Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Concept Strategy for Information Society
Development in Economic Region Center,
Kosovo
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Contents
1.
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 3
2.
INFORMATION SOCIETY DEFINITION AND BACKGROUND ............................ 4
3.
KEY CHALLENGES AND NEEDS ........................................................................... 5
4.
VISION AND PRINCIPLES .................................................................................... 10
5.
OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 11
Strategic Objectives .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Measurement of Progress of the Information Society implementation ................................................................ 11
6.
PRIORITY ACTIONS ............................................................................................. 15
ANNEX 1 EGOVERNMENT BENCHMARKING INDICATORS FOR MUNICIPALITIES
IN REGION CENTER .................................................................................................... 16
ANNEX I THE DIGITAL AGENDA FOR EUROPE ....................................................... 18
ANNEX II LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN EU ...................................................................... 21
ANNEX III EU PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT IS DEVELOPMENT............................. 28
Examples of EU programs in Bulgaria that supports Information Society Development .................................. 31
The Operational Program “Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy” 2007 – 2013, 1.1
bln euro ...................................................................................................................................................................... 31
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
1. Introduction
Disclaimer:
The content of this document does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
Responsibility for the information and views expressed in therein lies entirely with the authors
and implementing organizations.
This document was prepared within the framework of the “Kosovo Economic Development
through Quality and Networking” project and is aimed at outlining a concept for Information
Society development in Region Center, Kosovo. The Project is being funded by the European
Union Office in Kosovo (Regional Economic Development program).
The concept presents strategic directions for the implementation of Information and
Communication Technologies in everyday life of the citizens, businesses and administrations.
The main objective of the concept is to organize and support, at municipal and regional level, a
long-term process of Information Society development. It outlines the nature of the Information
Society and its significance for the municipalities and the country as a whole; moreover the
concept proposes a consistent vision with strategic objectives and identifies operational
objectives, as well as the organization and measurement of the related processes.
Considering the specific political, economic, social, technological and legal factors in Economic
Region Center, this document proposes a roadmap for long term development of the Information
Society. The concept is based on a comprehensive research of the ICT sector1, its role in the
Information Society enhancement and the increase competitiveness of the Kosovo economy, as
well as on the conclusions from a series of structured interviews with high level representatives
from government bodies, municipalities and businesses in Region Center. The analysis mainly
covers the Economic Region Center consisting of the following municipalities: Prishtinë, Lipjan,
Podujevë, Gracanicë, Obiliq, Shtime, Glogovc (Drenas), and F. Kosovë. Where appropriate,
other municipalities were included2.
The main definitions and terminology are aligned with the latest trends in EU. Annexes with
relevant information are included in this document in order to facilitate better understanding and
easy use of the document not only by Information Society experts but also by civil servants on
different levels of the municipal and regional administration.
The concept has more of an operational focus rather than political. The policy for Information
Society development has been elaborated on a national level with the National Strategy for
Information Society 2006-2012 and other related strategies. The concept is aiming to support the
translation of the national strategies and polices into concrete implementation steps, operational
objectives and corresponding indicators on regional and municipal levels. Therefore the current
concept can be considered as a complementary document of the related policies and strategies
already developed on a national level.
The document addresses the priorities for information society development of the municipalities
in the Economic Region Center on a regional level. The interested stakeholders on municipal
level are expected to use the concept as a generic framework and will adapt it to the needs of the
1
2
Analysis of ICT Industry in Kosovo, November 2011
Interviews were conducted by the project team in the period April 2012 – May 2012
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
municipalities and the local communities while implementing the strategies defined on national
level. The use of a common framework for municipalities will allow effective aggregation of the
information on regional and national levels.
The document is expected to have long-term significance for the highest governmental and
political levels and will provide guidelines for the development of various specific information
society plans and guidelines, in line with the goals, principles and priorities of the Kosovo
society.
2. Information Society Definition and Background
For the needs of this concept the scope of the information society process in the EU Digital
Agenda will be used. (EC, 2010).
The EU Digital Agenda is to chart a course to maximise the social and economic potential of
ICT, most notably the internet, a vital medium of economic and societal activity: for doing
business, working, playing, communicating and expressing ourselves freely. It will spur
innovation, economic growth and improvements in daily life for both citizens and businesses.
Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications of Kosovo adopted a corresponding definition in
the National Strategy for Information Society 2006-2012
“Information society is a new form of living of human civilization, where universal services and
equal access to information along with systems and developed infrastructure for electronic
communication contribute to a sustainable socio-economic development, poverty alleviation and
better living standards. International practices show positive impact of information
communication technology in the development of modern society, through different ways of
accessing information and public information resources in all social activities: e-democracy, egovernment, e-business, e-economy, e-culture, e-health, e-learning etc.”
The EU Digital Agenda states that wider deployment and more effective use of digital
technologies will thus enable Europe to address its key challenges and will provide citizens with
a better quality of life through, for example, improved health care, safer and more efficient
transport solutions, less polluted environment, new media opportunities and easier access to
public services and cultural content.
The benefits for the society by implementing the information society as described in the EU
digital agenda for the different target groups are:
•
Consumers – a vibrant digital Single Market and high-speed internet access.
•
Workers – right skills for the digital era.
•
Patients and doctors - using ICT for sustainable healthcare.
•
Manufacturing industry – the opportunities of an interoperable digital economy.
•
The ICT industry – research and innovation for the digital economy.
•
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) – eGovernment to ease the functioning of
SMEs.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
•
Artists, authors, musicians – a unique platform for creation and distribution of cultural
content by creating opportunities for authors.
•
The environment – using ICT to reduce our environmental footprint.
•
Researchers – increased and joined-up ICT research funding.
•
Older and disabled people – new opportunities.
•
People in rural and remote areas – connecting communities.
An important characteristic of the information society that distinguish it from the eGovernance
for example is that for a number of information society services the public authorities are neither
the manager nor the main providers of the services. However all of the services depend on the
normative base and infrastructure developed by the Government. As an example, one can
compare the issuing of ID cards, passports and driving licenses that currently completely
depends on the government and e-banking business which is managed and provided by banks but
it depends on the normative base (e.g. eSignature) and the telecommunication infrastructure.
While there is significant overlapping between the eGovernment and Information Society
definitions one can conclude that the information society is a broader term that covers almost all
aspects of the everyday life such as democracy, government, business, economy, culture, health,
learning etc. , where as the others in most cases associate eGovernment with a citizen-centric
administration enabled by ICT.
3. Key challenges and needs
On international level, Kosovo has not been recognised as an ICT developed country.
On a macro level Kosovo does not participate in the major international e-ranking surveys
therefore there is no objective benchmarking that provides comparison to other contrives in
South Eastern Europe and EU. The country still has difficulties in obtaining an internet country
code top-level domain name and an international dialling code. Fixed telephony penetration,
with two licensed operators, is still low at 5%. Mobile telephony penetration was 71% with four
mobile operators (two mobile network operators and two mobile virtual network operators)
active in the market. Broadband penetration is 6.4%. Eleven licensed operators provide internet
services, four of which are national operators and the others are local providers. Digital
signatures infrastructure, which is an important component of the information society, is still not
effectively implemented.
Currently the priorities for ICT development are not clear enough. The indicators for success of
the ICT strategies implementation, where available, are on a very technical level and are rarely
aligned with EU and international benchmarking models.
Central government plays a major role in the ICT development, while the role of the
municipalities has not been clearly defined. Lack of financial resources and knowledge base are
major constrains for the information society development on municipal level.
The Kosovo government plays a key role for the ICT development in the municipalities and the
corresponding e-services provided to citizens and businesses. The private ICT sector
development in Kosovo heavily depends on the Kosovo government in its capacities of (1) a
major customer consuming about 2/3 of the total ICT production and (2) a regulator that
develops the overall ICT legislation and strategic environment in the fledgling country.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Regions and municipalities depend almost completely on the government in the critical fields of
their ICT development such as management expertise, budgets, infrastructure and others.
On the one hand, all of the municipalities in Region Centre reported a lack of financial resources
and insufficient knowledge as two major barriers for the development and the implementation of
information society services. On the other hand, only two municipalities have started
development or have already developed plans related to the ICT implementation. Even when the
ICT plans were in process of development they were more technology oriented rather that
service oriented.
The lack of management (planning and controlling) capabilities and practices was stated as the
leading constrain and consequently, the lack of financing. (Interviews, 2012) Without a proper
planning and prioritization of the needs for financial resources it will be difficult for the
municipalities to allocate significant financial resources for ICT and information society.
Moreover, the lack of controlling mechanisms and prioritising objectives could lead to inefficient
investment of the already available limited resources.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
ICT development is of high importance on national level but there is a lack of clear
implementation priorities
During the last few years, the government has put the ICT sector development and public eservices delivery high on its priority list on a macro level. Furthermore significant funds have
been invested in developing infrastructure and e-governance services for businesses and citizens.
Information society is in the focus of the Kosovo government. The Ministry of Transport and
Telecommunications has developed a National Strategy for Information Society 2006-2012approved by Kosovo Government in order to create an internet exchange point and to promote
Internet usage in the society. The strategy provided general objectives and principles of the
information society in Kosovo on a national level. A number of complementary strategies were
also defined including:
The strategic framework for Kosovo e-development consists of:
 "eSEE Agenda Plus for the Development of Information Society in SEE 2007-2012"
Kosovo is an active member of the regional eSEE Initiative - (Electronic South East
Europe). The main objective of the initiative is to integrate SEE countries into the
global, knowledge-based economy through development of the Information Society, in
line with the EU i2010 framework.
 Electronic Governance Strategy 2009-2015 – Published by the Department of
Information Technology of the Ministry of Public Services of Kosovo in 2008,
ensuring the provision of governmental institutions’ services through information
technology and communication (WAN, Internet, mobile network) to citizens,
businesses and others.
 E-learning Strategy for Kosovo 2010 - 2015 – Prepared by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Technology with the main objective to transform e-learning into an
integral part of the overall national educational system.
 Strategy for Development of Pre-university Education 2007–2017 – Adopted by the
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and used as a basis for the
development of the education system of Kosovo.
 Kosovo Education Strategic Plan 2011-2016 – Drafted in September 2010, the
Strategic Plan is going to include eight priority programs which are Capacity Building
and Information and Communication Technology. The objective implemented in the
ICT program is to fully develop and integrate ICT infrastructure and technical support
needed to implement and sustain good educational practices.
The strategic documents establish a large number of generic objectives and priorities for ICT
development in Kosovo that are technically very difficult to be implemented simultaneously. Not
all high level strategies are supported by implementation plans, measurable targets, ensured
budgets and strong implementation mechanisms or bodies. There is a serious lack of
implementation objectives on lower level – regions and municipalities. All these factors lead to
lack of focus and difficulties in the implementation of the national strategies. As a reason for low
implementation capacity the stakeholders emphasized on lack of qualified and well organized IT
professionals that are able to define the current state and develop future plans for the
improvement and realization of e-services. The limitations in the legal framework and lack of
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
budgets are also among the reasons for development of well justified projects for e-services
delivering.
The current organizational structure of the Information Communication Technology (ICT)
in the public sector is described below:

