Single Digital Gateway
Quality services without borders. Efficient, human interaction at the service of citizens does not stop abruptly at national borders.
Applicable for
- Other authorities
- Citizens
- Businesses
- Federal organisations
Table of contents
Definition
The Single Digital Gateway facilitates online access to information, administrative procedures and support services that EU citizens and businesses need (or may need) in another EU country.
Uniform procedures and services throughout the EU
Following the adoption of the Single Digital Gateway Regulation in 2018, the European Commission and national authorities set out to develop a network of national gateways. The aim was to provide citizens and businesses with information on how EU rules are applied in each EU country for foreign 'users'. The support services available were also listed.
Since December 2020, some of these services have already been available via the central access point on the Your Europe portal. The national websites participating in the gateway are therefore easily recognisable by the Your Europe logo.
Your Europe
By the end of 2023, Your Europe will provide access to 21 online procedures in all EU countries. For example, car registration and pension applications will be handled entirely digitally. To sum up: the main administrative procedures for foreign users will be fully available online in all EU countries. A document transfer system will also be set up. A service that can come in useful in this context. A diploma obtained in one country can therefore easily be shared with other national authorities, to set up a business for example.
With a view to further improving policy development, the gateway also invites users to give their views on the specific obstacles they encounter in the single market.
Why is a digital gateway necessary?
EU citizens and businesses, particularly those operating in another EU country, often find it difficult to understand the rules that apply to their specific situation. Searching for information is often a tedious and confusing process. The information is generally scattered across various websites, which often offer no guarantee of quality or reliability. Some procedures can only be carried out on paper or involve long queues, which is an unnecessary waste of time.
These and other obstacles prevent the optimisation of a fully-fledged internal market, where the freedom of goods, services, capital and people is fully guaranteed. They even hinder the creation of a digital single market, by creating unnecessary online barriers between citizens of different EU countries.
To remedy these problems, on 2 October 2018 the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted a regulation establishing a Single Digital Gateway. It is expected to save businesses more than €11 billion a year and provide a significant boost to international business.
More information?
In these videos, you can find out more about the Single Digital Gateway.
Commissioner Bieńkowska and MEPs debate the merits of the single digital gateway