MEPs have extended the scope of application of the regulation establishing a single digital web portal or gateway by adding new procedures in addition to those foreseen by the European Commission. The report on this, drafted by Marlene Mizzi (S&D, Malta), was adopted by a comfortable majority (32 to 3) by the committee on the internal market and consumer protection (IMCO), on Thursday 22 February.
MEPs thus planned the addition of administrative procedures for: - requesting a certificate of residence; - registering at a public university; - requesting recognition of a professional qualification; - making a tax declaration; - and registering the VAT number of a business. Such procedures have been added to the 134 already foreseen by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11915).
The other innovations introduced by MEPs included the possibility of allowing member states to demand that a user present him or herself in person to the administration when requesting or renewing a biometric passport or an identity card, but only in exceptional, justified cases (security, public health or for combating fraud).
MEPs call for the single digital gateway project to be integrated into the “Your Europe” portal, which is already in existence and managed by the European Commission. The aim of the latter portal is to provide European citizens with information on European initiatives and policies.
Furthermore, the text adopted insists on the “once only principle” for filling in formalities: users do not have to fill the same document in several times allowing the same information to be re-used, in respect of protection of personal data.
The vote opens the road to interinstitutional negotiations. The Council finalised its stance in December, whereby ministers did away with procedures for renewing identity cards and passports and brings in two new administrative procedures, one for changing a personal or professional situation, and the other for the European health insurance card (see EUROPE 11916). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)