Brussels, 21/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Has the promotion of online government through regional funds been effective? The Court of Auditors report published on Friday 21 October paints a mixed picture of the situation on electronic transactions between governments and citizens or businesses. The Commission could do more, according to a performance audit of almost half of expenditure from the European regional development fund (ERDF) on information society projects (projects between 2000 and 2006 in France, Italy, Poland and Spain, amounting to €3 billion). The audit found that most of the projects were technically sound but regrets that the benefits which accrued were well below expectations, not enough emphasis having been placed on the outcomes of the projects. Strategies were developed more as responses to political statements than to genuine needs. Further, poor design or lack of implementation methodology reduced the scope and often brought delays.
The Court of Auditors recommends that the European Commission work on these points and also pay particular attention to trans-European interoperability, with greater integration of systems across the EU. The report recognises that the projects audited were technologically sound, appropriately maintained and financially sustainable. It recommends that e-government projects be selected on the basis on an assessment of likely costs and benefits. (MD/transl.rt)