IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ONCE ONLY PRINCIPLE IN A MARITIME DOMAIN

Abstract

The document entitled Study on eGovernment and the Reduction of Administrative Burden indicates three ways to reduce administrative burdens in Europe: implementation of the once-only principle, simplification and personalisation strategies and digital-by-default strategies. The implementation of the once-only principle should be the first step towards reducing administrative burdens, as this principle lays the foundations for the other two strategies. Without the implementation of the once-only principle, it will not be possible to simplify administrative procedures for citizens and businesses, nor will it be possible to digitalize them. Numerous measures are being taken in Europe to put the once-only principle into practice, but they primarily focus on the implementation of this principle at the national level. For the first time, the TOOP project undertook to develop a technical solution that will enable the implementation of the once-only principle at the European (cross-border) level. What is important, this solution will be practically tested by the countries participating in the project.

The fact that implementation of the once-only principle is becoming a priority in the EU, as evidenced by the fact that this principle is included in the Proposal for a Regulation on establishing a Single Digital Gateway should be assessed positively. Combining the efforts undertaken at the European Commission level within the framework of proposed legislative initiatives and in the Member States under the projects such as the TOOP project should bring visible benefits for citizens and entrepreneurs in the near future. The scale of these benefits can be very huge, as is shown by estimates indicating that the implementation of the once-only principle in Europe could generate annual savings of €5 billion.