06/02/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 6 February, MEPs approved the provisional political agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on 13 November on ‘Interoperable Europe’ (see EUROPE 13292/7) (524 votes in favour, 18 against, 97 abstentions). The agreement had already been approved on 28 November by the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (see EUROPE 13302/37). “In the future, EU public sector institutions and businesses will need to promote the ability to ‘communicate’ electronically across borders. Before adopting major regulations or purchasing an IT system, national and local authorities will have to assess whether and how public services can be delivered digitally”, commented the dossier’s rapporteur, Ivars Ijabs (Renew Europe, Latvian), after the vote. (TM)