Ensuring Access to Croatian Public e-Services within e-Citizens Platform for EU/EEA Citizens

On 9 June 2017, the EU co-funded project Ensuring Access to Croatian Public e-Services within e-Citizens Platform for EU/EEA Citizens, 2015-HR-IA-0069, was presented at the Ministry of Public Administration.

Speaking about the importance of the project, State Secretary Darko Nekić from the Ministry of Public Administration emphasized that Croatia was among the first EU Member States to have enabled the use of its e-services for the citizens of other Member States. By using their national credentials, EU citizens will be able, inter alia, to receive an electronic certificate of legal employment status, apply for higher education programmes in Croatia online, and receive an e-certificate of pupil status, as well as be assigned a personal identification number (OIB) electronically.
 
The Ministry of Public Administration is the Activity Coordinator of the CEF eID 2015 project, while the Financial Agency, which is the Operational Implementer of the National Authentication System (NIAS), will adjust the system for the use and management of electronic identities (NIAS-CEF-eID) in line with the eIDAS Regulation.  
Project partners i.e. providers of electronic services include:

• Ministry of Finance – Tax Directorate – it will enable the electronic assignment of the personal identification number and simplify the process of registration in the system for foreign natural persons;
• Croatian Pension Insurance Institute – it will enable foreign users to request and receive electronic records of their legal employment data;
• Agency for Science and Higher Education – it will enable foreign citizens to apply for university graduate and specialist professional graduate study programmes at higher education institutions in Croatia;
• Croatian Health Insurance Institute – it will enable the online registration of a foreign citizen’s European Health Insurance Card as well as the retrieval of information on the incurred costs of urgent healthcare in Croatia in previous 12 months;
• Croatian Academic and Research Network – it will enable foreigners to access the eClassRegister for parents and pupils, eEnrolment and eCertificates of Pupil Status;
• Croatian Computing Centre – it will enable foreign citizens to use the service of acquiring a student status certificate;
• Croatian Tourist Board – it will facilitate the check-in and check-out of tourists to foreigners who own tourist facilities. 

The project started on 15 June 2016 and ends on 14 June 2017. Its overall value amounts to 614,979 Euros, and the EU grant amounts to 461,234 Euros or 75% of the project’s overall value.
 
The European Commission launched the tender procedure for CEF Telecom eIdentification (CEF eID) in November 2015, with a view to establishing cross-border exchange of electronic identities for accessing electronic services.  Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is the EU’s key funding instrument for the promotion of growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted investment in infrastructure on European level. CEF supports the development of high quality, sustainable and effectively interconnected trans-European networks in the field of transport, energy and digital services.
 
CEF Telecom, a CEF component, represents the crucial tool of the European Union for facilitating cross-border interaction between public administrations, companies and citizens by developing the digital services and broadband infrastructure. Supported projects will contribute to the creation of interconnected digital services which support the digital single market.
 
By implementing the CEF eID 2015 project, Croatia has met all the requirements for the access to the national credentials of EU Member States, and has enabled, in line with the eIDAS Regulation, citizens of other Member States to use certain e-services provided by public authorities included in the eCitizens system.

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