The Electronic Administrative Communications Modernization Act (Wmebv) will come into effect on January 1, 2025. This law forces all kinds of adjustments in the way in which governments organize their digital customer contact with citizens and companies. Pilots have now been carried out, a help guide is available and lists of tips and advice are available.  

 

The purpose of the Electronic Administrative Transaction Modernization Act (Wmebv) is clear: the law ensures that citizens and companies can digitally handle their business with the government. The law also requires support for people who do not want or cannot communicate digitally with governments.

Wmebv is part of the government digitalization program - Until now, governments - from implementation institutions to municipalities - determined when and in which situations citizens and companies can communicate digitally with the government. This led to differences between governments and differences in procedures. The Electronic Administrative Communications Modernization Act is part of a series of laws aimed at the digitization of government. For example, last year the Digital Government Act (Wdo) has been introduced, which, among other things, ensures that citizens can use various login methods - in addition to DigiD, other tools such as eHerkenning - when doing business with the government. Furthermore, there is the Digital Accessibility Act.

The Electronic Administrative Communications Modernization Act will come into effect on January 1, 2025. The law not only has consequences for how government institutions organize their (digital) customer contact. The introduction of the Wmebv also increases the pressure on eliminating backlogs in digital services.

For official procedures, via all digital channels

The Wmebv establishes the right to submit a message electronically in legally regulated procedures. This includes applications, decisions, decisions, complaints or views submitted via channels such as online forms, my environments, the Message Box, e-mail or online appointment modules.
There must always be alternative channels (desk, telephone, post, home visits, service point) for people who cannot or do not want to use digital channels. The law applies to the central government, to implementation agencies such as UWV or SVB and for decentralized authorities such as municipalities, provinces and water boards.

More security, less hassle

An important part of the Wmebv is that the rights of citizens and companies are strengthened in digital contact with the government. For example, sent messages must always be answered with a confirmation message and a copy of the sent message. In this way, senders are assured of receipt of a message and citizens can read (and archive) what they have sent. The latter option has not always been offered so far.

With web forms that are used to request data from citizens and companies, it is prohibited to request unnecessary data. This should put an end to situations such as not being able to submit an online application for a building permit if you have not entered your gender.

There will also be more rules for the use of the Message Box by governments. Currently, sending a notification is not mandatory when a new message has been added to the Message Box. This is laid down in the new law. It will also be mandatory to state in the notification if the recipient must take action within a certain deadline.

Duty of care when doing digital business came into effect earlier

It is notable that part of the law, the so-called duty of care in digital business, has already come into effect on January 1, 2024. The duty of care means that governments must provide support for digital exchange, but also for offline contacts. This support is intended to remove obstacles for people with a physical, visual or hearing disability, for people with low literacy or for people with an intellectual disability. The support can consist of walk-in consultation hours where citizens can get help completing digital forms or, for example, a home visit. Consideration may also be given to proactively offering support via telephone and/or video calls.

Furthermore, barriers should also be minimized by making online information such as web pages and applications compliant Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This is relevant for an estimated 4,5 million Dutch people.

Last year it became clear that 25 percent of the more than 4.100 registered government websites and apps do not yet comply with rules regarding digital accessibility. It is suspected that in addition to the registered websites and apps, many thousands of other government websites and apps are in use. There is therefore a backlog in this area that needs to be made up. This backlog has existed for years.

Adjustments to processes, systems and working methods

The Electronic Administrative Communications Modernization Act has consequences for both people and systems and processes within the government: changes will be required in all areas. For example, employees will have to be deployed to provide support, forms will have to be substantively adjusted and systems will have to continue to perform certain processes while certain information is no longer provided by an applicant.

Tips, information and advice

Last year, municipalities, water boards and provinces, among others, carried out pilots with the Electronic Administrative Traffic Modernization Act. They have summarized their tips and findings in a document. VNG has one specifically for municipalities help guide has been drawn up that provides tools for adjusting these types of matters. There is also a VNGproject page available with detailed information. (Ziptone/editors)

Customer Experience, Featured