"Every time I went to a new unit in the European Commission, I always tried to dig out the relevance for the digital transformation of the public sector. So, when I joined this unit, I really felt that it is like coming home.” (Laughs)
At the end of 2022, Andrea Halmos became the new deputy Head of Unit of the Interoperable Europe Unit of DG Informatics. As a cheerful and seasoned European Commission official, she very much likes to work in the European context, as it brings her the most joy regarding sense of purpose and impact on people’s lives. In addition, her affiliation with interoperability was never far away, as digital transformation of the public sector has always been her favourite topic.
Q: How has been your experience in the team so far?
Very good! I think the team is wonderful. And I am doing all those things that I always wanted to do, so I enjoy it very much.
Q: Glad to hear this. What are your main motivations to work on European digital affairs?
Ever since I was a student, I was quite attracted to the fact that Europe could convene people from all corners of the EU, and attempts to identify common elements that make the further completion of the Single Market possible - also, in the digital context. Although I was almost 20, when the use of emails, mobile phones and the internet started to gain traction, all these things became an integral part of our lives very quickly. When I was a student in European affairs, there were many discussions about the four freedoms of movement. Therefore, I wondered: how do you combine these notions with the digital transformation? How can we make sure that the digital field enables people to move and really enjoy a free Europe instead of creating new burdens or barriers?
Q: Less interoperability in the public sector means maintaining or creating extra burden when you are active in another EU Member State. The digital field has not lost its societal relevance throughout the years, so I can imagine there is quite some work to do.
Indeed, regardless of how you feel about it, the digital revolution is an unstoppable train that changes the daily lives of people and companies. More than 90% of people in the EU have mobile phones by which they can access services online. So, it is important to jump on that train and to make sure that the public sector follows, in alignment with European values and in a human-centric way for everyone. Interoperability is an important enabler of this digital transformation.
Q: What are other key reasons for you to have more interoperability in the EU?
We are creating a new mindset in which all public administrations in the EU actually need to collaborate with one another to facilitate everyone's lives. Even those who don't need to or can’t travel will have much easier access to services and will experience much less burden. Eventually, they will have their taxes automatically filled in and just have to click to agree. Or, when you have registered your new-born child, the state will automatically know when it needs to start paying the child allowance.
And to be clear, we need to ensure that everybody can follow. We have to accommodate the ones that may have difficulties in using digital public services. But I think this transformation is something that everybody will benefit from. It will also make it easier for companies to move from one country to another. And I have seen several studies that show a big correlation between efficiency of administrations and trust in government.
"We consider everyone important and people need to feel they are listened to."
Q: The Commission proposal for an Interoperable Europe Act has now been launched several months ago. What is your impression on how the Act is received so far?
I felt a very positive response from all angles. All the major EU institutions, the Member States, and even the private sector welcome the proposal, which is encouraging. We obviously still need to negotiate it with Council and Parliament and there are still some questions, like the resources or obligations that the Act requires. But overall, I have not heard anyone saying that the proposal is not welcome or that there would be a huge controversy. I even dare to say the Act is something that has been long- awaited.
Q: How come?
Because, if you look at the bigger picture, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Single Market this year, but we are still trying to complete it. Furthermore, the digital transformation has created new barriers, but also new possibilities. The EU has been exemplary in tapping into these opportunities. For example, the economic potential of data can be harnessed in an ethically responsible way. You also have a lot of legislation around data sharing and the use of human-centric AI already. And there has been a lot of focus on interoperability in the private sector. However, there was this element missing on interoperability in the public sector. So, I think it the Act nicely completes the puzzle.
And, although the European interoperability Framework doesn't become a binding document, at least we have a regulation on public sector interoperability, with interoperability assessments and a strengthened governance structure in it.
Q: In the academic field of comparative literature, there is sometimes this view of Europe as a labyrinth in which people need to find the way to reach their destination. Ulysses travels from one island to the other, a knight through the forests in search for the Holy Grail, a traumatized holocaust survivor like Primo Levi tries to get home in a devastated Europe… Do you think this labyrinth analogy can also be applied to the Interoperable Europe initiative? After all, we are trying to achieve interoperability between every local, regional, and national public administration in the EU, let alone every EU institution.
I really like this analogy. It is true; it is a very complex matter. We obviously work directly with the Member States and EU institutions . But most of the public services are delivered at local level, so the Interoperable Europe Act will have a profound influence on this level. And there are tens of thousands of local municipalities in the EU alone. It’s difficult to know the concerns of every municipality when operating in Brussels, so we rely on multipliers and associations to make the bridge. On the other hand, we feel it is important to respond to individual questions and requests from citizens and organisations. People need to understand that we consider everyone important and that they feel they are listened to.
Q: One of the strategies of the Unit to keep in touch with the field is to present the Act to cities, networks or associations, like the Council of European Municipalities, Living-EU, or networks of local counsellors. Is it important that local municipalities join these networks or associations to make their voice heard?
Indeed, I have a strong message for them to do so. There are many excellent associations and networks in which municipalities and cities come together and recognise they have similar challenges and needs. They can help us pass on important information. Furthermore, not only do they exchange good practises, but they also give access to knowledge, tools and funding opportunities or can even procure something similar in a joint manner.
Q: Can some of them also play a representative role in the organisational structure of the Interoperable Europe Act?
Indeed. Cities and regions are represented through the Committee of the Regions, which is planned to be a representative organ in the Interoperable Europe Board. The Committee has already done its consultation with local and regional administrations. They also held a public consultation recently, where we had quite some interest from local and regional administrations. And the Living-In-EU-Community, a network of local and regional administrations supporting their digital transformation, could become part of the European Interoperability Community.
Q: While the Act is meant to be beneficial for local municipalities administrations, there are likely to be some costs for them in the beginning. Do they already have some tools to mitigate these costs or organisational problems?
Certainly. But we are already trying to make sure that these costs and other burden on the local level is reduced as much as possible. Any required interoperability assessment will be done at a level as high as possible, like the EU or national level. Furthermore, municipalities will also have possibilities to reuse certain solutions from a list or catalogue of services, so they don't need to start from scratch. They can also benefit from our training material for their capacity building.
I also think many of them already understand what is coming their way due to the large preparation work they are doing for the implementation of the Single Digital Gateway Regulation. Once the Interoperable Europe Act is in place later, the interoperability assessment will already make them understand what it takes to ensure interoperability from the start, so they can prepare accordingly.
Q: How close is the link between the realisation of the Act and you as a person?
Very close. When I was younger, we had to stop at the border and they checked our passports and car and what we were bringing from one country to another, which created many queues. It took several months to organise a trip from Hungary to, for example, Southern Europe. You also needed to have a lot of different coins with you. And then little by little this disappeared, and it has already become much easier to study, to work, or retire in another country. But significant burdens still remain.
The Act itself is a huge opportunity to tackle these burdens for everyone. It can really make a big difference in the long run. It aims to do so by changing mindsets and cultural approaches to start working together, despite the different languages, countries and jurisdictions. And we will have something quite unique in the world. Many international partners take the example of the EU to foster collaboration between public administrations and to advance public sector interoperability between them. That is why, together with the digital transformation, the Act allows me to dream of a completely connected Europe.