A4-0244/96

Resolution on 'Europe and the global information society - Recommendations to the European Council' and on a communication from the Commission of the European Communities: 'Europe's way to the information society: an action plan' (COM(94)0347 - C4-0093/94)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission's White Paper: 'Growth, Competitiveness, Employment',

- having regard to the recommendations to the European Council, 'Europe and the global information society',

- having regard to the communication from the Commission of the European Communities to the Council and the European Parliament and to the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: 'Europe's way to the information society: an action plan', (COM(94)0347 - C4-0093/94),

- having regard to its resolution of 30 November 1994 ((OJ C 363, 19.12.1994, p. 33.)) on 'Europe and the global information society - Recommendations to the European Council' and on a communication from the Commission of the European Communities: 'Europe's way to the information society: an action plan',

- having regard to the conclusions of the G7 ministerial conference on the information society held in Brussels on 25-26 February 1995,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the opinions of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens' Rights, the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment, the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media, the Committee on Research, Technological Development and Energy, the Committee on Regional Policy and the Committee on Women's Rights (A4-0244/96),

A. whereas technological innovation and market prospects tend to accelerate the emergence of new social events relating to the introduction of new telecommunications and information technology services, while reducing the investment threshold both for networks and for terminal equipment;

B. whereas it is now clear from the trends in the market that the Internet will be the lingua franca of multimedia communication on a global scale, transcending the specific technologies of underlying networks;

C. whereas recent incidents have shown the inadequacy of the current legislative environment to enforce adequately and proportionally the principles of protection of individual freedom, intellectual property and public order on the electronic networks;

D. convinced that speedy achievement of a European information society can contribute to strengthening the Union's social and economic position, to a more democratic society with greater social awareness and to the creation of more jobs,

E. whereas without appropriate Community and national social and regional policies, the positive aspects of the information society may be lost, entailing the risk that the unskilled, the poorly qualified, migrants, older people, the disabled and peripheral and ultra-peripheral regions, will be further marginalized and that the equal opportunities for women and girls will once again be eroded,

F. whereas the digital revolution is occurring so quickly that speedy decisions have to be taken on education, training, social regulations, job creation and equal opportunities with regard to access to the information superhighway,

G. believing that the European Union and the national governments must therefore work out social objectives for the information society and devise a European policy to achieve them as soon as possible,

H. whereas the Commission's policy with regard to the information society has for too long had an economic slant, with technological developments given prominence; whereas there has been no questioning of who such developments serve, what they signify for the citizens and whereas there has been no dialogue on developments which will radically alter all our lives, although an in-depth dialogue is taking place with industry,

I. whereas given the rapid and far-reaching developments in the information society there is no time to wait for a Commission Green Paper; whereas before the end of 1996 the Commission should produce a practical action plan followed up by an annual report similar to the economic annual report,

J. convinced that the development of information offers substantial employment opportunities provided that the employment policy pursued fulfils society's new needs and takes account of new quality requirements for work, training and working conditions and with the redistribution of work playing an important role,

K. whereas the present education system no longer fulfils the needs of a rapidly changing society,

L. whereas the information society will fundamentally change our working methods, working conditions and working relationships,

M. believing that, as the information society is expected to lead to greater flexibility, deregulation and individualization, there is a need for a review of European social legislation to ensure maximum public protection,

N. whereas there is a risk that differences in access to information technology, owing to differences in training and the costs incurred in the purchase and use of information technology, will cause divisions in society,

O. whereas the information society will have a globalizing and decentralizing effect and there is therefore a need for a qualitatively new form of cooperation, by national and European governments, with an international perspective,

P. whereas many aspects of the information society are such that they cannot be regulated by legislative or other provisions; whereas measures must therefore be aimed at preparing citizens thoroughly for adjustment to the changes,

Q. whereas cultural goods, in particular cinema and television programmes, are privileged mediums of identity, pluralism and integration and therefore cannot be treated like other products (see the Commission's statement in the action plan, section III),

