Annexes to COM(2011)657 - Guidelines for trans European telecommunications networks

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dossier COM(2011)657 - Guidelines for trans European telecommunications networks.
document COM(2011)657 EN
date March 11, 2014
ANNEX

PROJECTS OF COMMON INTEREST

SECTION 1.   DIGITAL SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURES

Interventions in the area of digital service infrastructure generally rely on a two-layer architecture approach: core service platforms and generic services. The core service platform is a pre-condition for establishing a digital service infrastructure.

The core service platforms address the interoperability and security needs of projects of common interest. They are intended to enable digital interactions between public authorities and citizens, between public authorities and businesses and organisations, or between public authorities of different Member States through standardised, cross-border, and user-friendly interaction platforms.

Building block digital service infrastructures take priority over other digital service infrastructures, since the former are a pre-condition for the latter. The generic services provide the connection to the core service platforms and enable the national added value services to use the core service platforms. They provide gateways between national services and core service platforms and allow national public authorities and organisations, businesses and/or citizens to access the core service platform for their cross-border transactions. The quality of the services and the support for stakeholders involved in cross-border transactions must be ensured. They must support and stimulate the take-up of core service platforms.

The focus must not be entirely on the creation of digital service infrastructures and related services but also on the governance relating to the operation of such platforms.

New core service platforms must mainly be based on existing platforms and their building blocks and/or, when possible, must add new building blocks.

1.The building blocks identified to be included in the work programmes, subject to Article 6 (1) and (3), are the following:

(a)Electronic identification, and authentication: this refers to services to enable cross-border recognition and validation of e-identification and e-signature.

(b)Electronic delivery of documents: this refers to services for the secure, traceable cross-border transmission of electronic documents.

(c)Automated translation: this refers to machine-translation engines and specialised language resources including the necessary tools and programming interfaces needed to operate pan-European digital services in a multilingual environment.

(d)Critical digital infrastructures support: this refers to communication channels and platforms intended to enhance the Union-wide capability for preparedness, information sharing, coordination and response to cyber threats.

(e)Electronic invoicing: this refers to services enabling secure electronic exchange of invoices.

2.Well-established digital service infrastructures particularly identified to be eligible for funding contributing to uninterrupted service, subject to Article 6(1):

(a)Access to digital resources of European heritage. This refers to the core service platform based on the current Europeana portal. The platform provides the access point to Europeana cultural heritage content at item level, a set of interface specifications to interact with the infrastructure (search for data, download data), support for the metadata adaptation and ingestion of new content, as well as information on conditions for reuse of the content accessible through the infrastructure.

(b)Safer internet service infrastructure. This refers to the platform for acquiring, operating and maintaining shared computing facilities, databases, software tools and exchange of best practices for the Safer Internet Centres (SICs) in the Member States. Back-office operations to handle reporting of child sexual abuse content on the Internet are also included, as well as the link with police authorities including international organisations such as Interpol, and when appropriate, the handling of the take-down of this content by the relevant web sites. This will be supported by common databases and by common software systems. SICs and their relevant activities such as helplines, hotlines, awareness nodes and other awareness raising activities represent the key element of the Safer Internet infrastructure.

3.Other digital service infrastructures identified to be eligible for funding subject to Article 6(1):

(a)Interoperable cross-border electronic procurement services. This refers to a set of services which can be used by public and private sector e-procurement services providers to set up cross-border e-procurement platforms. This infrastructure will enable any company in the Union to respond to public procurement procedures from any contracting authority or entity in any Member State covering pre-award and post-award electronic procurement activities, including functionalities such as electronic submission of offers, virtual company dossier, e-catalogues, e-orders and e-invoicing.

(b)Interoperable cross-border e-health services. This refers to a platform which enables the interaction between citizens/patients and health care providers, institution-to-institution and organisation-to-organisation transmission of data, or peer-to-peer communication between citizens/patients and/or health professionals and institutions. The services shall comprise cross-border access to electronic health records and electronic prescription services as well as remote health/assisted living teleservices, etc.

(c)European Platform for the interconnection of European business registers. This refers to a platform which provides a set of central tools and services enabling business registers in all Member States to exchange information on registered businesses, their branches, mergers and windings-up. It shall also provide a multi-country and multilingual search service for users using a central access point accessible via the e-Justice portal.

(d)Access to re-usable public sector information. This refers to a platform for the single access point to multilingual (official languages of the institutions of the Union) datasets held by public bodies in the Union at European, national, regional and local levels; query and visualisation tools of the data sets; assurance that the available datasets are properly anonymised, licensed and where applicable priced to be published, redistributed and reused, including a data provenance audit trail.

