Measuring the evolution of online handling of building permits in Europe

Electronic customer related services of governments have expanded enormously. In many regulatory domains the use of ICT services has become common property. This applies also to the field of building regulations. Main theme of this paper is the possibility to apply online for a building permit. The developments in 18 European countries are being analyzed, with a focus on the Netherlands. The article addresses Dutch and European policies towards online public services in general and towards the electronic handling of building /permit applications in particular. We trace the main trends of eEurope policy with regard to the online availability of public services and analyze the progress European countries have made with the availability of online application facilities for building permission. The paper goes into the way progress is being measured and monitored in Europe. Although progress has certainly been made, we cast doubts on the accuracy of the results of the measurements. Keywords: Building Control, e government, building permit procedures, Europ