R. whereas the management of scarce resources such as broadcasting frequencies and cable channels is subject to the subsidiarity principle,

S. whereas the action plan submitted by the Commission is silent on the problem of protecting children and minors,

T. whereas the cultural, educational, social and linguistic consequences and problems of the information society are not yet known,

U. whereas the use of interactive media can and should alter the nature of learning from instruction to construction and that, to this end, interpersonal communication involving teaching staff remains essential,

V. whereas the dissemination of the necessary equipment will in all likelihood proceed more slowly within education than within the economy,

W. whereas the principle of equality of opportunity within education is harmed if the new technologies are not universally available,

X. whereas the capabilities of the new technologies should be put to use in the area of cooperation within higher education,

Y. whereas Europe must retain its cultural diversity, conveyed through its multilingualism, in the use of the new technologies too,

Z. whereas the extent to which individuals or groups of citizens have access to government databases will be very important for the development of democratic culture,

AA. whereas the development of the global information society will influence Europe's relations with the less developed countries,

1. Recalls the options embodied in its abovementioned resolution of 30 November 1994 and confirms its support for them, and in particular:

- the fact that information is not just an ordinary commodity and that public authority has to guarantee to all citizens its availability and pluralism;

- the risks of a two-tier society, and the necessary commitment to using information technologies to reduce these risks rather than to increase them;

- the need for a strong regulatory framework for the control and use of networks and contents, intellectual property, personal security and the new forms of distance working, trading, health care or other social activities, so as to ensure that personal and social rights are enhanced rather than menaced;

- the necessity of implementing new policies at European level to avoid inconsistencies, duplication of efforts and delays; in particular the need for a European Regulatory Authority for communications regulation, and the promotion of standards at European and global level;

2. Considers that EU action pertaining to information society related issues must develop in the following areas, while making a clear distinction between them:

- regulation, R& D and industrial policy measures designed to encourage, facilitate or accompany the realization of experimental or operational products, services or general interest activities in the short to medium term; in particular fostering concrete operational applications in areas of public interest, and in particular education, health care, fighting social exclusion and gender inequality, traffic management and pollution control, through the support of application development and the supply of generic tools and services to facilitate such developments;

- strategic orientations based on profound and continued social and societal assessment of the transformations induced by technological change;

3. Considers that it is the task of the public authorities to guide, encourage and coordinate investment initiatives, in accordance with the private sector, through attributing particular importance to the information society in public investment and spending programmes;

4. Stresses, in this respect, that it is incumbent upon the public authorities actively to promote, both by setting examples and by using financial incentives, the swift establishment of, initially, European standards and, subsequently, international standards enabling networks and applications to be interconnected under optimal conditions and without any deterioration in performance or user friendliness, and by encouraging the dissemination of multimedia products and interoperable services on a pan-European scale, while taking into account the specific linguistic and cultural characteristics of the people of Europe;

5. Requests for this reason that, in the context of implementing the action plan, specific measures be taken for the strategic integration of the European Union's thinly populated rural areas and most remote regions in particular into all domains of the emerging information society;

6. Requests that SMEs should be encouraged and enabled to provide services sensitive to local and regional cultural and linguistic needs;

7. Requests that the Commission take into special consideration the needs of SMEs, so that they can derive benefit from the development of new telecommunications technologies not only as providers, but also as users;

8. Expresses concern about the increased dangers for pluralism of information and cultures arising from global standardization and from obliteration of the boundaries between suppliers of infrastructure, services or applications and content at multinational level, and calls for the formulation at Community and whenever possible international level of uniform rules for the control of concentrations and prevention of unlawful mergers with regard to both infrastructures and basic services and applications;

9. Considers that Public Service Broadcasters must be able to invest in new audiovisual services and be encouraged to take a lead in their development in order to:

- promote local, regional, national and European cultures and the growth of Europe's audiovisual industries in the Information Society;

