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EU initiatives inthe e-Business domain
Geneva, 10 November 2009 P. Potgieser
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Driving forces

• Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs
• Completion of Single Market
• Promote e-business
• Single Euro Payment Area
• Key relevance of ICT

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Holistic approach
ICT related activities DG Entr
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e-BSN - The e-Business Support Networkenhancing
ICT and e-Business uptake

• A network of 200 national and regional ICT and
  e-Business policy makers and experts from 32 EU
  Member States
• Offers a one-stop-shop on e-Business Policies
  for SMEs
• Shapes policy trends and supports policy
  coordination

http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/e-bsn/index_en.html
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e-BSN The e-Business Policy evolution
Second phase 2004 - 2005 Towards Policies that
seek to stimulate the Innovative potential
of SMEs. They promote innovative business
models enabled by ICT and eBusiness
First phase 2000 2003 Policies
Sponsoring basic ICT infrastructure and Internet
Connectivity
Third phase 2006 today Towards
sector Specific eBusiness policies. These help
SMEs participate in global digital supply chains
in specific industry and services sectors
http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/e-bsn/index_en.html
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Sector-specific pilot actions

• Streamline entire sectors by digitising whole
  supply chains helping companies use ICT-enabled
  solutions

One large-scale pan-European pilot action in the
textile/clothing and footwear sectors started
January 2008 (http//www.ebiz-tcf.eu/) More
sectors to be supported first half 2009
Other countries have been increasingly deploying
such sector-specific eBusiness policy approach,
e.g. ICT-SMEs 2010 (FR), Prozeus (DE) or
connected digitally (NL)
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The Sectoral e-Business W_at_tch

• Sector studies
• Chemical industries
• Furniture
• Steel
• Retail
• Transport logistics
• Banking
• Cross-sector topic studies
• RFID adoption and impact
• Intellectual Property for ICT producing SMEs
• ICT and e-business implications for energy
  consumption
• Economic impacts and drivers of ICT adoption and
  diffusion
• Impact on Employment
• Productivity (process and production costs)
• Innovation

• To assess and measure the impact of ICT on ...
• enterprises
• sectors
• the economy in general
• To highlight barriers for ICT uptake
• To identify public policy challenges
• To provide a forum for debate with stakeholders
• from industry
• from policy

http//www.ebusiness-watch.org
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The European e-Skills Agenda

• Background
• Growing e-skills shortages in Europe
• Fragmented approach and cyclical problem (bubble
  burst)
• European e-Skills Forum and ICT Task Force Report
  (2006)
• Long term problem requiring a coherent and
  consistent agenda
• ICT Industry led-initiative
• e-Skills Industry Leadership Board
  (06/2007)www.e-skills-ilb.org
• EU Policy Communications
• COM(2007) 496 e-Skills for the 21st Century
  Fostering Competitiveness, Growth and Jobs
  (07/09/2007)
• e-Inclusion Initiative

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Implementing the e-Skills Strategy

• Good Progress in 2008
• EU e-Competence Framework, www.ecompetences.eu
• European e-Skills and Careers Portal,
  htttp//eskills.eun.org
• Successful Multi-stakeholder Partnerships
• Report on the Impact of Global Sourcing
• Future work (2009-2010) will concentrate on
• European ICT Curriculum guidelines
• Relevant fiscal and financial incentives
• Better and greater use of e-learning
• EU e-Skills Week awareness raising campaign
  (1Q2010)

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ICT Standardisation Policy - Background

• An efficient European ICT standardisation policy
  is key in support of innovation and
  competitiveness of European enterprises.
• At the same time, the formal and unofficial
  standardisation systems should combine their
  efforts to better respond to the needs of the
  society.
• DG ENTR study (2006-2007)
• Open event of 12/2/2008
• Steering Committee

http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/policy/standard
s/ict_index_en.htm
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Stakeholders Expectations

• Linked to market and policy developments and
  thus supporting competitiveness and innovation
• Accommodate the dynamics of the ICT sector
  (infrastructures and applications)
• Allow for fast standard setting to provide
  industry/SMEs with high quality standards which
  balance competitiveness expectations with
  societal needs
• Re-position EU standardisation at global level
  and strengthen co-operation EU wide and globally
• Ensure consumer satisfaction
• Strengthen the internal market by fostering
  reference to standards in legislation / policy on
  the basis of common criteria for processes
• Increase quality, coherence and consistency of
  ICT standards
• Support implementation of standards

