E-government in the EU25 <br>Around half of individuals and enterprises who used the internet sought administrative information in 2004

STAT/05/138

27 October 2005

E-government in the EU25
Around half of individuals and enterprises who used the internet sought administrative information in 2004

In the EU25, 45% of individuals¹ aged from 16 to 74 who used the internet² obtained information from public authorities’ websites during the first quarter of 2004. At the beginning of 2004, 51% of enterprises³ with internet access obtained information from public authorities’ websites.

This information comes from a report⁴ released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. This report presents the results of surveys on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for interaction with governmental bodies (e-Government) in the EU25 Member States, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Norway and Iceland. The report also includes an analysis of the availability of public services on-line.

e-Government is one of the main goals of the “eEurope 2005 Action Plan -an information society for all”, an initiative taken by the Heads of State in pursuing the Lisbon Strategy, which aims at making the European Union the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based society. Increasingly, public bodies are creating websites for enterprises and citizens that enable an easier, cheaper and more efficient handling of procedures and supply of services.

In the first quarter of 2004, among those individuals who used the internet, the highest levels of access to public authorities’ websites to obtain information in the EU25 were recorded in Finland (62%), Denmark (56%), Luxembourg (55%), Spain and Hungary (both 54%) and Germany (51%). For downloading forms, the highest levels were observed in Luxembourg (44%) and Spain (29%), compared with an EU25 average of 20%. For submitting completed forms, the highest levels were recorded in Luxembourg (32%), Estonia and Portugal (both 26%), compared with an average of 12%.

At the beginning of 2004, among enterprises with internet access, the highest levels of access to public authorities’ websites to obtain information were recorded in Sweden (94%), Finland (90%), Estonia (87%), Lithuania (78%), the Czech Republic (75%), Luxembourg (71%) and Greece (70%). Sweden, Finland and Estonia also registered the highest levels for downloading forms (91%, 87% and 81% respectively, compared to an EU25 average of 46%), while Poland, Portugal and Finland reported the highest levels for submitting completed forms (79%, 65% and 63% respectively, compared to an EU25 average of 32%).

The publication also covers the provision of e-government services by public authorities. Based on this analysis, services to citizens were most developed in the United Kingdom, Sweden and Austria and those to enterprises in Denmark and Estonia.

Interaction with public authorities by individuals and enterprises with internet access, 2004 (%)

* EU25 excludes Member States for which data is not available.
** Reference period: first quarter for individuals, January for enterprises.
*** 2003 data
: Data not available
“Send completed forms” may show higher values than “download forms” as enterprises may return forms they already have available.

1. The survey covered individuals aged 16-74. The reference period was the first quarter of 2004.
2. See News Release 62/2005 of 13 May 2005 and the Statistics in Focus, Industry, Trade & Services, 18/2005, “Internet usage by individuals and enterprises 2004” for details of individuals and enterprises using the internet. For reference 47% of individuals and 89% of enterprises had internet access.
3. The survey covered enterprises with at least 10 persons employed. The reference period was January 2004. Activities covered were manufacturing, construction, distributive trades, hotels and accommodation, transport and communication, real estate, renting and business activities, motion picture and video activities, radio and television activities.
4. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, Industry, Trade & Services, 35/2005, “e-Government 2004: Internet based interaction with European businesses and citizens”. The publication is available free of charge in PDF format on the Eurostat website.