Research Papers

This paper looks at the relationship between policy implementation at the local authority level, and the EU level of vision and strategy development in the specific area of EU Information Society policymaking. These policies are based upon the key policy initiatives of the Digital Agenda and more specifically the Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment, made in Malmö, Sweden, in 2009. Within this context, several local authorities (grouped under the ‘Citadel Statement’, signed in Ghent in 2010) have decided to co-ordinate activities to work towards achievement of goals that have been set at the European Union level. The specific grouping of local authorities brought together in a European context have been working together to implement what they have called “Making Malmö Real”, that is, trying to ensure that the vision and aim of the broad EU/ministerial statements are actually turned into concrete activities. Important to note in this field is that the Citadel Statement has been heavily supported by one of Belgium’s regional governments, and engages with a large number of stakeholders that exist to co-ordinate and link up local authority activity in the EU. This paper will analyse two things: firstly, it seeks to address and evaluate the role of local government in achieving eGovernment goals/targets set at the EU level by national ministers and secondly, it will describe and raise questions about the process of governance and the inter-relationship between actors at the EU, national, regional and local levels in the field of eGovernment.