The Department for e-governance and Administrative Processes (DeGAP) under the
umbrella of the Ministry for Public Administration (MPA) has a legal mandate for
compiling the policies and coordination of the activities between the institutions of
the Republic of Kosovo.

DeGAP initiated an inter-ministry group that had the duty to formulate the strategy
and the action plan for e-governance in the period 2009-2011. The framework for
interoperability of ICT systems, which is based on the European Interoperability
Framework EIF 2.0, is pending approval.

The Ministry of Local Governance and Administration (MLGA), in coordination with
The Ministry for Public Administration (MPA), is supporting the needs of the
municipalities for ICT.
Progress in the e-government services delivery was seen in the last year.
Although a year ago most of the e-government services for businesses and citizens were not
provided in electronic format or were provided only as passive information using a one-way
interaction level (e.g. basic information and/or possibility for download of e-forms only) recently
many of e-government services are available through two –way interaction level. Still the overall
level of the e-government services is not high compared to the level in Europe. For more details
see ANNEX 1 eGovernment Benchmarking Indicators for Municipalities in Region Center. The
other areas of information society such as e-culture, e-health, e-education, etc. have not yet been
developed.
Despite the fact that many eGovernment services are available online, still a very small
percentage (estimated less than one percent3) of the services are used using online channels.
Massive awareness campaign is needed in order to promote the transition to online use of
services instead of the traditional service delivery.
In general, the municipalities are key providers of the Information society services since they
directly know and serve the specific needs of the local communities.
There is a need to define information society framework, priorities and to establish and maintain
effective coordination mechanism of information society promotion and implementation on
local, regional and municipal level.
The municipalities in Region Center play a key role in the Kosovo economic and social
development. 496760 people live in these municipalities that is around 29% of the Kosovo
population and produce 2.18 BILION Euro GDP (55% of the total GDP of the country). Taking
into account the share of Kosovo economy and society that the Region Center’s municipalities
3
Estimation based on the data for services delivery in the last 15 months calculated as number of service deliveries
through Internet form the total number of service deliveries.
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EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
represent, it may be assumed that the successful implementation of Information Society into
Municipalities will have a significant positive effect on the whole country.
On municipal level, there is a relatively good basic technical infrastructure such as
telecommunication, hardware and standard software but this relatively good infrastructure needs
to be effectively utilized to provide benefits for the society and businesses.
Kosovo citizens are ready to a great extend to use the Information Society services
Despite the quite pessimistic figures4 for Internet penetration (10%-20%) in the last few years a
recent study sponsored by the Kosovo ICT Association STIKK (Fazliu, 2012) showed high level
of usage (30 -60%) of internet for communication, playing games, watching movies and others.
The levels provided by Fazliu, 2012 were similar to the estimation of some of the represenattives
of Municipalities in Region Centre (Interviews, 2012).
The results of the study provided some very optimisitc facts about the Kosovo people’s attitude
towards the Internet in several information society categories such as:

Socializing: Based on the survey, around 60% of the Kosovo population is using
Facebook for social networking.

Internet communication: 30-40 % of the young population (10 – 29) uses MSN and
Skype for communication.