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The White Paper COM(2009) 324

• The White Paper of 3 July 2009 suggests some
  policy options
• Defining the attributes which make ICT standards
  eligible for association with EU legislation and
  policies
• Updating the public procurement provisions of
  Council Decision 87/95/EEC
• Fostering synergy between ICT research,
  innovation and standardisation
• Implementing clear, transparent and balanced IPR
  policies
• Enabling the referencing of specific fora and
  consortia standards in relevant EU legislation
  and policies subject to a positive evaluation
  with regard to the above attributes
• Creating a permanent stakeholders platform

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Attributes for Eligibility (1)

• Standardisation Process
• Openness The standardisation development process
  occurs within a non-profit making organisation on
  the basis of open decision making accessible to
  all interested parties. The open standardisation
  process is driven by the relevant stakeholder
  categories and reflects user requirements.
• Consensus The standardisation process is
  collaborative and consensus based. The process
  does not favour any particular stakeholder.
• Balance The standardisation process is
  accessible at any stage of development and
  decision making to relevant stakeholders.
  Participation of all interested categories of
  stakeholders is sought with a view to achieving
  balance.
• Transparency The standardisation process is
  accessible to all interested parties and all
  information concerning technical discussions and
  decision making is archived and identified.
  Information on (new) standardisation activities
  is widely announced through suitable and
  accessible means. Consideration and response is
  given to comments by interested parties.

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Attributes for Eligibility (2)

• Standards
• Maintenance Ongoing support and maintenance of
  published standards, including swift adaptation
  to new developments which prove their necessity,
  efficiency and interoperability, is guaranteed
  over a long period.
• Availability Resulting standards are publicly
  available for implementation and use at
  reasonable terms (including for a reasonable fee
  or free of charge).
• Intellectual property rights IP essential to the
  implementation of standards is licensed to
  applicants on a (fair) reasonable and
  non-discriminatory basis ((F)RAND) , which
  includes, at the discretion of the IPR holder,
  licensing essential IP without compensation.
• Relevance The standard is effective and
  relevant. Standards need to respond to market
  needs and regulatory requirements, especially
  when those requirements are expressed in
  standardisation mandates.
• Neutrality and stability Standards should
  whenever possible be performance oriented rather
  than based on design or descriptive
  characteristics. They should not distort the
  (global) market and should maintain the capacity
  for implementers to develop competition and
  innovation based upon them. Additionally, and in
  order to enhance their stability, standards
  should be based on advanced scientific and
  technological developments.
• Quality The quality and level of detail are
  sufficient to permit the development of a variety
  of competing implementations of interoperable
  products and services. Standardised interfaces
  are not hidden or controlled by anyone other than
  standard setting organisations.

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Ongoing and Future Work

• Public consultation (until 15 September 2009)
• Impact assessment (January 2010?)
• Proposal for the revision of Council Decision
  87/95 and/or Directive 98/34/EC (mid-2010)?
• In co-ordination with the horizontal
  standardisation review

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Further Information

• White Paper
• http//eur-ex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?u
  riCOM20090324FINENPDF
• Public Consultation
• http//ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/consultations/index_
  en.htmopen
• ICT Standardisation - DG ENTR
• http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/policy/standard
  s/ict_index_en.htm
• E-mail
• entr-ict-standardisation_at_ec.europa.eu

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e-Invoicing

• Simplifies processes, reduces administrative and
  financial costs, facilitates transition to new
  business models
• Links the procurement and payment process. Full
  electronic invoice integration can generate
  substantial cash flow efficiencies and cost
  reductions
• Benefits apply to both the sender and the
  receiver of an invoice. Can be reaped in private
  sector and public sector alike.
• At EU level, savings potential of moving to
  e-Invoicing has been quantified at 40 billion
  annually over 6-year period (study undertaken on
  behalf of the Commission).
• Positive environmental effects by reducing paper
  consumption

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Expert Group on e-Invoicing - Mandate

• Defined in Commission Decision of 31 Oct. 2007
• Identify
• shortcomings in current regulatory framework
• e-invoicing business requirements
• relevant e-invoicing data elements
• Propose
• responsibilities for standardisation bodies and
  time schedule
• European e-Invoicing Framework (EEI)

