Functionalities of the common user feedback tool
1. The common user feedback tool referred to in Article 25(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 shall contain the following elements:
(a)
questions to solicit user feedback, user ratings and a free text box, relevant for the webpages with information, procedures and assistance and problem solving services, as included in Annex III;
(b)
surveys with detailed questions on the quality of information, of online procedures and of the assistance and problem-solving services, to be invited to participate once that user has submitted the initial feedback;
(c)
automatic transmission of the user feedback to the common data repository;
(d)
capture and transmission of the URL of the webpage to which the user feedback relates together with the user feedback.
2. For the collection of user feedback on information and on procedures, service providers shall be able to choose between a version of the common feedback tool with or without a free text box.
3. The Commission shall ensure that the common dashboard sends regular email messages to all service providers using the common user feedback tool to remind them that they can consult the feedback regarding their services in the common dashboard.
4. The Commission shall make the common user feedback tool available in all official languages of the Union.
Functionalities of the alternative user feedback tools
1. Alternative user feedback tools used by service providers shall include:
(a)
similar questions and a rating system producing comparable results to the one used in the common user feedback tool and, for the assistance and problem-solving services a free text box allowing users to leave free text comments;
(b)
links to the surveys included in the common user feedback tool according to the type of the service;
(c)
a mechanism provided by the Commission allowing the transmission of the feedback data together with the URLs of the webpages to which the feedback relates, to the common data repository.
For the collection of user feedback on information and on procedures, service providers shall be able to choose whether to include a free text box or not.
2. Once a user submits responses to the questions referred to in paragraph 1(a), the user shall receive a confirmation message with an invitation to provide more detailed comments by clicking on a link referred to in paragraph 1(b). The link shall direct users to a page on the common user feedback tool containing a survey on compliance with the quality requirements laid down in Regulation (EU) 2018/1724.
3. Point (b) of paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 shall not apply where a service provider already collects feedback on questions which are similar to those included in the survey.
Collection of user feedback on online procedures
The service providers shall integrate the common or an alternative user feedback tool in a way that makes it easy for users to provide their feedback either following submission of the request or in case they choose not to submit a request in the end.
Collection of user feedback from users of assistance and problem-solving services
The providers of assistance and problem-solving services shall ensure that users of their services who can be reached by digital means receive an invitation to provide their feedback on the service received that is sent either in conjunction with the final response provided by the assistance and problem-solving service provider or within a short time thereafter, which shall not exceed ten working days.
Transmission of user feedback
1. All feedback provided by users through the common user feedback tool together with the URL links referred to in Article 2 shall be transferred automatically, as soon as it is provided by users, to the common data repository.
2. The service providers collecting feedback through an alternative user feedback tool shall use the mechanism referred to in Article 7(1)(c) and shall comply with the technical interoperability requirements set out in Annex II to enable the transfer of user feedback as soon as it is provided by users, simultaneously to the national user feedback recipients and to the common data repository.
Alternatively, they shall transfer asynchronously, in bulk, all feedback provided during a calendar month, within five working days following the end of that calendar month.
3. Service providers using an alternative user feedback tool shall ensure that:
(a)
only the feedback to questions and ratings corresponding to those in the common user feedback tool are transferred to the common data repository;
(b)
feedback provided as free text is not transmitted to the common data repository;
(c)
the URLs of the webpages from which feedback is collected are transmitted together with the feedback to the common data repository.
4. Where service providers qualify for the exception laid down in Article 7(3), they shall ensure that the feedback on questions that are similar to those included in a survey is transmitted to the common data repository.
Access to and storage of user feedback
1. The data on user feedback shall be stored in the common data repository linked to the common dashboard.
2. The Commission shall provide the following access rights to the user feedback stored in the common data repository:
(a)
national coordinators and the Commission shall have access to user feedback with the exception of free text comments;
(b)
service providers shall have access to user feedback concerning services for which they are responsible, including free text comments provided by users using the common feedback tool.
3. The Commission shall ensure that the user feedback is stored in the common data repository for a maximum of 3 years and is automatically deleted after this period.
4. The Commission shall ensure that the common dashboard enables its users to:
(a)
search, sort and filter the feedback;
(b)
visualise it in charts and graphs;
(c)
extract the data in the form of reports and download them.
Responsibilities
1. The service providers using alternative user feedback tools shall be responsible for:
(a)
the functioning of their own tools through which they collect user feedback under Regulation (EU) 2018/1724;
(b)
the transfer of the feedback to the common data repository through the interconnection service provided by the Commission, in bulk or in any other form of transfer;
(c)
complying with the technical requirements laid down in this Regulation;
(d)
the security of the national tools collecting and participating in the transmission of the user feedback.
2. The service providers using the common user feedback tool shall be responsible for the insertion of links to that tool in accordance with this Regulation.
3. The Commission shall be responsible for:
(a)
the functioning, security and the accessibility of the common user feedback tool;
(b)
the links to the common feedback tool to be included in the Union-level webpages;
(c)
the functioning of the interconnection service referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1;
(d)
maintaining and ensuring the availability of the infrastructure necessary for receiving data transfers.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