Lifestyle: Around 30% of women are using Internet for lifestyle and dressing ideas.

eLearning: Around a third of the young people are utilizing Internet for research and
studying.

eGovernment: More than 55% of the citizens are informed that when they apply for
official documents (ID, passport & driving license) they can check the status of their
application online.
Fazliu concluded that the Internet penetration and Internet usage in Kosovo is comparable with
some of the EU members in the region such as Greece and Bulgaria. However, as this study
reveals, it is evident that there is a lack of meaningful initiatives and coordination in the ICT
sector in Kosovo with the aim to provide better value for money to end-users and opportunities
for the youth who are active and capable of utilising the Internet and communications in general.
From information society perspective the relevantly high usage of social networks represents a
strong base for intensive Information society development. The municipalities and government
can use the high penetration of the social networks in order to reach 60% of the society. This
potential has been already recognised by many private businesses in Kosovo who have already
incorporated social network capabilities in their internet platforms.
4
A variety of reports have estimated the Internet usage in Kosovo in the range of 6 – 10 % in 2009-2011 (e.g.
Pasyre e tregut te Telekomunikacionit: TM1-2011, National Background Report on ICT Research for Kosovo
(2009); Investing in Kosovo 2010 and others)
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EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Even the levels of ICT use among citizens and business, awareness campaign on e-security of
provided services is necessary. Raising awareness among citizens and business on information
security in e- services delivering features in comprehensive language will change citizens’
perception about use of e-services.
Providing benefits for the citizens and businesses through Information society development
Consequently, the overall analysis reveals that e-services in Kosovo are underdeveloped.
Nevertheless, there is a significant potential for improvement of the overall process for
information society services implementation by public authorities in Kosovo. If effectively
utilised, they can result in a significant amount of benefits for the citizens of Kosovo, such as in
the increased competitiveness of the economy. For instance:

Direct participation of the Kosovo citizens living in Kosovo and abroad in the
governance of the municipalities and country as a whole.

Improved health services even in distant regions.

Interactive education transparent to all relevant stakeholders.

Accelerated economic growth and well developed ICT sector.

Increased employment, especially among young people.

Higher citizens’ satisfaction on national and municipal levels and higher trust to the
national and municipal administration.
4. Vision and Principles
The Region’s vision is that in a five-year period, the municipalities in the Economic Region
Center will use ICT as a major channel for providing services to the citizens and businesses and
for developing the society. At least half of the population and enterprises will have access to
broadband internet and will use it in order to access municipal services related to e-democracy,
e-governance, e- business, e-economy, e-culture, e-health, e-learning.
The main principles of the development of information society on regional level will be:

Promotion of ICT as an effective channel for service delivery on municipal level.

Alignment of the information society services with national and EU Information society
framework and contribution to the national framework development.

Prioritization of information society services based on the needs of the citizens,
businesses and local communities.

Close cooperation with citizens, businesses and NGOs in the Information Society
development on municipal level.
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EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by

Ensuring maximum security of the personal and business information kept in the
information systems.

Providing services and information through multiple easy to use channels ( e.g. internet,
social networks, kiosks, one-stop-shops) in order to guarantee inclusion of all members
of the society.

