EU Local and Regional Authorities Contributing to The

EU local and regional authorities contributing to the Mid-term review of Europe 2020

Assessment of the Digital Agenda for Europe flagship initiative

Three years after its launch, the Committee of the Regions will take stock of the Digital Agenda for Europe flagship initiative at a conference to be held on 2 July 2013 in Brussels. This conference will be the fifth in a series of CoR events and monitoring initiatives surrounding the mid-term review of Europe 2020 in 2014. More news on this conference can be found on the CoR website1.

By participating in this survey, you will:

- ensure that your views are taken into account in the debate held during the conference; - contribute to the fourth CoR Monitoring Report on Europe 2020, to be published in October 2013; - contribute to the CoR's consultative activity in this field over the coming months; - contribute to the mid-term review of Europe 2020 in 2014.

IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY, PLEASE COMPLETE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IN ANY EU LANGUAGE, USING THE SPACES PROVIDED, AND RETURN IT IN TEXT FORMAT TO: [email protected]

by 27 May 2013

For more information on this survey and for details on how to join the Europe 2020 Monitoring Platform, go to: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/

The questionnaire is available on this website in all official languages of the EU

1 http://cor.europa.eu/en/activities/europe2020/Pages/digital-agenda-for-europe.aspx Contributor information2

Name of sender: Daniel Marco Directorate General of Telecommunications and Information Society Contact details: Carrer de Salvador Espriu, 45-51 (Polígon Pedrosa) | (address, telephone, email) 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat Telf. +34 93 557 43 00 [email protected] On behalf of: Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya) (name of local or regional authority) City/Town/Municipality Region County/Province Association of local and/or Type of organisation regional authorities Other (please specify) Country: Spain

Member of the EUROPE 2020 Monitoring Yes No Platform:

Policy challenges and responses at regional and local level

BOX 1 – Digital Agenda for Europe: basic information

The Digital Agenda for Europe was adopted in 2010, as an integral part of the Europe 2020 strategy3, to stimulate the digital economy and address societal challenges through Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The flagship initiative aims to speed up the roll-out of high- speed Internet and reap the benefits of a digital single market for households and firms in Europe. The Digital Agenda contains 101 actions, in 7 pillars4, which will help to reboot the EU economy and enable Europe's citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital technologies.

1. Digital Single Market. The Digital Agenda will update EU Single Market rules for the digital era. The aims are to boost the music download business, establish a single area for online payments, and further protect EU consumers in cyberspace.

2. Interoperability and Standards. Europe must ensure that new IT devices, applications, data

2 Privacy Statement: The follow-up to your contribution requires that your personal data (name, contact details, etc.) be processed in a file. All the answers to the questions are voluntary. Your replies will be kept for a period of 5 years after the receipt of your questionnaire. Should you require any further information or wish to exercise your rights under Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 (e.g. to access, rectify or delete your data), please contact the data controller at [email protected]. If necessary, you may also contact the CoR Data Protection Officer ([email protected]). You have the right of recourse to the European Data Protection Supervisor at any time (www.edps.europa.eu). Please note that the questionnaire with your contribution and your contact details will be published online. Your questionnaire may be transmitted to CoR rapporteurs and other EU institutions for information. Should you not agree to this, please inform us accordingly. 3 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2010:2020:FIN:EN:PDF 4 http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/our-goals/pillar-i-digital-single-market repositories and services interact seamlessly anywhere. The Digital Agenda identifies improved standard-setting procedures and increased interoperability as the keys to success.

3. Trust and security. The Digital Agenda proposes a number of practical solutions, including a coordinated European response to cyber-attacks and reinforced rules on personal data protection.

4. Fast and ultra-fast access to the Internet. To match world leaders like South Korea and Japan, Europe needs download rates of 30 Mbps for all of its citizens and at least 50% of European households subscribing to internet connections above 100 Mbps by 2020.

5. Research and Innovation. Currently, EU investment in ICT research is still less than half US levels. The Digital Agenda seeks to maintain Europe's competitive edge through increased coordination and elimination of Europe's fragmented efforts.

6. Enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion. Over 50% of Europeans use the internet daily – but 30% have never used it at all. As ever more daily tasks are carried out online, everyone needs enhanced digital skills to participate fully in society.

7. ICT-enabled benefits for EU society. The Digital Agenda focuses on ICTs' capability to reduce energy consumption, support ageing citizens' lives, revolutionises health services and deliver better public services.

