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Portugal leads Europe on Dematerialisation and Use of ICT in Justice
According to the Report on Dematerialization and the Use of ICT, Lisbon 16-17 March 2009, of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice Council of Europe (CoE), published in Strasbourg on June 11, 2009, Portugal is in the top position of the 47 European countries that are members of the CoE in dematerialization and use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Justice.

The report states that several projects initiated since 2005 have led to very positive results, namely: by the end of February 2009, the enterprises created by the Enterprise on the Spot program reached more more than 67,900 companies and this system is used for about 70% of all enterprises being created in Portugal, 4,373 enterprises were created completely through the Internet (with the system developed by the Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) and in operation since June 2006, see The Enterprise’s Portal which was also developed by UMIC and is in operation since June 2006), more than 1,400 associations were created completely through the Internet, more than 31,260 acts of Commercial Registry were done online, more than 1 million permanent certificates were issued via the Internet, about 1.5 million acts of enterprises were published in the Internet instead of the III series of the Portugal Official Journal (Diário da República), as it was the case before. Since it was created in December 2006 until the end of January 2009, the service providing permanent certificates to enterprises on the Internet, issued more than 1 million permanent certificates. By the end of 2008, more than 792,000 Simplified Business Information (IES) declarations were reported through the Internet in a single form instead of the paper forms that previously required to be submitted annually to four different public organizations (Fiscal Administration, Commercial Registry, National Statistics Institute, Bank of Portugal).
Ministry of Finance and Public Administration Communication Costs Cut
- Estimated 29% cost cuts for mobile voice service and landline-mobile voice gateways
- Estimated cost cuts of over 45% for landline telephone services
- Potential savings of more than 3.6 million Euros in 3 years
Contracting for land mobile services for voice and data, and landline telephony at the Ministry of Finance and Public Administration (MFAP) was conducted by the Secretary General’s Office at this Ministry (SGMFAP) and received comprehensive technical and negotiating support from Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) in terms of setting requirements, assessment factors and negotiating strategy. Contracts were concluded that are cross-cutting for the entire MFAP with uniform provision conditions, including usage indicators for services that may enable future improvements for use, increased alignment of the organisation with the guidelines laid out by the management of the most representative information systems at the Ministry and the obtention of significant cost cuts.
2nd Public Administration Open Source Meeting
The 2nd Public Administration Freeware Meeting will be held on 7th-8th November 2007 at the LNEC – National Civil Engineering Laboratory in Lisbon. It is being promoted by the Office of the National Coordinator of the Lisbon Strategy and the Technological Plan, Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), AMA – Agency for Administrative Modernisation, IP, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Culture and the ODF Alliance.

The agenda (in Portuguese) for the 1st day has sessions on: opening session with interventions from the Secretary of State for Justice, the National Coordinator of the Lisbon Strategy and the Technological Plan, the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), the Director-General for Innovation and Curricular Development and the President of LNEC, Free Software in Primary, Secondary and Higher Education, Free Software in the Modernisation of the Public Administration, e-Accessibility and e-Inclusion, Open Norms – the Market’s View.
Online Patent Register
As of 24th September 2007, it is now possible to file for a patent online at the INPI – National Intellectual Property Institute (site in Portuguese) web site. This service will make life easier for citizens and companies, as it requires no travel and cuts costs by 50%.
Online Services for Companies Create Major Impact
540 companies have been set up online since this service was made available on 30th June 2006 and an average of two companies per day are set up online.
Portugal Climbs to 3rd and 4th in European Online Availability of Public Services Ranking
Portugal climbs up the Rankings for Sophistication of Online Public Services from 2006 to 2007:
- From 12th to 4th in the 30 countries of the EU27 + Norway, Iceland and Switzerland,
- From 11th to 4th in the EU27,
- From 9th to 2nd in the EU15,
overtaking Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, United Kingdom and Sweden.

