A conceptual model for integrated public service governance is proposed as a part of the European Interoperability Framework to guide their planning, development, operation and maintenance by Member States.

It is relevant to all governmental levels, from local to EU. The model is modular and comprises loosely coupled service components1 interconnected through shared infrastructure.
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Public administrations need to identify, negotiate and agree on a common approach to interconnecting service components. This will be done at different national administrative levels according to each country’s organisational set-up. Access boundaries for services and information should be defined through interfaces and conditions of access.

There are well-known and widely used technical solutions, e.g. web services, to do this, but implementing them at EU level will require concerted efforts by public administrations, including common or compatible models, standards and agreements on common infrastructure.


These are recommendations regarding the conceptual model for integrated public services:


The conceptual model promotes the idea of interoperability by design. It means that for European public services to be interoperable, they should be designed in accordance with the proposed model and with certain interoperability and reusability requirements2 in mind.


The model promotes reusability as a driver for interoperability, recognising that the European public services should reuse information and services that already exist and may be available from various sources inside or beyond the organisational boundaries of public administrations. Information and services should be retrievable and be made available in interoperable formats.

The model’s structure comprises:

  • ‘integrated service delivery’ based on a ‘coordination function’ to remove complexity for the end-user;
  • a ‘no wrong door’ service delivery policy, to provide alternative options and channels for service delivery, while securing the availability of digital channels (digital-by-default);
  • reuse of data and services to decrease costs and increase service quality and interoperability;
  • catalogues describing reusable services and other assets to increase their findability and usage;
  • integrated public service governance;
  • security and privacy.

The model's basic components and the related recommendations are:

Basic component Related recommendation(s)
Coordination function
Internal information sources and services #eif36 - Develop a shared infrastructure of reusable services & information sources for use by all public administrations
Base registries #eif37 - Make authoritative sources of information available with access & control mechanisms to ensure security & privacy
#eif38 - Develop interfaces, publish the semantic and technical means and documentation
#eif39 - Match each base registry with appropriate metadata
#eif40 - Create and follow data quality assurance plans for base registries
Open data #eif41 - Establish procedures and processes to integrate the opening of data
#eif42 - Publish open data in machine-readable, non-proprietary formats
#eif43 - Communicate clearly the right to access and reuse open data
Catalogues #eif44 - Put in place catalogues of public services, public data, interoperability solutions
External information sources and services #eif45 - Use external information sources and services while developing European public services
Security and privacy #eif46 - Consider security & privacy requirements; provision of public services according to risk management plans
#eif47 - Use trust services according to the Regulation on eID and Trust Services

Source: European Interoperability Framework - Promoting seamless services and data flows for European public administrations, COM(2017)134, 23 March 2017, url (Available in the languages of the EU Member States)


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