Digital Gateway [EU]
The single digital gateway
Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 establishing a single digital gateway to provide access to information, to procedures and to assistance and problem-solving services
The single digital gateway will facilitate online access to the information, key administrative procedures and assistance and problem-solving services that citizens and businesses may wish to contact if they encounter problems when exercising their internal market rights while living in or doing business in another EU country.
A single online point of access to information, procedures and assistance
The single digital gateway will guide citizens and companies to information on national and EU rules, rights and procedures, as well as to the websites where they can carry out these procedures online. Users looking for help will be guided towards assistance and problem-solving services.
In practical terms, a search function on the ‘Your Europe’ portal will give access to:
information — citizens will be able to easily find reliable, qualitative information on EU and national rules that apply to them when they want to exercise their internal market rights;
procedures — citizens will find out exactly how to carry out administrative procedures and what steps they need to follow;
assistance — if users are still confused about which rules apply or if they have trouble with a procedure, they will be guided to the most suitable EU or national assistance service to solve their problem.
The quality, user-friendliness and adequacy of the information provided by the European Commission and by authorities in EU countries will be monitored on the basis of user feedback.
Digitised administration
The regulation establishing the gateway also requires that the key administrative procedures be available online to both users in their own country as well as to cross-border users.
By 12 December 2023 at the latest, a list of 21 important administrative procedures will be fully available online in all EU countries. These cover situations that are relevant for doing business, working, studying or moving from one location to another. Examples include:
requesting a proof of residence;
applying for study grants;
asking for academic recognition of diplomas;
registering a vehicle;
getting a European Health Insurance Card;
claiming pension benefits; and
registering employees for pension and insurance schemes.
All national online procedures will have to be made fully accessible to cross-border users.
The ‘once-only principle’ (i.e. users should not have to submit to authorities documents or data already held by other authorities) will be applied to cross-border exchanges of evidence for a range of procedures. For these procedures, users will be given the option to request the direct exchange of evidence between authorities in different EU countries.
In addition, starting in December 2020, users will be able to provide feedback on problems they come across in the single market, with a view to improving policymaking.
Implementation
The functioning of the gateway will be supported by technical tools developed by the Commission in cooperation with national administrations. A gateway coordination group composed of the national coordinators and the Commission will support the regulation’s implementation. The application of the regulation will be reviewed in December 2022 and the functioning of the gateway will be reviewed every 2 years from 2022.
Compliance package
The regulation is part of a compliance package launched in 2017, which also included a proposal for a single market information tool and improvements to Solvit, the free assistance service for the internal market.
Implementing act
In 2020, the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1121, which sets the rules on collecting and sharing user statistics and feedback on the services of the single digital gateway. The data collected will be used by the service providers, national coordinators and by the Commission to monitor whether the services provided through the gateway comply with the quality criteria and to improve those services and the functionality of the single digital gateway.
Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1121 was accompanied by a Commission declaration, which states that it intends to explore, together with the EU countries in the context of the gateway coordination group, the feasibility of and the demand for a common EU-level service managed by the Commission. Another solution could be proposed to facilitate the collection and transmission of statistics related to webpages that are part of the gateway and are under the responsibility of municipal authorities.
Application
It applies from 12 December 2020. However, articles concerning the digitalisation of procedures, the cross-border availability of procedures and the use of ‘once-only’ system will apply from 12 December 2023. The obligation concerning the availability of information by municipal authorities will apply as of 12 December 2022.
MAIN DOCUMENT
Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 October 2018 establishing a single digital gateway to provide access to information, to procedures and to assistance and problem-solving services and amending Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, pp. 1-38)
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1121 of 29 July 2020 on the collection and sharing of user statistics and feedback on the services of the single digital gateway in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 245, 30.7.2020, pp. 3-14)
Commission Declaration accompanying the Commission Implementing Regulation on the collection and sharing of user statistics and feedback on the services of the single digital gateway in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C 250, 30.7.2020, p. 5)
Commission Recommendation 2013/461/EU of 17 September 2013 on the principles governing SOLVIT (OJ L 249, 19.9.2013, pp. 10-15)
Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System and repealing Commission Decision 2008/49/EC (‘the IMI Regulation’) (OJ L 316, 14.11.2012, pp. 1-11)
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market (OJ L 376, 27.12.2006, pp. 36-68)