BAKGRUNN (fra Kommisjonens konsultasjonsnettside, engelsk utgave)

Objective of the consultation
The fast evolution in the ICT domain and the continuous emergence of new, global and innovative ICT services, applications and products fuels the growing importance of interoperability.

Many ICT technical specifications are developed by organisations other than European standardisation organisations, international or national standardisation bodies.

To enable further interoperability between devices, applications, data repositories, services and networks, public authorities should make the best use of the full range of relevant technical specifications when procuring hardware, software and information technology services.

Articles 13 and 14 of the European Parliament and Council Regulation 1025/2012 on European standardisation aim at responding at these challenges by providing the possibility to "identify" ICT technical specifications that are not national, European or international standards in order to be referenced in public procurement, involving a broad consultation of a large spectrum of stakeholders. To achieve any such identification, the ICT technical specifications and the organisation that has developed them need to complain to the list of criteria set out in Annex II of the Regulation 1025/2012.

To support the European Commission in this procedure, and advisory expert group, the multi-stakeholder platform on ICT standardisation (MSP) has evaluated DKIM technical specification against the criteria set out in the Regulation. The evaluation report containing the views of the MSP is the object of this consultation.

The objective of this consultation is to receive further comments from a broad public before identifying ICT technical specifications which may be eligible for referencing in public procurement. All interested citizens and stakeholders are invited to submit written comments on the questions raised in this document to provide the Commission with the best evidence base for its decision.