EU commission urged to change its communications 'mentality'

EU commissioner Maroš Šefcovic has admitted that the executive needs to changes its "mentality" towards information and communications technologies (ICT).

Šefcovic, who is responsible for inter-institutional relations, conceded that there is a "clear need" to upgrade the institution's communications systems.

Outlining plans for an "e-commission" the official said, "When I travel around the EU, I am often asked to deliver simpler rules, be it from parliaments, scientists or national administrations dealing with structural funds.

"There is a clear need to upgrade and simplify our systems and financial forms and IT tools can help us in this task."

Writing in an internal commission newsletter on the institution's ICT priorities for 2011-15, he said, "Within the commission we also need to adjust our mentality to the new reality.

"There is no doubt that ICT can help the commission find smart, simple and money-saving solutions for the future."

He adds, "You can have the best IT tools in the world but you won't get results if the procedures don't suit the tools.

"It is simply not realistic to merely transfer the same procedures we had for paper communications onto IT platforms."

He adds, "While, of course, there are some legal obstacles, it is also a question of overcoming inertia."

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