing our relentless efforts to ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of any AI system over

its entire life cycle;

recognising the importance of explainable AI, including e.g. adequate transparency at algorithm level,

in order to strengthen trustworthiness;

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ensuring proper data governance mechanisms - including appropriate levels of human oversight, if nec-

essary, to ensure an AI system’s correct functionality and decision-making.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States by 2024



Share best practices on the development of successful human-centric AI systems in the public sector;



Foster transparency and accountability i.e. by revealing when automated decision-making processes are

used in digital public services, and ensure quality standards of data sets fed into AI systems when de-

signing digital public services (e.g. by quality seals for data sets);



Stimulate knowledge sharing between practitioners of administrative innovation strategies and on ex-

amples of human centric technologies in public administrations.

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Continue to monitor the uptake of AI within European public administrations;



Strengthen digital innovation hubs and AI on demand platform;



Propose a risk-based, future proof and proportionate legislative proposal on AI and an updated AI co-

ordinated plan, including measures to promote the uptake of trustworthy and human centric AI by

public administrations, as appropriate, and assess skills development in public administrations;



Support research, development and innovation for increasing performance, trustworthiness and uptake

of AI-based solutions in the public sector in line with the AI White Paper (COM (2020) 65)).

g) Foster resilience and sustainability by

ensuring that the digital transformation in Europe contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) and making the digital transformation itself more sustainable regarding the consumption of en-

ergy resources;

encouraging the use of digital tools and ICT as solutions in the transition to climate neutrality in the

European Union as well as reducing the emissions connected to the increased use of data and technology

in a digital society;

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developing relevant policies to support a workplace culture that promotes a healthy and appropriate use

of digital technologies and work-life balance, namely through co-creation and collaboration with the civil

society;

strengthening the Digital Single Market that reaps the economic and social benefits of digitalisation and

connectivity for citizens in all countries and regions;

ensuring federated trusted common data space for the European Green Deal to widen and deepen the

EU collaboration, re-use and sharing of data, good practices and solutions of digital governance.

Therefore, we, the signatories, will in our EU Member States by 2024



Consider how to assess and make transparent the energy sources and consumption of digital tools and

infrastructures as well as ways to improve their efficiency;



Evaluate the environmental impacts of ICT using a multi-criteria lifecycle analysis and establish a strat-

egy to extend the lifespan of digital equipment and promote the eco-design of ICT products to improve

circular product cycles;



Foster the exchange of crisis management data, in particular in the health sector, e.g. via the European

Health Data Space;



Initiate expert consultations to provide guidelines on healthy and appropriate use of digital technologies

and work-life balance to prevent adverse impact on mental or physical human health development.

We call upon the European Commission and other EU institutions to



Foster cooperation within the European Union in order to maximise the contribution of communica-

tions net ork infrastructure to the EU’s resilience and green

deal objectives;



Foster an EU-wide exchange of innovative ideas through the European Research Area (ERA) as a frame-

work for action to ensure that Europe and the EU Member States are well-positioned and ready to re-

spond to potential future challenges;



Enhance the resilience of our health and care systems by continuing to develop and deploy together

with the Member States in the eHealth Network interoperable digital health solutions, like the exchange

of health records, mHealth and telehealth applications, assisting and promoting hereby the shift towards

integrated, continuous and personalized care systems.

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III. Conclusion

We, the signatories, will undertake the implementation of the above-mentioned aspects of this declaration in

our own countries by the end of 2024. We will annually present our implementation progress of this declaration

in our countries annual progress reports as prepared by the respective EU council presidency until 2024 and ask

the European Commission for support in setting up an appropriate mechanism. We will in our countries set the

above-mentioned priorities underlining that the funds provided for digital transformation by the Multiannual

Financial Framework (MFF) and by the extraordinary recovery effort "Next Generation EU (NGEU)" may have the

potential to support, inter alia, the achievement of these common goals and the implementation of the actions

and measures outlined above.

