Proactive public services (PPS) – that is, services that are initiated by public administrations without a prior request from citizens or businesses – are increasingly discussed as a way to reduce administrative burden, prevent non-take-up and improve access and equity across the EU. The study documented in this report shows that the real challenge is not whether such services are technically possible, but whether administrations are sufficiently prepared to pursue them in a lawful, legitimate and sustainable manner. Drawing on a systematic literature review, 20 expert interviews across 12 EU Member States and two consolidation workshops, the study finds that progress towards PPS remains uneven across the EU, mostly due to legal clarity, organisational capacity, interoperability, accountability and public trust all often lagging behind the technical capability. While AI is widely discussed as a key enabler of PPS, mature use cases remain rare. Responsible AI considerations are often addressed only implicitly or reactively in practice, suggesting that there is a gap between policy ambitions and implementation realities. To support analysis and implementation, the report develops a PPS readiness framework and a five-level maturity model that support self-assessment, identify bottlenecks to scaling and highlight readiness gaps across key governance dimensions. The study concludes that PPS should be treated as a governance and service design choice, not as a universal technological end point, and that EU and Member State action should focus on strengthening readiness, providing context-sensitive support, improving legal and operational clarity and fostering trust in proactive service delivery.

NIKIFOROVA Anastasija;  RODRIGUEZ MÜLLER Paula;  TANGI Luca; 

2026-06-30

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC146641

978-92-68-40341-9 (online),    978-92-68-40342-6 (print),   

1831-9424 (online),    1018-5593 (print),   

EUR 40749,    EUR 40749 (print),    OP KJ-01-26-252-EN-N (online),    OP KJ-01-26-252-EN-C (print),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC146641,   

10.2760/4554259 (online),    10.2760/6984259 (print),