The 'Governance in the Age of Web 2.0' study, conducted by the Observatory of the Greek Information Society in December 2009, demonstrated the Greeks' positive feedback towards the use of eGovernment services.

According to the study, the Greek Internet users recognise the significant benefits that derive from the use of eGovernment services. More precisely, they seem to appreciate: the fact that there are no restrictions in the operating hours of the electronic services (83.6 %), the time and cost-efficiency of the eServices' use (82.1 %), the decrease of face-to-face transactions (70.9 %), the fast response to citizens' requests (61.2 %), the cost savings for the public administration per se (56.6 %), the reduction of paper use (55.6 %) and the greater transparency in government services (45.9 %).

However, in practice the penetration of electronic public services in the citizens' lives remains fairly limited, although half of the population (51%) uses a computer while a similar proportion of Greeks (44 %) has Internet access (regardless if they have a personal connection or not) and 34 % are regular users. The 'Measurement of eEurope/i2010 indicators for Greece - 2008 Findings' survey of the Observatory for the Greek Information Society shows that only 6 % of Greeks have performed completed electronic transactions with the public sector, whereas about 19 % have searched for information at the websites of public bodies. This contrast illustrates the fact that eGovernment services have not been fully integrated in the every day life of the Greek citizens. This is a case observed not only in Greece but also in many other European countries.

The main reason for the limited impact of eGovernment can be identified in the piecemeal projects taken over by the public sector, in the lack of interoperability between systems and applications involved and in the complex institutional framework, the administrative barriers, etc. However, in recent years greater attention has been paid to factors related to the 'satisfaction of citizens' as to the services provided. The focus has shifted from operation to functionality; it is thus placed on finding the way to make services more user-friendly in order to meet citizens' real needs.

The 'Governance in the Age of Web 2.0' study also raises the need for innovation in eGovernment, aiming for greater openness, transparency and services tailored to the users' needs. The term 'eGovernment 2.0' or '2.0 Governance' is to mark a new era of intelligent electronic public services for citizens and businesses, which should be developed by 2015, according to the Ministerial Declaration on eGovernment approved unanimously at the 5th Ministerial eGovernment Conference in Malmö, Sweden.

The new era of governance is based on 'Web 2.0' technologies, a new wave of web applications that provide users with advanced capabilities for electronic communication and collaboration. The 'Web 2.0' technologies replace the word 'informed' with terms like 'share', 'express', 'affect', 'networked', allowing citizens to actively participate in the decision-making process and control the work of government in terms of transparency, good governance, etc.

The main challenge of 'eGovernment 2.0' is to transform government into a flexible, efficient and user needs tailored mechanism, in order to replace the citizens' physical presence at the public agencies with transactions which are entirely completed online (only 3 out of 10 users said that they use the Internet instead of visiting public bodies).

Further information:

• Original Press Release - Observatory for the Greek Information Society (in Greek)
• Additional Information - National Documentation Centre (in Greek)
• Governance in the Age of Web 2.0 Survey (in Greek)
• Measurement of eEurope/i2010 indicators for Greece - 2008 Findings
• ePractice Library Item - EU: Malmö Ministerial Declaration 2009