Building on the achievements of the Tallinn Declaration and the eGovernment Action Plan, we commit to work-

ing with the European Commission and the EU institutions to build a reinforced EU digital government policy

and to ensure coordination and support for the digital transformation of public administrations in all EU Member

States.

We call upon the European Union institutions to support and promote the policy principles and actions outlined

in this declaration at the European level. We encourage the Commission and other EU institutions to align digital

and innovative government initiatives with the lines of action of the declaration and EU policies. We call upon

the European Commission to take note of this declaration when setting up new policies, such as a new Digital

Government policy, interoperability strategy or the new Digital Compass requested by the European Council.

We call upon the French Presidency of the Council of the EU to take stock of the implementation of the decla-

ration in spring 2022. We call upon the incoming Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU to support,

promote and extend the present declaration’s

principles and objecti es by presenting a Lisbon Declaration that

constitutes a common understanding of the legal values that support a digital society.

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EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 155: Brev og bilag vedr. Berlinerklæringen om offentlig digitalisering

Margarete Schramböck

Federal Minister for Digital and

Economic Affairs

REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA

Mr Mathieu Michel

State Secretary for Privacy, Digital

Agenda, Administrative Simplification

and Management of Buildings

KINGDOM OF BELGIUM

Ms Mariyana Nikolova

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic

and Demographic Policy and Minister

of Tourism

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Bernard Gršić

State Secretary at the Central State

Office for the Development of Digital

Society

REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

Mr Kyriacos Kokkinos

Deputy Minister to the President of

Cyprus for Research, Innovation and

Digital Policy

REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS

Mr Vladimir Dzurilla

Chief Digital Officer and Prime Minister

Advisor for ICT and Digitalisation

CZECH REPUBLIC

Mr Nicolai Wammen

Minister of Finance

KINGDOM OF DENMARK

Mr Raul Siem

Minister of Foreign Trade and

Information Technology

REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA

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EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 155: Brev og bilag vedr. Berlinerklæringen om offentlig digitalisering

Ms Sirpa Paatero

Minister of Local Government

REPUBLIC OF FINLAND

Amélie de Montchalin

Minister of Public Sector Transformation

and the Civil Service

FRENCH REPUBLIC

Mr Horst Seehofer

Federal Minister of the Interior,

Building and Community

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY

Mr Kyriakos Pierrakakis

Minister of State and Digital Governance

HELLENIC REPUBLIC

Sándor Pintér

Minister of Interior

HUNGARY

Mr Ossian Smyth

Minister of State for Public Procurement

and eGovernment

IRELAND

Ms Paola Pisano

Minister for Technological Innovation

and Digitalisation

REPUBLIC OF ITALY

Mr Juris Pūce

Minister for Environmental Protection

and Regional Development

REPUBLIC OF LATVIA

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EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 155: Brev og bilag vedr. Berlinerklæringen om offentlig digitalisering

Mr Rimantas Sinkevičius

Minster of Economy and Innovation

REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

Mr Marc Hansen

Minister Delegate for Digitalisation

GRAND DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG

Mr Clyde Caruana

Minister for Finance

REPUBLIC OF MALTA

Mr Raymond Knops

State Secretary for the Interior and

Kingdom Relations

KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Mr Marek Zagórski

Secretary of State for Cybersecurity,

Chancellery of the Prime Minister

REPUBLIC OF POLAND

Ms Alexandra Leitão

Minister for Modernisation of the

State and Public Administration

PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC

Mr Marian Murgulet

State Secretary for Information

Technology and Government

Chief Information Officer

ROMANIA

Ms Veronika Remišová

Deputy Prime Minister for Investments

and Informatisation

SLOVAK REPUBLIC

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EUU, Alm.del - 2020-21 - Bilag 155: Brev og bilag vedr. Berlinerklæringen om offentlig digitalisering

Mr Boštjan Koritnik

Minister of Public Administration

REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA

Ms Nadia Calviño Santamaría

Third Vice-President of the

Government and Minister for the

Economy and Digital Transformation

KINGDOM OF SPAIN

Mr Anders Yeman

Minister for Energy and Digital

Development

KINGDOM OF SWEDEN

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