France tops Europe for net services

FRANCE has the best online government services in Europe, according to a report by the United Nations.

The UN’s E-Government survey 2014 puts the country at the head of European nations, number four in the world, behind South Korea, Australia and Singapore.

The UK comes in 8th place, dropping from third place which it held two years ago.

France’s 2014 ranking is up two places on its 2012 position.

The E-Government survey combines measurements of the availability of online services, telecommunication infrastructure and the general level of public education.

France is presented as a “leader” in the field by the report. The country only entered the top ten in 2010 and its rise rests largely on improvements to its online services.

View the full report here.

It is an extra feather in the cap of www.service-public.fr which has been growing in usability for many years. Recently the site was praised by both the French parliament and government’s account group the Cour des Comptes for its efficiency.

More improvements are planned. A project called Dites-le nous une seule fois (Only tell us once) will reduce bureaucracy for businesses.

It is due to come into force on January 1, 2017 and will allow firms to store their details on a central database that can be accessed by several government departments, rather than sending out duplicate forms with the same data.

Did you know?
Here are some of the services you can carry out online

- Order birth, marriage or death certificates to be delivered

- Inform all key public and private organisations of a change of address or phone number

- Register to vote

- Register for Opération Tranquillité Vacances (where police will pass by your home if it is unoccupied during the holidays).