The first tangible result of the agreement will be that this very year Finland and Estonia will adopt the latest version of the data exchange layer X-Road. In Estonia the entire process is pulled by Information System Authority (RIA), and in Finland by VRK – Population Register Centre subject to finance ministry.

«The initial phase of creation of data exchange layer based on X-Road will be concluded in November 2015,» VRK project manager Eero Konttaniemi confirmed yesterday. The X-Road adopted will be basis for entre Finnish e-state architecture.

Citizens blessed

RIA deputy director-general Katrin Reinhold said the development is significant as in addition to improvement e-services cooperation between Estonia and Finland, international services may be built on it.

«Not limited to further developing X-Road together, we are already planning the next mutual steps. We are agreeing about new requirements and are harmonizing these, distributing tasks, testing the stuff etc,» explained Ms Reinhold.

Also, RIA and VRK plan to unite in building a better knowhow for organisations using the X-Road. The nations will not move money between themselves as the systems are largely created with help from EU structural funds. The outcome of the cooperation will be joint property of both.

Once the common X-Road is launched, agencies and local governments in both nations will interface their databases and e-services with it. Thereafter, data will travel between the systems in Estonia and Finland.

Mr Konttaniemi said there are already 15 Finnish state agencies who have this year launched developments to make their data available on X-Road central base.

«In the initial phase, three to five major databases and information systems will gain connection to Kansallinen palveluväylä (name of the Finnish X-Road – edit),» he specified.

In all likelihood, the inhabitants of the two nations will be offered the services at the end of 2016 – latest – as the Finnish side will complete its public e-services viewing project, including total switch from their current citizens portal suomi.fi.

As the new system is launched, every Estonian citizen should be able to view his tax data stored in Finnish databases, file applications and declarations, submit admission applications to universities, and whatnot – including digital prescriptions issued in Estonia valid in Finnish pharmacies. The same would be available for Finnish citizens in Estonia.