Electronic procedures for setting up and running a business in another European country. This service will allow all necessary administrative procedures to be dealt with electronically across borders through single contact points. This service is a requirement in Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).

(e)Interoperable cross-border online services. This refers to platforms which shall facilitate interoperability and cooperation between Member States in areas of common interest, particularly with a view to improving the functioning of the internal market, such as eJustice, which will enable online cross-border access by citizens, businesses, organisations and legal practitioners to legal resources/documents and judicial procedures, Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) which will enable online resolution of cross-border disputes between consumers and merchants and Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI), which will help social security bodies across the Union exchange information more rapidly and securely.

SECTION 2.   BROADBAND NETWORKS

1. The scope of actions

Actions shall consist in particular of one or more of the following components:

(a)the deployment of passive physical infrastructure, active physical infrastructure or the combination of the two and ancillary infrastructure elements, complete with services necessary to operate such infrastructure;

(b)associated facilities and associated services, such as building wiring, antennae, towers and other supporting constructions, ducts, conduits, masts, manholes, and cabinets;

(c)where possible, potential synergies shall be exploited between the roll-out of broadband networks and other utilities networks (energy, transport, water, sewerage, etc.), in particular those related to smart electricity distribution.

2. Contribution to the achievement of the targets of the Digital Agenda for Europe

All projects receiving financial assistance under this section shall contribute significantly to the achievement of the targets of the Digital Agenda for Europe.

Actions funded directly by the Union shall:

(a)be based on wired or wireless technology capable of delivering very high-speed broadband services, thus meeting demand for applications which require high bandwidth;

(b)be based on innovative business models and/or attract new categories of project promoters or new categories of investors; or

(c)have a high potential for replicability, thus allowing them to achieve broader impact on the market due to their demonstration effect;

(d)assist in narrowing the digital divide, where possible;

(e)comply with applicable law, in particular with competition law, and with access obligations in accordance with Directive 2002/19/EC.

Actions funded from additional ring-fenced contributions provided in accordance with Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 shall bring significant new capabilities to the market in terms of broadband service availability, speeds and capacity. Projects which provide speeds of data transmission of less than 30 Mbps should ensure the increase of speeds to at least 30 Mbps and where possible to 100 Mbps and above over time.

3. Project assessment to establish optimal funding structures

The implementation of actions shall be based on a comprehensive project assessment. Such a project assessment shall cover, inter alia, market conditions including information on existing and/or planned infrastructure, regulatory obligations on project promoters, as well as commercial and marketing strategies. In particular, the project assessment shall establish whether the programme:

(a)is necessary to address market failures or sub-optimal investment situations, which cannot be solved by regulatory measures;

(b)does not lead to market distortions and crowding out of private investment.

These criteria shall be established primarily on the basis of the revenue potential and the level of risk associated with a project and the type of geographical area covered by an action.

4. Sources of funding

(a)Projects of common interest in the field of broadband shall be funded through financial instruments. The budget allocated to these instruments shall be sufficient, but shall not exceed, the amount which is necessary to establish a fully operational intervention and to achieve a minimum efficient instrument size.

(b)Subject to the rules of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012, Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013 and all relevant regulations concerning ESI Funds, the financial instruments referred to in point (a) may be combined with additional contributions from:

(i)other sectors of the CEF;

(ii)other instruments, programmes and budget lines in the Union budget;

(iii)Member States, including regional and local authorities, that decide to contribute own resources or resources available from ESI Funds. ESI Funds contributions will be geographically ring-fenced to ensure that they are spent within a Member State or a region which provides a contribution;

(iv)any other investors, including private investors.

(c)Financial instruments referred to in points (a) and (b) may also be combined with grants by Member States, including regional and local authorities, that wish to contribute own resources or resources available from ESI Funds, provided that:

(i)the action in question meets all criteria for funding under this Regulation; and

(ii)relevant State aid clearance has been obtained.

SECTION 3.   HORIZONTAL ACTIONS

The deployment of trans-European networks in the area of telecommunications infrastructure that will help to remove the bottlenecks existing in the Digital Single Market shall be accompanied by studies and programme support actions. These actions may consist of either:

(a)technical assistance to prepare or support implementation actions in their deployment, governance and addressing existing or emerging implementation problems; or

(b)actions to create new demand for digital service infrastructures.

Union support under this Regulation shall be coordinated with support from all other available sources, while avoiding duplication of infrastructure and preventing the displacement of private investments.


(1) 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, p. 36).