- produce the high quality multi-media material essential for the Information Society, and which Public Service Broadcasters with their extensive film archives are well placed to supply;

- increase cultural expression and genuine consumer choice;

Societal consequences and rights of the citizen

10. Stresses that the main objective of political authorities regarding the emergence of the information society must be to make it possible for people to be in control of information, and to be able to make use of it for individual or collective purposes, both as receivers and authors, rather than use information to control people;

11. Calls on the Commission to launch an inquiry, based on gender considerations, into the impact of the information society across Europe on women and men in economic, social and political life, the accessibility of the Internet to women and men, the influence of women on the establishment of the information society and its influence on the nature and extent of employment opportunities;

12. Calls on the Commission to target both sexes in its information campaigns and awareness-raising activities and to launch an additional, specific campaign for women;

13. Urges increased use of the structural funds to facilitate vocational training through information technology in order both to improve career choice for women with low skills and to increase the influence of women in more highly trained employment groups, as well as participation in social and political life.

14. Welcomes in this respect the work done in the Forum on the information society and in the high-level group of experts on the social and societal aspects of the information society, and calls for a similar involvement of representatives of the civilian society in the elaboration of future Community measures, and in the preparation of the public political debate;

15. Takes the view that new forms of electronic distribution should be used to spread public information widely to all citizens at European and national level; regrets therefore the weakness in terms of quality, currency and comprehensiveness of the Community documentation available on-line to the general public and urges the Commission and Council as well as its Secretary General to make every effort to make their documents rapidly available free, in an easily searchable form and in all the official languages taking advantage of hypermedia capabilities;

16. Calls on the Commission to take account, in its proposals to Parliament and the Council, of the concerns and suggestions of the consultative bodies set up by the Commission itself, such as the Information Society Forum;

Industrial policy and telecommunications

17. Notes with satisfaction that, despite an unfavourable situation regarding many forms of electronic equipment, the European information technology and telecommunications industry is competitive and has promising capabilities in these fast growth markets; regrets however that on a whole European businesses are slow to incorporate the most recent technological innovations and, what is even worse, do not perceive with the same accuracy as their competitors the intrinsic value of information as an asset or a means of keeping in touch with the customers or suppliers, and the importance of its collection and exploitation as well as of its diffusion;

18. Emphasizes that the information revolution will prove its worth to society to the extent that its impact on the employment situation turns out to be on balance positive; welcomes, in this respect, the new technological developments as an opportunity to create modern and environmentally safe jobs and to make human work easier; calls, however, for a detailed evaluation of the danger of undermining freedom of association and trade union representation as a result of the decentralization and individualization of working relations;

19. Considers it the duty of employers, employees and public authorities jointly to formulate in a clear manner and effectively manage problems linked to different forms of teleworking, with particular attention to making generally available the training and retraining necessary to bring the level of skills of the labour force up to the level required by the new technologies, and especially for the less qualified, migrant workers, the disabled and the elderly;

20. Considers that the development of competitiveness of European industry rests in particular with the EU's ability to ensure low-cost communication with efficient networks and services, that businesses, especially the SMEs can make use of, and insists on the necessity of encouraging the development of ISDN with associated generic services so as to help the emergence of numerous applications in the short term, and of fostering the progressive development of broadband capabilities to carry multimedia services and applications; stresses, in this respect, the importance of the Trans- European Networks projects in telecommunications;

21. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create the legislative and in particular fiscal framework within which risk capital will be made available for newly established and innovative SMEs in order to promote the development and use of the information society services; calls, in this respect, also for SMEs to be given special consideration concerning access to the new telecommunications structures and information technology, taking account of their specific needs and opening financial options to them, to create the appropriate conditions whereby SMEs can contribute to the development of the information society on a competitive basis;