Securing continuous feedback from the Information society stakeholders and users and
effectively responding to the changing needs of the society.
5. Objectives
Strategic Objectives
The strategic objectives for information society development in region centre are oriented
towards providing benefits for the citizens and businesses through building implementation
capacity for information society services planning, implementation and maintenance, as follow:
Strategic Objective 1: Deliver citizen-centric Information Society services:
Municipalities in Region Center will use the ICT in order to increase the effectiveness
and the efficiency of the services and communication provided to citizens and businesses
in all aspects of the society including democracy, governance, business, economy,
culture, health, learning and others.
Strategic Objective 2: Establish management structures of Information Society
development that will guarantee sustainability and efficiency: Municipalities in
Region Center will establish planning and management mechanisms that will ensure
sustainable and efficient development of information society aligned with the
corresponding national framework and learning form the practices in EU and other
developed countries. The Information Society will be integrated in the overall high level
management of the municipalities.
Strategic Objective 3: Develop information society knowledge base in all relevant
stakeholders. Municipalities in Region Center will educate the public servants how to
implement and promote the Information Society in their everyday work. Awareness
among the citizens, businesses and NGOs will be created in order to promote the use of
the Information Society services.
Measurement of Progress of the Information Society implementation
Measuring the results of the information society strategy is a precondition for its effective
management. Measuring the execution progress of the Information Society not only ensures its
implementation, but with good communication can achieve a significant marketing effect for the
stakeholders. Short response time to any change in the environment, ensured by the ongoing
communication between the stakeholders, could significantly increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of the implementation. Using the international - more specifically the EU
measurement methods and models, will allow international comparison and better alignment
with the EU strategies. A comprehensive review of the EU measurement framework could be
found in Benchmarking Digital Europe 2011-2015 conceptual framework.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Defining standard indicators for Information Society progress will facilitate benchmarking of the
progress by municipality and then will allow aggregation on higher level – from municipality to
regional level and from regional level to national level.
Strategic Objective 1: Deliver citizen-centric Information Society services
Strategic Objective 1 represents the final result for Information Society promotion
and implementation therefore the indicators defined in that strategic objective can
be characterised as lagging. This means that they are results of the
implementation efforts and activities done in the past and providing the results in
the moment when they are measured. In order to achieve the strategic goal, a
number of objectives and corresponding indicators are defined:
Objective 1.1: Provide Information society services online
Indicator 1.1.1: Online availability and interactivity: Number of information
society related services by level of implementation: 0: Service not available; 1:
Stage 1 Information: online information about public services; 2: Stage 2
Interaction: downloading of forms; 3: Stage 3 Two-way interaction: processing of
forms, including Authentication; 4: Stage 4 Transaction: case handling; decision
and delivery (payment).
The indicator provides information about the level of sophistication, security and
interaction of the implemented Information Society services.
Objective 1.2: Provide Information balanced portfolio of online services in different areas
of the society
Indicator1.2.: Information Society Services Coverage: number and share in %
of Information Society services implemented by area – e-democracy, egovernance, e- business, e-economy, e-culture, e-health, e-learning, and others
areas defined
The indicator provides information about the diversity of the Information society
services.
Objective 1.3 Citizens are using Information Society services in their everyday life
Indicator1.3.1: Information Society Services Usage by Citizens: number of
people and share in % of the people that are using the Information Society
Services
The indicator provides information about the share of the citizens that are using
the available information society services instead of the traditional public
services.
Objective 1.4 Enterprises are using Information Society services in their everyday business
Indicator 1.4.1: Information Society Services Usage by Enterprises: number
of enterprises and share in % of the enterprises that are using the Information
Society Services
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EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
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project implemented by
The indicator provides information about the share of the businesses that are
using the available information society services instead of the traditional public
services.
Objective 1.5 Provide Information society services that are mostly used by citizens and
enterprises.
Indicator 1.5.1: Information Society Services Intensity: number of deliveries
(single use) of Information Society Services by service divided by the total use of
the services both trough internet and through traditional channels.
This indicator provides information about the percentage of online delivery and
the total use of the services. This information can be used in order to prioritize the
digitalization of different services in each municipality.
Strategic Objective 2: Establish management structures of Information Society
development that will guarantee sustainability and efficiency.
Strategic Objective 2 directly addresses the first of the two main constrain
associated with insufficient or even absence of funds available for Information
Society development in Region Center. Introducing sound management
mechanisms for Information Society development will ensure commitment to the
process from all relevant stakeholders such as municipality, government, donors
and businesses, will produce comprehensive plans and the respective budgets and
will guarantee the ongoing monitoring and control. The indicators for achieving
the Strategic Objective 2 could be considered as leading indicators. This means
that as soon as they are achieved they will lead the result in tangible improvement
of the Information Society services and provide benefits to the relevant
stakeholders. The lag in the time form achievement of Strategic Objective 2 until
the effect is seen in achieving Strategic Objective 1 is determined by the time
needed for the management structures to produce expected results – information
society services deployed and relevant stakeholders, citizens, businesses and
administration to see the benefits of those services.
Objective 2.1 Ensure Commitment to Information Society development through
development and sustainability of Information Society Steering Committee
Indicator 2.1.1: Number of meetings or meetings resolutions of information
Society Committee where all relevant stakeholders representing citizens,
businesses and NGOs participate
This indicator provides information about the commitment to Information Society
development demonstrated by the relevant stakeholders.
Objective 2.2 Create and sustain operational management capacities
Indicator 2.2.1: Information society responsible manager who directly reports to
the highest possible management level is appointed and operational
This indicator provides information if a manager responsible for the Information
Society development is assigned and operational.
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Indicator 2.2.2: Number of employees that are directly responsible for
Information Society services development
This indicator provides information if there is enough capacity for Information
Society development in the municipalities.
Objective 2.3 Establish and maintain Information Society priorities, plans and budgets
Indicator 2.3.1 Information society services are prioritized based on the needs of
the citizens, businesses and society
This indicator provides information about setting and following Information
Society priorities.
Indicator 2.3.2 Plans and budgets for implementation of the prioritised
information society services are established, maintained and integrated as a
critical part of the municipalities overall program and plans.
This indicator provides information if a sound management processes is
institutionalized that will ensure Information society sustainable development.
Strategic Objective 3: Develop Information Society knowledge base for all relevant
stakeholders.
A critical element in realizing the objectives of the information society is to raise
awareness about information society services concepts and benefits not only
within the organizational units directly responsible for the ICT but also within all
public servants and departments. In addition, the organizational units directly
responsible for Information society development should have the necessary
knowledge, skills and values in order to prioritize, plan, monitor and control the
information society service deployment.
All of the relevant stakeholders should be aware about the technological,
economic, socio-cultural, ethical and regulatory aspects of the information
society. It is necessary to measure and highlight the benefits of information
society implementation for an increased life standard and higher competitiveness.
It is essential to promote Information society as a privilege available for the whole
society and not only to selected groups and communities. The awareness about
the benefits of Information Society would increase the motivation of citizens and
their willingness to adapt to change.
The indicators for achieving the Strategic Objective 3 could be considered as
leading indicators. This means that as soon as they are achieved one can expect
certain lag in the time until the Information services are in place and provide
benefits to the relevant stakeholders. This lag in the time is determined by the
time needed for the management structures to be trained and to produce the
expected results – information society services deployed and relevant
stakeholders, citizens, businesses and administration to see the benefits of those
services.
Objective 3.1 Representatives of the relevant stakeholders understand and support
Information society development
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project implemented by
Indicator 3.1.1 % of representatives of the key stakeholders who participated in
the awareness program
This indicator provides information, what is the share of the citizens, businesses
and administrations that were aware about the information society concepts and
benefits within the awareness campaign.
Objective 3.2 Experts that are directly responsible for the Information Society
implementation have gained the necessary knowledge, skills and culture
Indicator 3.2.1 % of experts directly involved in the information society
development trained and passed the tests.
This indicator provides information about the level of qualification of the experts
that are working on Information Society development
Indicator 3.2.2 Average years of experience in implementation of e-services of
experts directly involved in the information society deployment trained and
passed the tests.
This indicator provides information about the level of experience of the experts
that are working on Information Society development
Objective 3.3 Citizens and businesses that are aware and support Information Society
development
Indicator 3.3.1 % of citizens that understand the Information society concept and
support its implementation
This indicator provides information about the support for the information society
development by the society
Indicator 3.2.2 % of enterprises that understand the Information society concept
and support its implementation
This indicator provides information about the support for the information society
development by the businesses
6. Priority Actions
The current policy framework defined and adopted on national level provides enough
information for the regional and municipal stakeholders to start implementing Strategic
Objective 3 Develop Information Society knowledge base for all relevant stakeholders and
Strategic Objective 2 Establish management structures of Information Society development
that will guarantee sustainability and efficiency. Implementation of these strategic objectives
will build the base for more effective and efficient implementation of the services currently
managed and budgeted on national level (e.g. e-Governence, telecommunication infrastructure,
etc.) and will prepare management and expert resources for further development and promotion
of Information society services not only in government but also in other areas such as edemocracy, e- business, e-economy, e-culture, e-health and e-learning.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
ANNEX 1 eGovernment Benchmarking Indicators for Municipalities in Region Center
Glogoc
F.Kosove
Prishtina
Lipjan
Podujevë
Obiliq
Shtime
Gracanica
Glogoc
F. Kosove
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