Portugal climbs significantly in the Full Availability of Public Services Ranking from 2006 to 2007:
- From 11th to 3rd in the 30 countries of the EU27 + Norway, Iceland and Switzerland,
- From 10th to 3rd in the EU27,
- From 7th to 2nd in the EU15,
overtaking Denmark, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Norway, United Kingdom and Sweden.
eGovernment Progress in EU Report Published
The eGovernment Progress in EU27+ - Reaping the benefits Report was published on 19th September 2007 at the Ministerial eGovernment Conferencelatest new, which took place in Lisbon from 19th to 21st September 2007 and was attended by 22 Ministers responsible for eGovernment in different European countries.
Ministerial eGovernment Conference
In the scope of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union, the 4th Ministerial eGovernment Conference, organised by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, AMA – Agency for Administrative Modernisation (site in Portuguese), and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), in conjunction with the European Commission, will be held from 19th to 21st September 2007 in Lisbon.
This conference will be dedicated to the topic of “Reaping the Benefits of eGovernment” and will broach the following four main themes:
- Better Public Services for Growth and Employment
- Participation and Transparency
- Social Impact and Cohesion
- Efficient and Efficacious Government
Online Register for Car Sales and Purchases
As of 4th September 2007, it is now possible to file records of car purchases and sales online and pay for these records.
To transfer records, buyer and vendor authentification is required at the Automóvel Online web site, where the records are requested and confirmed using eSignature certificates.

Authentication with an electronic signature can be done on the Automóvel Online website by the purchaser or seller themselves if they have a Citizen's Card, or by proxy through a lawyer, solicitor or notary who holds an electronic signature certificate, which is widespread in Portugal in these professions. In this way, the identity authentification system is identical to the one that has been used since 30th June 2006 to set up companies online via the Portal da Empresa (Enterprise´s Portal).
Portugal Helps New EU Countries to Join Schengen Area in 2007
The European Council and the Hague Programme set the political objective of ensuring the New Member States (MS) of the EU25 could join the Schengen Area by October 2007. The Schengen Area, which ensures free movement of people without controls at MS’ borders, currently covers the EU15 countries, with the exception of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and also includes Iceland and Norway, which do not belong to the EU.
Cutting Communication Costs at the Ministry of the Environment
Awarding the contract for the Land Mobile Service for Voice and GPRS Data for the Secretary General’s Office of the Ministry of the Environment, Town and Country Planning and Regional Development, which began with a call for tender launched in September 2006 was concluded on 14th June 2007 when the respective contract was signed with OPTIMUS – Telecomunicações, SA.
Press Conference on the 4th Ministerial eGovernment Conference
A press conference on the 4th Ministerial eGovernment Conference (19th – 21st September 2007) will be held on 9th July 2007 at 11 am at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with the Secretary of State for Administrative Modernisation, Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, and the President of Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), Luis Magalhães.
Simplified Company Information
The IES – Simplified Company Information was unveiled on 30th April 2007, making it possible for the first time to send a single electronic declaration by the internet with four pieces of information that had previously had to be given to four different bodies: the annual accounts and tax information declaration for the Tax Office, the records of accounts to be handed to the Commercial Records Office and the information for statistical purposes for the INE (Portuguese Statistics Office) and the Bank of Portugal. Companies therefore no longer need to go to these bodies’ premises, cutting the very costs for presenting accounts and scrapping the requirement for these documents to be delivered in paper format. At the same time the thoroughness, consistency and transparency of the information given have increased.
Citizen's Card Launched
The new identification document for Portuguese citizens, the Citizen's Card, was officially presented on 14th February at the Teatro Faialense in the city of Horta. The card will first be available to citizens of the island of Faial in the Autonomous Region of the Azores and is planned to reach the entire country by 2008.
This new document includes various physical security aspects and also features electronic authentication by qualified digital signature. It replaces the I.D. Card, Taxpayer’s Card, Social Security Card, National Health Service User Card and, as soon as the Electoral System Law is revised, the Voter Card.
Online Brand Register