22. Confirms its approval of the process of liberalization of the telecommunications markets in the European Union as a means to lower the costs of telecommunications and to foster the increased supply of state-of- the-art products, provided that it is not only based on competition rules and that a high-profile policy for an evolving universal service is pursued, so as to include, as their availability on the market increases, access to the telecommunications networks, services and contents by all citizens, both as individuals and in the framework of public interest institutions such as schools, libraries or social centres, and NGO's, etc. and to strengthen the social and economic cohesion of the Union;

23. Considers that a strong production base and high levels of investment in the European audio-visual industry are necessary to ensure that Europeans benefit economically, culturally and socially from the development of the Information Society;

24. Requests that liberalization of the telecommunications network should be accompanied by guarantees of a universal public service based on conditions to be fulfilled by telecommunications owners and operators, where necessary underpinned by European Union or national government incentives;

25. Requests that the process of liberalization take account in particular of the objective, enshrined in the Treaty on European Union, of strengthening economic and social cohesion;

26. Expresses its deepest dissatisfaction at the behaviour of the US government during the WTO negotiations on the liberalization of telecommunications, in formulating last-minute demands that were unacceptable for any of its counterparts and thereby causing the postponement of the engaged round;

27. Urges the Commission to commit itself to a successful result of WTO negotiations whereby the undergoing liberalization process in the Union would not mean opening European markets to operators stemming from third countries unless comparable opportunities are open to EU operators and investors, this applying to contents as well as to networks and services;

Legal aspects and intellectual property

28. Stresses the fact that, even if the universal availability of 'information highways' allowing use of telecommunications services at a nominal cost is not to be expected in the short run, the eagerness of investors to enter the telecommunications markets and the swift evolution of hard and software will lift more rapidly than previously forecast the bottlenecks in terms of access to applications, thus making necessary the rapid implementation of an adapted legal framework on information production, distribution and use, whilst respecting intellectual property rights (copyright and related rights) in accordance with continental rules;

29. Requires in particular that State intervention in the field of information society, in particular intellectual property, citizen's rights and crime- fighting, and specifically on the uses of the Internet, be subject to international co-operation to define the requirements in terms of public action necessary to protect individuals and society as a whole against criminal or dishonest practices, without limiting the legitimate rights of users to freely exchange and communicate on the interconnected networks nor extending national restrictions beyond the geographical area where they are appropriate;

30. In this view, instructs its President to invite the Parliaments of the G7 countries to a establish permanent links in order to plan possible common parliamentary initiatives in these areas and a common follow-up of on-going legislative work;

31. Urges the Commission and the Council to closely follow - and where possible anticipate - the very fast technological and legal changes, as well as the evolution of business strategies and alliances, and the emergence of new social events caused by such changes, so as to be able to react in very short time before loopholes lead to unacceptable faits accomplis;

32. Emphasizes the need for an appropriate and well-timed regulatory and legal framework to provide a simultaneous accompaniment to the prospect of an information society, which if it is to have a positive impact also, needs to be guided and governed at supranational level;

33. Stresses that it is essential for the development of the information society and for the competitiveness of Europe that the new services be able to exploit the advantages of the internal market; stresses the need to improve the exchange of information, coordination and transparency concerning legislative initiatives of the Member States in order to prevent legal fragmentation;

34. Considers that, in accordance with the decision already taken, 1998 should remain the target date by which - barring certain derogations granted by common accord - the Union will be required to complete the liberalization of telecommunications infrastructure;

35. Believes that the numerous problems of regulation connected with the substantial programme proposed must be tackled in all the Member States, proceeding from a determination to avert the risk of a two- or multi-speed Europe, as it will otherwise be impossible to respond to the challenges with the necessary breadth of vision and devise strategies that will allow Europe as a whole to become an energetic and competitive player on the international stage;

36. Takes the view that the work carried out by the Commission in connection with the information society is distinctly lacking in substance on the crucial question of content, i.e. which programmes should be disseminated and what protection should be given to cultural and linguistic aspects;

37. Considers that the European Union must be represented within the WIPO and the WTO (TRIPS) and uphold a common position of the Member States, particularly as regards extending the protection of intellectual property;