1
1
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
1
3
2
2
1
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
2
1
0
3
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
2
1
0
3
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
2
1
0
3
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
2
1
0
3
2
1
1
1
1
3
0
0
1
0
1
2
0
1
1
1
3
1
2
1
0
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
1
2
1
0
2
2
1
1
1
1
3
2
3
2
2
2
1
1
3
2
3
2
2
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
3
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
0
1
0
0
2
3
3
3
2
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
2
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
3
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
0
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
0
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
0
1
2
0
3
3
3
3
0
1
2
1
3
3
3
3
0
1
2
1
3
Shtime
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
Obiliq
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
0
Podujevë
0
0
1
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
1
Lipjan
0
0
1
0
2
0
1
2
0
0
0
Prishtina
E-Government services raitings
2011 - 2012
Jun-12
Gracanica
Jun-11
12 Public Services for Citizens as included in the EU priority (EU , 2001) list
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Transparency Access to the Documents via Web Page
Job search services by labour offices *1
Personal documents (passport and driver's licence)
Car registration (new, used and imported cars)
Application for building permission
Declaration to the police (e.g. in case of theft)
Public libraries (availability of catalogues, search tools)
Certificates (birth, marriage): request and delivery
Enrolment in higher education / university
Announcement of moving (change of address)
Health related services *2
Involving Citizens in decession making (Forums , blogs)
8 Public Services for Businesses
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Social contribution for employees
Corporation tax: declaration, notification
VAT: declaration, notification
Registration of a new company
Submission of data to statistical offices
Customs declarations
Environment-related permits (incl. reporting)
Public procurement
Legend more details about the eGovernment indicators for benchmarking eEurope could be found at http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/benchmarking/index_en.htm
0
No online interaction
1
Information online
2
One-way online
interaction
3
Two-way interaction
4
Complete online
interaction
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Lipjan
Podujevë
Obiliq
Shtime
Gracanica
Glogoc
F.Kosove
Prishtina
Lipjan
Podujevë
Obiliq
Shtime
Gracanica
Glogoc
F. Kosove
Jun-12
Prishtina
Jun-11
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
3
3
3
3
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
1
3
3
1
1
3
1
3
0
1
1
3
3
3
3
3
0
3
A4 Unique Protocol Book --- Time based Controll
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
A5 Donors Database Access
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
2
0
1
A6 Uncovered plans Projects for potencial Donors
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
A7 e-banking
Legend more details about the eGovernment indicators for benchmarking eEurope could be found at http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/benchmarking/index_en.htm
3
E-Government services raitings
2011 - 2012
Additional reference services researched
A1 Transparency Access to the Documents via Web Page
A2
A3
0
Information regrad the Transportation, Restourants,
Hotels Importat Tel.
CMS/CSC Content Mengment Sistem / Citisens
Serving Centers
No online interaction
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
1
Information online
2
One-way interaction
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
3
Two-way interaction
4
Complete online
Interaction
3
0
4
Annex I The Digital Agenda for Europe
5
The overall aim of Europe's Digital Agenda is to deliver sustainable economic and social
benefits from a digital single market based on fast and ultra fast Internet and interoperable
applications. The crisis has wiped out years of economic and social progress and exposed
structural weaknesses in Europe's economy. The EU's primary goal today must be to get Europe
back on track. To achieve a sustainable future, it must already look beyond the short term. Faced
with demographic aging and global competition there are three options: working harder, working
longer or working smarter. Probably all three will have to be implemented, but the third option is
the only way to guarantee increasing standards of life for Europeans. To achieve this, the Digital
Agenda makes proposals for actions that need to be taken urgently to get Europe on track for
smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Its proposals will set the scene for the longer-term
transformations that the increasingly digital economy and society will bring about.
The European Commission launched in March 2010 the Europe 2020 Strategy to exit the crisis
and prepare the EU economy for the challenges of the next decade. Europe 2020 sets out a vision
to achieve high levels of employment, a low carbon economy, productivity and social cohesion,
to be implemented through concrete actions at EU and national levels. This battle for growth and
jobs requires ownership at top political level and mobilization from all actors across Europe.
The Digital Agenda for Europe is one of the seven flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020
Strategy, set out to define the key enabling role that the use of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT) will have to play if Europe wants to succeed in its ambitions for 2020.
The objective of this Agenda is to chart a course to maximize the social and economic potential
of ICT, most notably the Internet, a vital medium of economic and societal activity: for doing
business, working, playing, communicating and expressing ourselves freely. Successful delivery
of this Agenda will spur innovation, economic growth and improvements in daily life for both
citizens and businesses. Wider deployment and more effective use of digital technologies will
thus enable Europe to address its key challenges and will provide Europeans with a better quality
of life through, for example, better health care, safer and more efficient transport solutions,
cleaner environment, new media opportunities and easier access to public services and cultural
content.
The ICT sector is directly responsible for 5% of European GDP, with a market value of € 660
billion annually, but it contributes far more to overall productivity growth (20% directly from the
ICT sector and 30% from ICT investments). This is because of the high levels of dynamism and
innovation inherent in the sector, and the enabling role the sector plays in changing how other
sectors do business. At the same time, the social impact of ICT has become significant – for
example, the fact that there are more than 250 million daily Internet users in Europe and virtually
all Europeans own mobile phones has changed life style.
For the successful implementation of the Digital Agenda, the European Commission will pursue
numerous key actions divided under the following major topics:
a. Fragmented digital markets
b. Lack of interoperability
c. Rising cyber crime and risk of low trust in networks
d. Lack of investment in networks
e. Insufficient research and innovation efforts
f. Lack of digital literacy and skills
5
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/digital-agenda/documents/digital-agenda-communication-en.pdf
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
g. Missed opportunities in addressing societal challenges
In the specific case of Kosovo, two of the most crucial issues that should be addressed are the
insufficient research and innovation efforts and the low levels of digital literacy and skills.
The former requires efforts towards strengthening Kosovo's capacity to take advantage of the 7th
Framework Programme and towards facilitating and encouraging collaboration between local
and international ICT researchers. This can be done by improving Kosovo's capacity to come up
with a sound ICT research strategy, driven by the local needs and potential for development.
Such strategy should be created and implemented for the benefit of citizens, businesses and
government. Furthermore, ICT research and its purposes should be well understood and be in
line with the challenges and respective counteractions identified by the European Union. Finally,
the strategy should be aimed at closing the gap between Kosovo and other EU countries in terms
of ICT usage and level of information society development.
To counteract the lack of digital literacy and skills, Kosovo is considering the adoption of a longterm e-Skills policy, which to create a modern workforce, public administration and education
system. The ultimate goal of such actions would be to ensure a sustainable growth of the local
economy and subsequent integration of Kosovo into the European Union. The European
Commission, on the other hand, supports Kosovo by working with key stakeholders on the
development of ICT Skills Task Force, which to facilitate the collaboration between Ministries,
sponsors and other stakeholders. This would allow Kosovo to explore and take advantage of the
potential synergies to the fullest, and consequently reach the desired level of digital literacy in
the country.
Furthermore, the potential for ICT development in Kosovo is boosted by the very young age
structure of the country. Kosovo's youth is not merely capable of learning, but also enthusiastic
about acquiring IT skills. This presents a great opportunity for building a society in which ICT is
a driving force of economic and social development. Considering the expected growth rate of the
IT sector and all the potential uses of ICTs in almost all other sectors, Kosovo will be in a huge
need for local capacity in the ICT related fields.
The Digital Agenda for Europe frames its key actions around the need to systematically tackle
the above mentioned seven problem areas, which, as a horizontal initiative, spans the three
growth dimensions set out in Europe 2020. These problem areas are addressed by identifying
specific key actions, developed in more detail in the following chapter, to be taken as a set of
positive agendas to boost Europe’s social and economic performance. The Commission will
remain vigilant for the emergence of additional obstacles and will react accordingly.
The Digital Agenda will require a sustained level of commitment at both EU and Member State
levels (including at regional level). It cannot succeed without a major contribution by other
stakeholders, including young “digital natives” who have much knowledge to share. This
Agenda is a snapshot of actual and foreseeable problems and opportunities, and will evolve in
the light of experience and of the rapid changes in technology and society.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
EU support focuses on the essential work that has to be done at European level, funding research
projects that bring together universities, research institutes, small and large companies and
governmental organizations across Europe. The aim is to focus maximum effort into the most
critical areas where 'European added value' can have the greatest effect and to create a European
Research Area (ERA) which can develop a common vision embracing researchers, industrialists,
governments and societies across Europe. Research and policy progress hand-in-hand as
embodied in the Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe6.
The EU plays a role by encouraging private investment in ICT research through a number of
initiatives7:
h. European Technology Platforms bring together companies, research institutions, and any
other organizations, to define, at European level, a common strategic research agenda
(SRA) which should mobilize a critical mass of national and European public and private
resources.
i. Joint Technology Initiatives: In a limited number of cases, the scale of a research or
technological objective and the resources involved justify setting up long-term publicprivate partnerships in the form of "Joint Technology Initiatives" (JTIs).
j. Joint Research Programmes: Member States sharing common needs and/or interests in a
given research topic sometimes initiate jointly implemented national research
programmes. In ICT there is one such Joint Research Programme that exists: ICT for
Ambient Assisted Living (AAL).
k. Pre-commercial Public Procurement: 'innovation-friendly' procurement by the public
sector, encouraging the development and acquisition of technologically innovative
solutions.
Well developed ICT infrastructure, along with a stable ICT sector and proven research capacity
are all crucial factors in the creation of a sound information society. Furthermore, these are also
the main drives to closing the gap in ICT utilization existing between Southeastern Europe and
the Western countries. Despite the opportunities for ICT research, generated by the grants
available through participation in various schemes for EU funding, countries from Southeastern
Europe are still unable to take full advantage of such opportunities.
6
7
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/research/eu_research/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/tl/research/priv_invest/index_en.htm
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Annex II Legal Framework in EU
The regulatory framework in the "information society" part of the chapter -namely "New
Regulatory Framework" consists of the 5 main directives:





