Mixing vision with reality: e-gov e-u style

This paper shows that the European Commission is active in developing e-government initiatives at the EU level. The fact that the European Union does not have a specific government where such initiatives can be adapted, use of the Internet by the Commission in direct relations with citizens makes for a very interesting discussion. It can potentially be seen as the nascent stirrings of a new form of political organization at the supranational level. This paper looks at both visions and realities of e-government in the EU. In order to show where the boundaries between vision and reality overlap, it is necessary to take a single case and investigate where the limitations lie. The European Commission, an ardent promoter of the e-government agenda in the EU, is shown in this paper. There are several reasons for analysing the take-up of e-government initiatives by the European Commission itself.