38. Considers that the Commission's excessive use of Article 90 of the EC Treaty to adopt some of the most important liberalization directives (cable television networks, mobile telephony and alternative infrastructures) may serve to exacerbate differences between the Member States, unless it is accompanied by the necessary debate within the European Parliament and the other relevant institutional bodies, render democratic debate between operators of the sector and the general public null and void and hence have very adverse effects;

39. Takes the view that the traditional concept of broadcasting must be reviewed and updated so that it includes transmission to a potential public, with a view to ensuring that works are treated uniformly and also to avoiding preferential conditions when it comes to competition;

40. Considers that there is every justification for ensuring that the conditions governing broadcasting and cable distribution activities continue to be the preserve of national laws insofar as such activities fall within their jurisdiction, and provided that such laws are compatible with Community legislation;

41. Notes the Commission's formal expression of its intention to draw up a proposal for a directive in 1996 on safeguarding the rules of competition and guaranteeing the basic conditions for pluralism in the sphere of information, so that the markets can be made uniform while fully respecting fundamental rights such as those enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, in particular Article 10 thereof;

42. Expresses its full approval of the establishment, pursuant to the directive proposed in paragraph 37, of an authority at European level which, fully respecting the principle of subsidiarity, and in complete independence, should guarantee real convergence of decisions and action plans and the continuous monitoring of fair competition and the conditions required for the expansion of real pluralism;

43. Believes that rules and instruments designed to protect users and especially minors from violent and pornographic programmes must be drawn up and put into effect as rapidly as possible, inter alia by encouraging network managers to implement suitable self-regulatory codes;

44. Takes the view that it would be a great mistake to include every product or work under the generic heading of 'information' and stresses therefore the urgent need to ensure in an effective and modern way that databases and personal freedom are safeguarded by means of a framework Directive on the protection of personal data and privacy;

45. Believes that infrastructure liberalization is an aim to be pursued taking into account general interests, the role and operation of the universal service, the openness of licensing procedures, opportunities for access to networks, and such adjustments to the rules as might be necessitated;

46. Considers that it is of crucial importance to extend cable networks and promote forms of access to public utility services in population centres, particularly those of historical and artistic interest;

47. Regrets, as far as universal service is concerned, that such a crucial issue has been dealt with in only the vaguest terms, without attributing to it the primary importance it deserves;

48. Expresses its alarm at delays in the implementation of the programme regarding the protection of intellectual property and copyright and neighbouring rights and calls for the adoption of the provisions according to schedule, stressing particularly the urgent nature of the Directive on the use of private copies of audio-visual productions;

49. Welcomes the fact that the necessary studies are under way to verify the applicability of technical systems for protecting works to prevent unauthorized private digital copying; Considers that commitments should be entered into within the WIPO to promote similar regulations in the various Member States;

50. Believes that combating the pirating of audio and audiovisual works must be a priority; urges that copyright and neighbouring rights be given more adequate protection and that a public awareness campaign be mounted to promote respect for intellectual property at European level;

51. Takes the view that the development of digital technology as such does not require that substantial changes be made as regards the protection of existing rights;

52. Believes that the proposal revising Directive 89/552 should be discussed and adopted as quickly as possible in order that the Directive may be made more explicit and clear-cut and updated in line with a general context in which broadcasting systems are undergoing radical changes;

53. Stresses that, in the audiovisual field, it is necessary to consolidate the partial but positive results obtained at the end of the GATT negotiations because of the special and exceptional treatment which this sector must be given, inter alia in the WTO, starting with the launch of the new round of negotiations scheduled for early 1996;

54. Deplores the lack of coordination at European level within the International Telecommunication Union and expresses its astonishment at the decision taken within that body in November 1995 giving the USA excessively favourable access to satellite frequencies;