Framework
Directive (2002/21/EC)
Access Directive (2002/19/EC)
Authorisation Directive
(2002/20/EC)
Universal Service
Directive (2002/22/EC)
Privacy Directive (2002/58/EC)
Legislative actions8
The information and communication technologies provide a vast spectrum of opportunities for
economic and social development. Thus, the European community must build an adequate and
comprehensive strategy to best exploit the various potential uses of ICTs. Currently, the newly
formulated action plan is focused on two major topics. The first is concerned with elimination of
the common challenges, which inhibit the optimal utilization of ICTs. The second revolves
around identifying and preventing future problems in the long run. To achieve these goals, the
European Union has set and undertaken a number of key legislative actions.
The first group of key actions are focused on creating a vibrant digital single market, allowing
the easy exchange of commercial and cultural content and services between countries. To
achieve this, the European community strives to remove the regulatory obstacles and to facilitate
transactions and processes such as electronic payments and invoicing. Furthermore, issues
related to customer trust and dispute resolution present another major concern.
Key Action 1: Simplify copyright clearance, management and cross-border licensing by

Enhancing the governance, transparency and pan European licensing (online) rights
management by proposing a framework Directive on collective rights management by
2010;

Create a legal framework to facilitate the digitization and dissemination of cultural works
in Europe by proposing a Directive on orphan works by 2010, to conduct a dialogue
with stakeholders with a view to further measures on out-of print works, complemented
by rights information databases;

By 2012, review the Directive on Re-Use of Public Sector Information, notably its
8
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/200&format=HTML&aged=0&langu
age=EN
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
scope and principles on charging for access and use.
This key action aims at making different types of content, such as cultural works and public
information, easily accessible to a larger part of the population. The creation of a common
licensing framework, will tackle the problems resulting from the existing divergence of licensing
across the countries. In this way music, paintings, sculptures and other cultural heritage, for
example, can be digitized in order to be more easily available to the general public, regardless of
their location.
Furthermore, making Public Sector Information (PSI) accessible could unlock the public data
potential throughout Europe. Such information from one country is in reality accumulated knowhow, which could provide new and unexplored opportunities to another. Making PSI available
for re-use would stimulate the creation of innovative cross-border applications and services, thus
supporting and boosting business development.
Key Action 2: Ensure the completion of the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA)9, eventually by
binding legal measures fixing an end date for migration before 2010 and facilitate the emergence
of an interoperable European eInvoicing framework through a Communication on eInvoicing
and by establishing a multistakeholder forum;
This key action strives to facilitate cross-country electronic payments, credit transfers and direct
debits. It will result in great benefits for the pan-European market, namely - it can reduce
payment costs and increase competition. Specifically, replacing paper invoices with electronic
ones can generate savings for the European community as high as 240 billion Euro over a period
of six years.
Key Action 3: In 2011 propose a revision of the eSignature Directive with a view to provide a
legal framework for cross-border recognition and interoperability of secure eAuthentication
systems.
With the growing use of the internet for different online transactions, the issue of personal data
protection is crucial. Secure solutions are needed to make sure that such transactions are carried
out safely. With this key action, the EU wants to build pan-European security systems, providing
a unified way of protecting personal data online.
Key Action 4 Review the EU data protection regulatory framework with a view to enhancing
individuals' confidence and strengthening their rights, by the end of 2010;
Currently, the EU is striving to modernize the data protection regulatory framework in order to
rise individuals' confidence and make sure they are aware of their rights. The main issue is that
even though EU citizens know they have the right to personal data protection, the rules vary
significantly across countries. Furthermore, because they are defined by numerous laws,
understanding and knowing one's rights is a challenging and even confusing mission. These
problems trigger a lack of confidence and trust among customers, which results in less business
conducted through the internet, and consequently missed growth opportunities for the online
9
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/payments/sepa/ec_en.htm
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
economy. Following EU's efforts in this direction, a new pan-European data protection
Regulation10 has been proposed.
This next key action is concerned with the issue of interoperability and standards.
Key Action 5: As part of the review of EU standardization policy, propose legal measures on
ICT interoperability by 2010 to reform the rules on implementation of ICT standards in
Europe to allow use of certain ICT fora and consortia standards.
The variety of technologies and services produced in the EU is great and this creates a level of
fragmentation, which affects negatively the pan-European market. Digital devices, applications
and services are expected to interact smoothly, regardless of the time or location, but this is not
the case. This fragmentation prevents the ICT sector from growing. Therefore, the EU aims at
introducing pan-European standards, which to provide for interoperability across countries.
Key Actions 6 and 7 are focused on the issue of trust and security and the threats of
malicious software and online fraud.
Key Action 6: Present in 2010 measures aiming at a reinforced and high level Network and
Information Security Policy, including legislative initiatives such as a modernized European
Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA), and measures allowing faster reactions in
the event of cyber attacks, including a CERT for the EU institutions;
The internet has become a huge network of interconnected systems carrying vast amounts
of information from all around the world. This, along with the significance of the
transactions carried out online, mentioned earlier, demand for well secured networks,
which can protect the transfer of valuable information from numerous types of threats.
The EU has the opportunity and resources to support strong cooperation between
governments, private and public organizations. The aim is to alleviate existing security
problems, by addressing issues more efficiently and effectively, thus improving the quality
of information exchange.
Key Action 7: Present measures, including legislative initiatives, to combat cyber attacks
against information systems by 2010, and related rules on jurisdiction in cyberspace at
European and international levels by 2013;
Information systems are increasingly being attacked due to numerous reasons, but predominantly
because of the value of the data contained in them itself. In this context, there is an increasing
concern about the possibility of politically motivated or even terrorist attacks against the systems
forming the EU critical infrastructures. Thus, with this Key Action, the EU aims to improve the
security of both citizens and businesses.
For the purpose, Member States must make sure that their criminal laws address cyber crime as
well. In this way, law enforcing authorities will be better able to fight and prevent cyber crime.
This would eventually lead to stronger security of citizens and businesses. Considering the rising
costs of preventing attacks or repairing post-attack damage, the introduction of criminal laws
10
http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/document/review2012/com_2012_11_en.pdf
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
against cyber crime is also expected to positively affect the economy by bringing down these
costs.
Key Action 8 is concerned with the availability of very fast internet.
Key Action 8: Adopt in 2010 a Broadband Communication that lays out a common framework
for actions at EU and Member State to meet the Europe 2020 broadband targets, including:

Reinforce and rationalize, in this framework, the funding of high-speed broadband
through EU instruments (e.g. ERDF, ERDP, EAFRD, TEN, CIP) by 2014 and explore
how to attract capital for broadband investments through credit enhancement (backed
by the EIB and EU funds);

Propose an ambitious European Spectrum Policy Programme in 2010 for decision by
the European Parliament and the Council that will create a coordinated and strategic
spectrum policy at EU level in order to increase the efficiency of radio spectrum
management and maximize the benefits for consumers and industry;