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End Result EEI Framework

• Achieves interoperability of e-Invoicing
  solutions
• Basis for common business rules and technical
  standards
• Increase incentives for electronic trade
• Remove barriers to e-invoicing

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The future e-Invoicing environment
What should be avoided? What should be avoided? What is the objective? What is the objective?
? A fragmented e-Invoicing environment with insular national solutions and standards. High barriers for cross-border e-Invoicing. ? An open and interoperable e-Invoicing environment providing common ground for competing solutions. Strong growth of e-Invoicing both domestically and cross-border.
? Benefits of fully integrated e-Invoicing are mainly reaped by large enterprises with tailor-made and complex solutions. ? SMEs, public administrations and large enterprises all benefit alike from an e-Invoicing environment that enables simple cost-effective as well as more sophisticated approaches according to the respective needs
? Existence of only one specific interoperability model (bilateral, 3-corner, or 4-corner) ? Level playing field allowing for bilateral e-Invoicing approaches as well as for value-adding business models through invoice- or payment-service providers
? Existence of multiple different invoice content standards ? A target semantic data model towards which existing standards will converge
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e-Invoicing Expert Group
Deliverables

• Delivered so far
• Mid-Term Report
• Code of Practice on e-invoicing in Europe
• Provide guidance to tax authorities and
  businesses

To come by end of 2009

• European e-Invoicing (EEI) Framework

http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/policy/einvoici
ng/einvoicing_en.htm
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E-invoice Content Standards Link to supply
chain and payments
Demand estimate
Buyer
Supplier
Offer
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E-invoice Content Standards Link to supply
chain and payments
UN/CEFACT
Buyer
Seller
Goods / Services
Information Exchange
ISO 20022
Buyers bank
Sellers bank
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Expert Group provisional recommendations on
e-Invoicing standardisation

• The long-term e-Invoice landscape needs to
  contain e-Invoice content standards, but in fewer
  formats and expressions than exist today as this
  is a barrier for mass adoption.
• In this context, the Expert Group makes the
  following recommendations
• R4.1 The EG recommends that the UN/CEFACT Cross
  Industry Invoice (CII) v.2 is adopted by all
  actors within both the private and public sector,
  as the common reference semantic data model upon
  which future e-invoice content standard solutions
  are based. CII v.2 is currently the only
  international data model that covers the
  requirements of different industries and sectors.
  It provides the required connection between the
  various supply chain messages and is integrated
  with financial services requirements. UN/CEFACT
  products and standards are recognised and
  accepted globally.
• R4.5 The EG recommends that UN/CEFACT and ISO,
  as global standards organisations, should
  continue to collaborate on the development and
  maintenance of the CII and implement the model in
  their own interoperable methodologies and data
  dictionaries to enable maximum integration of the
  procurement, invoicing, payment and
  reconciliation processes. This will continue to
  foster end-to-end STP and will support migration
  to SEPA. It will simplify message conversion,
  integration and communication. It will also help
  to minimise implementation costs for SMEs.
• R4.8 The EG recommends that UN/CEFACT as the
  supplier of CII should deliver the mechanism to
  cater for such standardised extensions and
  recording of subsequent variant usage of the CII
  and to provide more detailed user guidance on the
  CII.

Recommendations quoted from final draft version
of the Final Report. Subject to approval by the
Expert Group
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Observations

• It is very hard to find non-technical and
  non-development-related information about
  deliverables of UN/CEFACT itself
• Broken links, fragmented multiple websites,
  unclear status,
• The information available is not suitable for an
  audience coming from a public or private sector
• Progress is measured in ODP, while dd/mm/yyyy
  would bring the message
• The way in which information and deliverables of
  UN/CEFACT are disseminated is not very well
  known, as is the way in which stakeholders could
  interact
• It is very hard to find non-technical and
  non-development-related information about the
  relation between developments and deliverables of
  standardisation in general.
• This lack of information was the driving force
  behind the meeting organised by the Commission in
  2008 about the UN/CEFACT OASIS/UBL convergence

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Further Information

• DG ENTR unit web site
• http//ec.europa.eu/enterprise/ict/index_en.htm
• Contact
• European CommissionEnterprise and Industry
  Directorate-GeneralDirectorate  Innovation
  Policy Unit D4 ICT for Competitiveness  
  InnovationB-1049 Brusselsfax 32 2
  2967019E-mail entr-ict-for-comp-and-innovation_at_e
  c.europa.eu