A ceremony was held on 22nd December 2006 at the INPI – National Industrial Property Institute to mark the launch of the Online Brand Register. The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Justice, the Secretary of State for Justice and the Under Secretary of State for the Economy and Innovation.
It is now possible to register brands, brand certificates and renew the registration of brands online at http://www.inpi.pt/ (site in Portuguese). There are roughly 35 thousand such cases annually, which corresponds to approximately 70% of all the INPI’s work.
Online Trade and Permanent Certificate Register Available
The launch for the Online Trade and Permanent Citizens Register was held on 20th December 2006 at the Trade Register Office, Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo 7, Lisbon. The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Justice, the Secretary of State for Justice and the Secretary of State for Science, Technology and Higher Education.
Public Administration Open Source Meeting
The Public Administration Freeware Meeting is being held on 29th November 2006 in Torre do Tombo in Lisbon. The objective behind the agenda (in Portuguese) is to flag specific cases of free software use and to identify constraints on and the potential for its use by public services. Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) is one of the organising bodies, together with the Office of the Coordinator of the Technological Plan, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice.
International Information and Communication Technologies Fair
Find out about the Connect Portugal programme’s projects to mobilise the Information and Knowledge Society
The International Information and Communication Technologies Fair (SITIC) is being held from 2nd to 5th November 2006 at the FIL – Parque das Nações, Lisbon. It is for the entire ICT sector and will host a huge array of company and citizen-oriented solutions in three major areas: Multimedia and Business Communications, Systems and Solutions, Equipment and Digital Content.
Company Online - Portal da Empresa (The Enterprise’s Portal)
It has been possible to set up a company online in Portugal since 30th June 2006 and the first steps towards the Portal da Empresa (The Enterprise’s Portal) have been taken. These services were launched at a session at the Lisbon Congress Centre (ex-FIL/Junqueira) where the Prime Minister, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Science, Innovation and Higher Education were present and where the first company was set up online.
Commercial share-owned companies, limited liability companies and civil law companies having a commercial form may now be set up online, using eSignature certificates. These signatures will be available to everyone on the Citizen’s Card, which will be distributed from 2006, replacing the traditional identity card and other forms of identification used in dealings with the government. However, people who have or have acquired advanced electronic signatures may already set up companies online. Alternatively, lawyers, solicitors and notaries who already have advanced electronic signatures and have proxy powers may be used to set up companies. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to go to the public services to set up companies and the interested parties may well be in different locations.
Setting up a company online is cheaper than doing it the traditional way and there is a reduction in the cost for companies in the IT or research and development fields. Additionally, the new company is automatically given a .pt domain on the Internet allocated by the FCCN - Foundation for National Scientific Computation.
Portugal Climbs European Online Availability of Public Services Ranking

Portugal up in the Ranking for Full Online Availability of Public Services from October 2004 to April 2006:

- From 15th to 11th in the 28 countries of the EU25 + Norway, Iceland and Switzerland,
- From 13th to 10th in the EU25,
- From 11th to 7th in the EU15, Overtaking Germany, Spain, Ireland, Iceland and Italy.

Portugal’s figures are now higher than the average for the countries in all the groups considered.
Proof of concept for the Citizen's Card
The presentation session for the proof of concept for the Citizen’s Card Project was held on 8th March 2006 at the Lisbon Congress Centre. This session was chaired by His Excellency the Prime Minister and was attended by other members of the Government, heads of public bodies and companies participating in the proof of concept.

Project
The Citizen’s Card project is a key project in the XVII Constitutional Government’s administrative modernisation policy and will be one of the main technological, procedural and legal levers in the modernisation strategy.
Workshop "e-Government in Canada: Best Practices"
The e-Government in Canada: Best Practices Workshop is being held on 8-02-2006 from 10 am to 12.30 pm at the INA – National Administration Institute, IP. The main speaker is Christine Desloges, Director-General of Canada’s Government On-Line Initiative. This event is a joint initiative of the UCMA – Coordinating Unit for Administrative Modernisation, INA and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC).
3rd Ministerial eGovernment Conference, Manchester
The 3rd Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2005 was held in Manchester, United Kingdom, on 23-25 November 2005. A Ministerial Declaration was adopted at this conference (Ministerial Declaration on the Occasion of the Ministerial eGovernment Conference 2005). The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC) was involved in preparing this document. The Portuguese delegation consisted of: Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, UCMA – Administrative Modernisation Coordination Unit Coordinator, representing the Minister of State and Internal Administration; Luis Magalhães, President of The Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), representing the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education. The Portuguese delegation also included the following UMIC members: Anabela Pedroso, Voting Member of the Board of Directors, and Matilde Cardoso.
Online auction for I.T. equipment procurement for 23 organisms and 7 ministries
In the scope of the National eProcurement Programme, coordinated by Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), an Internet auction was held on the morning on the 9th August 2005 at the Penafiel Palace for I.T equipment procurement for 23 organisms from 7 ministries and three public companies.