A specific scoreboard measuring Member State performance and progress has been especially designed to provide analysis and detailed data on all the policy areas covered by the Digital Agenda5.

You can find more information on the Digital Agenda for Europe, as seen from the local and regional authorities' viewpoint, in the Committee of the Regions' publication Delivering on the Europe 2020 Strategy Handbook for Local and Regional Authorities6. General information on Europe 2020 can be found on the strategy's official website7.

1) What are the main challenges currently facing your region/city in terms of (i) access to the Internet, (ii) e-Governance, and (iii) computer literacy? Regarding (i) access to the Internet, the main challenge Catalonia is currently facing is the deployment of new-generation networks (Optical Fiber and Mobile Networks) throughout Catalonia. Regarding (ii) e-Governance the main challenge is the use of ICTs to create advanced services that that promotes a more effective public service that is nearer to the citizen, and that increases transparency and equal opportunities. (iii) computer literacy, we have to make sure we leave no one behind while performing this change; society has to evolve as a whole, so social groups that are at risk of exclusion must not be left behind.

2) Which of the aims of the Digital Agenda for Europe (listed in Box 1) are most relevant in view of the challenges currently facing your city/region?

5 http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/scoreboard 6 The Handbook can be downloaded from: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/SiteCollectionDocuments/Europe%202020%20Handbook%20for%20Local%20and%20Regional %20Authorities.pdf 7 http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/flagship-initiatives/index_en.htm Mainly we have a strong focus on points 4 , 5 and 7 as we are trying to implement all points listed in Box I, this are currently our main priorities. 4. Fast and ultra-fast access to the Internet. 5. Research and Innovation. 7. ICT-enabled benefits for EU society.

3) Please briefly describe what type of policy programmes/actions are being implemented in your city/region in the policy areas covered by the Digital Agenda for Europe, highlighting their specific contribution to the above aims. The Government of Catalonia has developed idigital, the digital strategy for Catalonia for the coming years in line with the plans that the European Union set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe 2020. idigital, the Digital Agenda for Catalonia 2020, is therefore the concrete manifestation of ICT development strategies to construct this model of information society. It is also the roadmap that will enable Catalonia to attain levels of development on a par with the European countries that are most advanced in their exploitation of ICT.

Based on this, idigital sets out eight strategic initiatives on which the digital strategy for Catalonia is based:

Also idigital makes a transposition of the European Digital Agenda objectives. The table below shows the key performance indicators that are applied to Catalonia, the target set by the EU and the target value set by idigital.

Group Indicator EU target idigital target

BROADBAND Basic broadband coverage 100% by 2013 100% by 2012 Group Indicator EU target idigital target

80% by 2015 Fast broadband coverage (≥ 30 Mbps) 100% by 2020 100% by 2020

Ultra-fast broadband subscriptions (≥ 100 Mbps) 50% by 2020 75% by 2020

DIGITAL SINGLE e-commerce: population buying online 50% by 2015 60% by 2015 MARKET

Cross-border e-commerce: population buying cross 20% by 2015 20% by 2015 border online

e-Commerce for business: SMEs conducting online 33% of SMEs by 2015 40% by 2015 purchases/sales

DIGITAL INCLUSION Regular general Internet use 75% by 2015 85% by 2015

Regular Internet use among disadvantaged groups 60% by 2015 60% by 2015

Population that has never used the Internet 15% by 2015 15% by 2015

PUBLIC SERVICES e-Administration: citizens using e-Administration 50% by 2015 50% by 2015

RESEARCH AND Double public investment to 3% of GDP by 2020 (public Promotion of ICT R&D: public investment INNOVATION €11 billion (3% GDP) and private)

Listed below you can find some of the more relevant programmes that promotes the idigital plan along with the aims that are trying to asses this programmes regarding the Digital Agenda for Europe.

1. Digital Single Market: a. ecommerce is the programme in charge of the promotion the electronic commerce both for local and international markets. 2. Interoperability and Standards, a. Ebilling. This project will provide a major boost for the introduction of ICT in Public Administrations and SMEs, making them more competitive. 3. Trust and security, a. CESICAT (Center for Security of Information in Catalonia) is the organization in charge of executing the plan for the security in ICT approved by the government of Catalonia in 2009. 4. Fast and ultra-fast access to the Internet, a. Optical Fiber network deployment across all Catalonia. 5. Research and Innovation, a. RIS3 Strategy where ICTs and Digital Innovation are one of the pilars. 6. Enhancing digital literacy, skills and inclusion, a. ACTIC is an accreditation homologated by the Administration of Catalonia in ICT skills. 7. ICT-enabled benefits for EU society, a. Programmes related to eLearning, eHealth and eAdministration as eduCAT 2.0, eSalut, Canal Empresa, etc.

