APIs for the EU Single Digital Gateway: Enabling Seamless Cross-Border Digital Services

The European Commission has released technical specifications for a set of APIs that enable the smooth exchange of data between national systems and the Single Digital Gateway (SDG) platform. These APIs are crucial for facilitating cross-border digital public services across the European Union.

Overview of the SDG APIs

The SDG platform utilizes four main APIs to transfer data from Member States to a common data repository for aggregation, analysis, and visualization:

API for generating unique IDs
APIs for transmitting statistical data
APIs for transmitting user feedback data
API for referrals between national systems

The APIs support the exchange of data related to information services, assistance services, and online procedures provided by public administrations across the EU.

Unique ID API

Before calling any of the other APIs to transfer data, the unique ID API must be invoked to obtain an identifier for that specific data transmission. This ensures data integrity and avoids duplication.

Statistics APIs

Two APIs are provided for sending statistical data on the usage of information services and assistance services:

The Information Services Statistics API allows monthly transmission of data such as number of visits, originating countries, device types used, etc.
The Assistance Services Statistics API enables bi-annual sharing of data like number of requests, category and situation of users, average response time, and more.

Feedback APIs

User feedback collected via the common SDG feedback tool or alternative national tools can be transmitted using two APIs:

The 1st Level Feedback API supports monthly sharing of ratings and comments on information pages, online procedures, and assistance services.
The 2nd Level Feedback API allows more detailed surveys to be transmitted, covering aspects like accuracy, ease of use, multilingual availability, etc.

API Security and Authentication

All APIs are secured using API keys for authentication. Keys are issued and managed by the European Commission and are specific to each system environment (acceptance vs production).

Data Formats and Transmission

The APIs utilize JSON as the data exchange format. Detailed schemas are provided in the API specification document. Data can be transmitted individually or in batches for a given reference period. Size limits of 5MB per transmission are enforced.

Conclusion

The SDG APIs play a vital role in enabling seamless cross-border digital public services for citizens and businesses across the European Union. By adhering to the technical specifications and security guidelines, Member States can ensure interoperability and a smooth user experience.

The full API specification document, including endpoint URLs, payload examples, and error codes, is available from the European Commission. Developers can also access the Swagger (OpenAPI) files for more details on integrating with the APIs.

References

Single Digital Gateway APIs for statistics and feedback - Technical specifications v2.5, European Commission, 25 Jan 2024