Issue a Recommendation in 2010 to encourage investment in competitive Next
Generation Access networks through clear and effective regulatory measures.
The main concern for the European community regarding the fast internet is that without an
official EU-level intervention, broadband internet would be available in just the high-density
zones around the major cities and not in the more remote rural areas. In this context, the EU aims
at lowering the costs of broadband deployment, ensuring adequate planning and coordination, as
well as at ensuring that Structural and Rural Development Funds are used accordingly.
To further accelerate the deployment of broadband internet, the European Commission
introduced a Communication11 setting the common rules within which EU and national policies
are to be developed to meet the set broadband targets. Along with this Communication, a
Recommendation on Next Generation Access Networks12 was also developed, in order to
encourage investment through clear and effective regulatory measures.
The following Key Action is focused on research and innovation in the ICT sphere and is of
significant importance due to its value for the economic development of the EU.
Key action 9: Leverage more private investment through the strategic use of precommercial
procurement and public-private partnerships, by using structural funds for research and
innovation and by maintaining a pace of 20% yearly increase of the ICT R&D budget at least for
the duration of FP7.
When compared to major trading partners such as the US, the European community is still
lagging in terms of investments in ICT research and development, which is a general threat to the
union's economy. This is apparent as ICTs play a major role in the industrial development of the
EU, being used in the automobile, consumer appliances, and health and medical industries. Thus,
under-investment in the ICT R&D poses a major challenge for the future development of the
manufacturing and service sectors.
11
12
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/broadband/docs/bb_communication.pdf
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:251:0035:0048:EN:PDF
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
To tackle this problem and remain competitive, the EU encourages private investments and
public-private partnerships and offers support to small and medium sized enterprises.
Some of the strands of action include creating conditions enabling risk and benefits sharing
of designing, prototyping and testing of new products and services. Furthermore,
opportunities for wide commercialization are also created. Finally, greater and more
efficient use of ICT structural and regional development funds is a major priority. To
support this, the Commission has launched several calls for proposals such as:
 Public-Private Partnerships and Joint Technology Initiatives designed to leverage
more R&D investments from Member States, Associated through pooling public
and private efforts.
 Joint cross-border pre-commercial procurement (in domain of healthcare and ageing
well)
 ERA NET and ERA NET Plus actions e.g. in the area of flexible, organic and large Area
Electronics and Photonics.
Key Actions 10 and 11 are about enhancing e-skills across the European community. Having in
mind the growing number of daily activities carried out online, these two key actions are of great
importance.
Key Action 10: Propose digital literacy and competences as a priority for the European Social
Fund regulation (2014-2020).
Key Action 10 is concentrated on minimizing the percentage of people without or with limited eskills. About 30% of the European population has never used the internet. Most of these people
are elderly, unemployed or on low incomes and do not have the necessary skills to effectively
use digital media. This results in lower employability and societal participation, due to the huge
role ICTs play in today's society. To alleviate this problem, the Commission will use the
European Social Fund to enhance e-skills and literacy throughout Europe, by setting specific
targets for the period 2014-2020.
Key Action 11: By 2012, develop tools to identify and recognize the competences of ICT
practitioners and users, linked to the European Qualifications Framework and to EUROPASS
and develop a European Framework for ICT Professionalism to increase the competences and
the mobility of ICT practitioners across Europe.
Europe is experiencing lack of ICT practitioners with sufficient skills, who would be able to
move the economy forward, considering the major role ICTs play in almost all industries.
Furthermore, there is a deficit of qualified individuals working in the ICT sector itself. Thus, a
specific action must be taken by the EU to help prevent further deterioration of the current
situation. There is a sharp need for EU citizens, competent in ICT. Furthermore, younger
generations must be attracted to undertake an ICT education. Finally, desirable skills should be
defined and used for fair benchmarking across Europe.
For the purpose, the Commission recognizes the need to define the competences which ICT
practitioners and users have, so that employers can easily identify them. As a result, for the
period 2011-2012, the Commission plans to issue a Communication on digital media Key
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Competences, a Communication on Equity, Social Inclusion and Training. It is also developing
an online assessment tool on Key ICT skills and proposed a European Framework for ICT
professionalism based on the European e-Competences Framework developed by CEN
(European Standardization Committee).
The last set of Key Actions covered here, are focused on the ICT-enabled benefits for the EU
society.
Key Action 12: Assess by 2011 whether the ICT sector has complied with the timeline to
adopt common measurement methodologies for the sector's own energy performance and
greenhouse gas emissions and propose legal measures if appropriate;
Considering the significant amount of carbon emissions the ICT sector itself produces, the
ecological issues need to be addressed. In this context, the Commission is encouraging the ICT
sector to come up with a framework with which to measure its own energy and environmental
impact and adopt and implement common methodologies to diminish the negative effects.
Key Action 13: Undertake pilot actions to equip Europeans with secure online access to their
medical health data by 2015 and to achieve by 2020 widespread deployment of telemedicine
services.
The EU is encountering challenges in terms of the sustainability of the health care systems. The
problems are provoked by the rise of demands from patients, the spread of chronic diseases, and
the age of the population. In addition, human and financial resources are getting scarce. Thus, the
EU recognized the need to empower and deploy telemedicine services in order to ensure the
sustainability of health care systems. In this way, numerous stakeholders will benefit. Citizens
will have access to safer and better care with greater choice and new online services. Health
providers will be able to oversee ambulatory patients more closely and be more efficient. Health
authorities will be more efficient in terms of use of resources. Finally, the industry will benefit
by the emergence of markets for personal health and wellness management.
Key Action 14: Propose a recommendation defining a minimum common set of patient data
for interoperability of patient records to be accessed or exchanged electronically across Member
States by 2012.
The mobility of people across the EU is posing unique challenges in terms of the health care.
Interoperability is crucial for patients' safety and contributes to a more efficient mobility as well
as to a lower fragmentation of the eHealth market. That is why, interoperability is a priority
addressed by the EU through projects like epSOS13, aiming at developing, testing and validating
the interoperability of patient summaries.
To achieve benefits on a larger scale, cooperation on a pan-European level is needed. On the
basis of the results of the epSOS, the Commission together with the Member states will identify
a minimum common set of patient data to be accessed or exchanged electronically. In this way
relevant patient data will be accessible and a higher quality and safety of care will be achieved.
13
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/apps/projects/factsheet/index.cfm?project_ref=224991
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Key Action 15: Propose by 2012 a Council and Parliament Decision to ensure mutual
recognition of e-identification and e-authentication across the EU based on online
'authentication services' to be offered in all Member States (which may use the most appropriate
official citizen documents – issued by the public or the private sector).
Another issue that should be considered on a pan-European level is the diversity of the public
online services used in the different Member Countries. Once again, this causes lack of
interoperability and hinders the common efforts to make an eGovernment single market. In order
for individuals and businesses to truly benefit from this digital single market, all electronic
barriers created gradually throughout the years, must be abolished.
In terms of EU citizens and businesses, the EU aims at providing seamless access to
electronic services, delivered without administrative burdens and regardless of the location
and the time. In this way, mobility in the EU will be facilitated. For this vision to be
realized, however, electronic identification and reliable authentication are a crucial
prerequisite. Thus, in 2010 the Commission adopted an action plan for the period 20112015, which to attract specific actions on electronic ID.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Annex III EU Programs that Support IS Development
ICT in FP7: Objectives and Overview14

The objective of ICT research under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) is
to improve the competitiveness of European industry – as well as to enable Europe to
master and shape the future developments of these technologies so that the demands of its
society and economy are met.

The EU Member States have earmarked a total of € 9.1 billion for funding ICT over the
duration of FP7; making it the largest research theme in the Cooperation programme,
which is itself the largest specific programme of FP7 (with 64% of the total budget).

FP7 research activities will strengthen Europe’s scientific and technology base and
ensure its global leadership in ICT, help drive and stimulate product, service and process
innovation and creativity through ICT use and ensure that ICT progress is rapidly
transformed into benefits for Europe’s citizens, businesses, industry and governments.
The ICT Work Programme 2011-12 under FP7 is divided into eight ‘Challenges’ of strategic
interest to European society, plus research into ‘Future and emerging technologies’ and support
for horizontal actions, such as international cooperation and pre-commercial procurement15:
1. Challenge 1 - Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures
2. Challenge 2 - Cognitive Systems and Robotics
3. Challenge 3 - Alternative Paths to Components and Systems
4. Challenge 4 - Technologies for Digital Content and Languages
5. Challenge 5 - ICT for Health, Aging Well, Inclusion and Governance
6. Challenge 6 - ICT for low carbon economy
7. Challenge 7 - ICT for the Enterprise and Manufacturing
8. Challenge 8 - ICT for Learning and Access to Cultural Resources
9. Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)
In addition, ICT research under the following themes is also supported by the EU in FP7.

e-Infrastructures to aid researchers will also be supported through the Research
Infrastructures Work Programme of the FP7 Capacities programme.