4) CoR opinions from October 20108 and October 20119 relating to the Digital Agenda for Europe

8 https://bvstoad.cor.europa.eu/corwipdetail.aspx?folderpath=EDUC-V/003&id=20662 identified, among others, a particular need to: i) create local digital agendas to speed up the optimal use of ICT through orchestrated local, regional and European cooperation, ii) improve interoperability and e-government by developing new applications such as human-centred e- services, e-learning, e-health and e-administration, iii) ensure equal and affordable broadband access everywhere and lead pilot projects aimed at closing the accessibility gap and iiii) ensure that security requirements are met at every level so as to guarantee optimum levels of privacy and protection of personal data.

Has your city/region currently adopted specific policies in these fields? Has your city/region adopted a local/regional digital agenda? (i) As mentioned before, Catalonia has created their own Local Digital Agenda called Idigital. (ii) The Digital Agenda for Catalonia sets out its objective as making Catalonia a leading ICT region, promoting the role of ICTs in government, centralising the governance of ICT to generate efficiency, to improve public services and to increase transparency and equal opportunities. In order to attain this objective, the Government of Catalonia has promoted a process of transformation that aims to provide Catalonia and the government itself with a centralised ICT management model that acts as a driving force for the business sector and at the same time implies improved efficiency of the administration itself and facilitates the creation of more solid and efficient state structures. This transformation process is what is known as the new ICT model. It encompasses a change in management procedures and in the model of governance of ICT within the Government of Catalonia. It also acts as a motor for public-private partnership models and innovative public procurement models based on competitive dialogue. (iii) One of the ICT requirements of the public administration is the connection of its services via ahigh-capacity network. However, by putting telecommunications services out to tender, the Government of Catalonia wants to go beyond a mere 100 Mb connection to the almost 5,000 administrative offices that the government operates; this network, which is to be rolled out in the space of four years, is also to connect schools, healthcare centres (hospitals, primary care centres, etc.), research and innovation centres and industrial estates. In addition, the successful tenderer must offer the same services in the private sphere at prices agreed with the government, so that other telecommunications operators can exploit this new-generation network that, thanks to the Government of Catalonia, will be available over a wider area.7 (iv) The Government created CESICAT with the objective to guarantee a secure information society in Catalonia, working on the problem from various angles, such as promoting a culture of security and security tools as part of the business fabric, increasing the trust of citizens and strengthening privacy and data protection as well as the security of online infrastructure.

9 https://bvstoad.cor.europa.eu/BrowseDocuments.aspx?type=1&folder=cdr\ecos-v\dossiers\ecos-v-015 How is the Digital Agenda for Europe relevant to your city or region?

BOX 2 – Digital Agenda for Europe: 2012 update

The flagship initiative of the Digital Agenda of Europe, as reviewed by the Commission in December 201210, identifies several important areas where more focused action is needed in order to create growth and jobs in Europe. The review comes at a time when more needs to be done to revive Europe's economic performance and when the digital economy is growing at seven times the rate of the rest of the economy. The seven priorities/transformative actions for 2013-2014 are:

1) Create a new and stable broadband regulatory environment. 2) New public digital service infrastructures through the Connecting Europe Facility11 3) Launch Grand Coalition on Digital Skills and Jobs 4) Propose EU cyber-security strategy and Directive 5) Update the EU's copyright framework 6) Accelerate cloud computing12 through public sector buying power 7) Launch new electronics industrial strategy – an "Airbus of Chips"

In particular, Europe needs a 'wake-up call' on high-speed broadband. High-speed internet is the basis for the digital economy; without it, essential services such as cloud computing, eHealth, smart cities, audiovisual services – and the benefits thereby derived – will simply not take off.

5) The Digital Agenda for Europe as updated by the Commission in December 2012, sets out a "Digital Agenda Review" based on the seven priorities/transformative actions presented in Box 2 above.

Which of these actions are most relevant to your specific local/regional situation? 2) New public digital service infrastructures through the Connecting Europe Facility 3) Launch Grand Coalition on Digital Skills and Jobs 4) Propose EU cyber-security strategy and Directive 6) Accelerate cloud computing13 through public sector buying power

6) Which of the actions and priorities under the Digital Agenda for Europe (set out in Box 2) are the most difficult to achieve in your city/region? Please, explain why. Create a new and stable broadband regulatory environment and Update the EU’s copyright framework because of the lack of competence in these areas.

