Interoperability as a Cornerstone of the Electronic Procedures of Public Administrations

ABSTRACT The right/obligation of citizens to use electronic means in their telematic administrative relations would not be possible without public administrations providing the necessary means to enable citizens to fully exercise their rights. Interoperability is undoubtedly a prerequisite for achieving this goal. For this reason, the purpose of this research is to analyse the policies that the European Union has implemented to realize interoperability, as well as their subsequent incorporation into the Spanish legal system. In short, the aim is to highlight the essential mechanisms that make the reality of digital administration possible, while also addressing some unresolved issues.

KEYWORDS Interoperability - Digital Administration - eGovernment Policy - European Administrative Law

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Data transmission between public administrations as a first step towards interoperability in European Union law. Introduction. – 1.1. The IDA programme. – 1.2. The IST Programme. – 1.3. The IDA II Programme. – 1.4. The IDABC Programme. – 2. Key elements for shaping eGovernment. – 2.1. National Interoperability Scheme. – 2.2. The national security scheme. – 3. Interoperability in Spain’s current administrative regulations