Interoperability of eGovernment for Building Intergovernmental Integration in the European Union

This article investigates the interoperability of eGovernment policy in the European Union (EU). Are the EU institutions building up regional integration through the interoperability of eGovernment policy? To address this issue, the article analyzes the evolution of interoperability policy making from its inception in 1995 to date. It also outlines the principal implementation instruments deployed by the EU institutions to foster interoperability across member states’ public administrations, as well as employing a sample of key case studies to illustrate them. Results confirm the existence of an integrated approach to the interoperability of eGovernment policy fostered at EU level. They also corroborate the utilization of the open method of coordination (OMC) as the governance system operating within this policy field. Finally, and more importantly, this work pinpoints the growing role of interoperability policy for advancing the regional integration process within the multilevel and mutinational governance system epitomized by the EU.