International Cooperation

Pre-Commercial Procurement.
While FP7 participants can in principle be based anywhere, there are different categories of
country which may have varying eligibility for different specific and work programmes16:
 MEMBER STATES - The EU-27;
 ASSOCIATED COUNTRIES – with science and technology cooperation agreements that
involved contributing to the framework programme budget;
 CANDIDATE COUNTRIES – currently recognised as candidates for future accession;
 THIRD COUNTRIES - the participation of organisations or individuals established in
14
15
16
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/programme/home_en.html
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/who_en.html
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
countries that are not Member States, candidates or associated should also be justified in
terms of the enhanced contribution to the objectives of FP7.
The integration of Western Balkan Countries (WBCs) into the European Union (EU) is a major
political and economic project designed to assure stability and development in the region. The
association of these countries to the Seventh (EC) research framework programme (FP7) has to
be seen as a means to facilitate this integration and support their economic development through
joint research efforts and allowing the WBCs to get familiar with the EU decision-making on
research policy. In short, association to FP7 is a good pre-accession tool.
All WBCs except Kosovo are associated to FP7.17 Kosovo can participate in FP7 as a third
country with International Cooperation Country Partner (ICPC) status. Association to FP7 allows
for increased research opportunities because associated countries have the same possibilities
(minimum requirement for participation) as the Member States.
Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP)18
The Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP) aims
at stimulating a wider uptake of innovative ICT based services and the exploitation of digital
content across Europe by citizens, governments and businesses, in particular SMEs.
 About ICT PSP
The ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT PSP) is one of the three specific programmes of The
Competitiveness and Innovation framework Programme (CIP) and runs for the years 2007-2013.
The ICT PSP aims at stimulating smart sustainable and inclusive growth by accelerating the
wider uptake and best use of innovative digital technologies and content by citizens,
governments and businesses. It provides EU funding to support the realization of the Digital
agenda for Europe.
The programme addresses obstacles hindering further and better use of ICT based products and
services and barriers for the development of high growth businesses, notably SMEs, in this field.
In addition to illustrating and validating the high value of digital technologies for the economy
and society, it will foster the development of EU-wide markets for innovations enabling every
company in Europe to benefit from the largest internal market in the world.
The ICT PSP covers technological and non-technological innovation that have moved beyond
the final research demonstration phase. The ICT PSP does not support research activities; it may
cover, when needed, technical adaptation and integration work in order to achieve the objectives.
 Objectives of the programme
The focus is placed on driving this uptake in areas of public interest while addressing EU
challenges such as moving towards a low carbon economy or coping with an aging society. The
programme contributes to a better environment for developing ICT based services and helps
overcome hurdles such as the lack of interoperability and market fragmentation.
17
18
ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/third_country_agreements_en.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/cip/ict-psp/index_en.htm
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
 Activities supported by ICT-PSP
Funding goes mainly to pilot actions, involving both public and private organisations, for
validating in real settings, innovative and interoperable ICT based services in areas such as:
 ICT for health, aging and inclusion;
 Digital Libraries;
 ICT for improved public services;
 ICT for energy efficiency and smart mobility;
 Multilingual web and Internet evolution.
Networking actions for sharing experiences and preparing the deployment of innovative ICT
based solutions in such areas are also supported, as well as the monitoring of the Information
Society through benchmarking, analyses and awareness raising actions.
Unfortunately, Kosovo, being neither a member state nor an associated country, cannot fully
benefit from the ICT PSP programme. Even though an organization from Kosovo can be
included in a consortium applying for funding under the ICT PSP, its participation will be
conditional upon Commission Agreement. Most importantly, even if approved for inclusion,
they do not contribute to the minimum numbers of legal entities required as an eligibility
condition for the type of project concerned, and they do not receive funding19.
Local Activities
Till the present moment there is little progress in Kosovo regarding electronic communications
and information technologies. The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications has developed
a National Strategy for Information Society 2006-2012- approved by Kosovo Government in
order to create an internet exchange point. Kosovo has neither an internet country code top-level
domain name nor an international dialing code. The regulator adopted a Regulation on carrier
selection and carrier pre-selection and also the Regulation on radio stations for which a
frequency spectrum licence is not required. Fixed telephony penetration, with two licensed
operators, is still low at 5%. Mobile telephony penetration was 71% with four mobile operators
(two mobile network operators and two mobile virtual network operators) active in the market.
Broadband penetration is 6.4%. Eleven licensed operators provide internet services, of which
four are national operators and the others provide locally.
In terms of market regulation, there has been little activity. The Telecommunications Regulatory
Authority faces substantial constraints in preparing and implementing legislation in the form of
lack of human resources, expertise, and constraints on its financial independence. As a
consequence the TRA does not have the necessary capacity and authority to conduct its tasks of
an independent regulatory authority to the fullest.
19
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/ict_psp/about/who_can_participate/index_en.htm
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
Examples of EU programs in Bulgaria that supports Information Society Development
After the accession of Bulgaria to the EU the government has set a number of priorities in the
ICT sector, which include developing high-speed broadband internet infrastructure; modernizing
the public sector through e-governance; providing quality e-content for education; and improving
Bulgaria’s competitiveness in the field of science and technology.
The Operational Program “Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy”
2007 – 2013, 1.1 bln euro
The Operational Program “Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy”
contributes to the development of the information society in Bulgaria, while becoming a factor
stimulating the better utilization of the information technologies by the enterprises in order to
increase their competitiveness.
SOME EXAMPLES FOR CALLS FOR PROPOSALS /funding ICT sector activities/20
1. Grant procedure BG161PO003-2.1.13 "Technology upgrade in small and mediumsized enterprises”
Total budget for the procedure - BGN 97 791 500
Beneficiaries:
The SMEs from the following economic sectors: Information technology; development and
distribution of information products, telecommunications; scientific research and development.
Investment: All equipment and new technology needed to expand or upgrade the SME or
launch a new product line, etc.
Services: Marketing strategy and analyses needed for the upgrade.
2. Grant procedure BG161PO003-1.2.02 "Development of new and strengthening of
existing technology transfer offices"
Total budget for the procedure - BGN 9 779 150
Beneficiaries:
Universities, Bulgarian Academy of Science, research institutes, NGOs, companies,
municipalities, etc.
Investment: Investment projects for establishment of new technology transfer offices or
expansion of existing ones.
Services: Resources for operations of the offices; promotion, consultancy, etc.
3. Grant procedure BG161PO003-1.2.03 "Development of new and strengthening of
20
http://www.elana.net/en/investment/elana_investment_industry.shtml
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo
Kosovo Economic Development through Quality and Networking
project implemented by
existing technology centers"
Total budget for the procedure - BGN 39 116 600 (~ 20 mln euro)
Beneficiaries:
Consortia of universities, Bulgarian Academy of Science, research institutes, branch
organizations, municipalities, etc.
Investments: Activities related to establishment and or expansion of technology centers.
4. Grant procedure BG161PO003-1.1.05 "Development of innovations by start-up
companies"
Total budget for the procedure - BGN 39 116 600
Beneficiaries:
Companies registered in Bulgaria with not more than 3 fiscal years of history. Applicants should
be in progress of developing innovative products, processes, services that will be implemented in
economy. Priority sectors: IT sector, environmental and energy saving technologies, healthcarerelated technologies.
Full assessment of the innovative product. Development of samples and testing. Development of
technologies for its production. Industrial design. Intellectual property. Business and marketing
strategies. Product Promotion, demonstrations, exhibitions, etc.
An EU funded project managed by European Union Office in Kosovo
EU supporting Regional Economic Development in Kosovo