7) Overall, what are the strong and weak points of the Digital Agenda for Europe, as seen from your

10 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-1000_en.htm 11 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/connecting-europe-facility 12 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1025_en.htm?locale=en 13 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1025_en.htm?locale=en regional/local standpoint? StrongAmbitious and well defined goals and indicators also revised and kept up to date.

Weak  Currently our main problem regarding the deployment of the digital agenda is how to finance those projects, thus an interesting point to be cover by the digital agenda is best practices or ways to reach agreements between the public and the private sector in order to get financing for this projects and interesting opportunities to enhance the private participation.

8) Would you recommend any specific changes to the Digital Agenda for Europe, following Europe 2020's mid-term review in 2014? Put more focus on developing initiatives related to impulse the mobile sector where Europe can reach a leading position.

Are your country's policies relevant to your city or region?

9) Does your country's 2012 (current) National Reform Programme14 (NRP) for Europe 2020 adequately respond to your regional/local needs in the policy areas covered by the Digital Agenda for Europe? If not, would you suggest any changes in your country's NRP for 2013? One of the priorities of the NRP of Spain is the development of the information society and the creation of the Digital Agenda for Spain. The main goals of the Digital Agenda for Spain are similar to the ones in the Catalan Digital Agenda that were developed before.

10) Do you have the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of your NRP or national policies related to the priorities set out in the Digital Agenda for Europe, even if this takes place indirectly through organisations that represent cities and regions in your country? If yes, please state how in brief. The Government of Catalonia has not given the opportunity to contribute to the drafting of our NRP or national policies.

Policy and funding issues

11) What sources of funding are used to finance your actions (as provided under question 3) under the Digital Agenda for Europe? In particular: what is the role of the EU Structural Funds in funding actions related to the Digital Agenda for Europe? Are other policy/financial instruments involved? Please, explain. Currently, under the FEDER Operational Programme 2007-2013 in Catalonia, Objective 2 Regional Competitiveness and Employment in Axis 1 Innovation, Business Development and Knowledge Economy, the Directorate General of Telecommunications and Information Society (DGTSI) of the Government of Catalonia, has scheduled five projects with co-financing of € 60.5 million, corresponding to 50% of its total budget, as detailed in the following website: http://www.gencat.cat/empresaiocupacio/telecomunicacions_si/fons_europeus These projects were planned and scheduled prior to the adoption of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the

14 All available here: http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/making-it-happen/country-specific-recommendations/index_en.htm. European Digital Agenda and Plan idigital. So, are based on the previous plans and strategies. However, their goals are still being alienated by the current political and community priorities and the strategic issues of our Digital Agenda.

12) Have any of the pursued goals been jeopardised due to fiscal consolidation policies and subsequent financial difficulties? In the current programming period 2007-2013, no, because, despite the severe economic situation remained the annual payments that were passed to execute projects. However, the future period 2014-2020, in its beginning years, it is expected that there are financial difficulties, but are studying all possibilities and alternatives for their impact is as low as possible.

13) Were you directly or indirectly involved in the preparation of the forthcoming Partnership Agreement which is to be signed between your national government and the European Commission for the management of the Structural Funds under the Common Strategic Framework 2014-202015? If yes, please explain how in brief. No, we are not. This is a responsibility of the state member’s governments and we only collaborate with various European funds management bodies in the region / autonomous community of Catalonia.

14) Please add any further comments you wish to make on the issues covered in this questionnaire. We may suggest enhancing countries and regions in the European union to share their best practices in the implementation of the Digital Agenda.

SHARE YOUR GOOD PRACTICE

As part of the preparations for the CoR conference to be held on 2 July 2013 and to showcase good practices in areas covered by the Digital Agenda for Europe, you are invited to submit examples of good practice from your local area. Please complete the form available on our website: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/MonitoringFlagships/Pages/Welcome.aspx

JOIN THE EUROPE 2020 MONITORING PLATFORM

To help convey the voice of EU cities and regions in the implementation of Europe 2020 at EU level and in your country, join us. For details on how, see: http://portal.cor.europa.eu/europe2020/Knowledge/Pages/BecomeaMember.aspx

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION!

15 http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/what/future/index_en.cfm#1