55. Shares the misgivings of those who believe that, unless attention is paid to the social, cultural and linguistic aspects originating in the as yet barely perceptible characteristics of a global-scale information society, unless there is strict coordination of scientific research and technological development, and unless in audio-visual policy there is a 'content strategy' commensurate with the challenges involved, the prospects which have been clearly outlined are in danger of turning out to be the result of excessive euphoria rather than of an accurate assessment of the opportunities offered;

Social aspects

56. Stresses that the versatility of new communications services will allow for new forms of work and social activity, that will in many cases respond to the individuals' requirements for more personalized and flexible organization of time, for which an adapted framework should be designed to preserve and increase the fundamental social rights, but that this social demand should not be impaired by conservative or corporatist schemes;

57. Believes that information to teleworkers on the hazards of using VDU equipment is essential in order that health and safety standards for office workers are maintained in the case of those working from home; calls for a comparative study to be carried out on the effect of teleworking on the health of teleworkers and for safety standards to be incorporated into a code of good practice;

58. Considers that clarification of the legal employment status of teleworkers is essential and that legislation is needed which specifies that teleworkers have employee status and hence enjoy all the same rights as other salaried workers; calls in this regard for a specific directive giving teleworkers legal employment status;

Employment

59. Supports the development and liberalization of telecommunications infrastructures - provided they are subject to strict conditions regarding geographical cover and universal provision of services and also provide the opportunity to create a dual system of public and private operators - as an important opportunity for the creation of new jobs but Considers that the potential loss of employment in this sector must be compensated for by special measures;

60. Urges that in access to the new telecommunications structures particular account should be taken of the needs and financial and training options of SMEs and VSEs;

61. Urges that the European Union should make funding freely available for the promotion of innovative projects and concepts such as telecentres, electronic employment offices, teleworkshops for prospective entrepreneurs and alternative economies and for fuller research into the potential of teleworking;

62. Points again to the importance of the proposals in the Delors White Paper for a speedy shift in the tax burden, particularly for the least-skilled workers, from work to consumption and energy, to create a policy in which the use of information technology will help employment;

63. Calls on the Member States and the European Union to apply information technologies in the public sector in a way that will simplify bureaucracy and leave staff free to improve customer services;

64. Calls on the Commission and the Member States as part of the transition to the information society to initiate a wide-ranging discussion on future essential and desirable forms of the public provision of services and the production of materials;

Education and training

65. Believes that the present system of education must be thoroughly overhauled so it is capable of preparing young people for a place in the information society while ensuring that people of all ages will find a place and, in this connection, points to the need for and importance of education, training and additional training courses, especially for those groups in society who are threatened with further marginalization by the new developments;

66. Calls on the Commission to investigate the possibility of implementing the proposal by Commissioner Cresson to introduce a levy of 0.5% on communications traffic, the revenue from which could be used to encourage the establishment of educational programmes and vocational training, on- going training and further training; instructs its committees responsible to draw up a report requesting the Commission, pursuant to Article 138b of the Treaty, to submit the appropriate proposals;

67. Cautions against the illusion that information and communications technology can solve existing problems in education and draws the attention of the EU and national governments to the need to make special efforts to enforce the principle of equal educational opportunities in the information society and to make the appropriate changes to public education provision;

68. Calls on the European Union Member States to encourage cooperation between libraries, schools, higher education establishments and industry, especially the SMEs, with regard to the introduction and use of information and communications technology (ICT) and training in this area and points out the importance of public institutions such as public libraries in making information available to everyone in order to prevent the exclusion of certain groups from society;

69. Calls on the Commission, in the framework of the European Year of Education and Training, to give particular attention to the new information technologies' possibilities;

70. Draws attention to the fact that because of the employment opportunities for peripheral and ultraperipheral regions made available through ICT there is a need to provide appropriate training for the local population;

Work organization and the quality of work

71. Advocates social dialogue with the two sides of industry on forthcoming changes in working relationships and the risk of an erosion of workers' rights; calls on the Commission, in consultation with the two sides of industry, to develop a social legislation framework for the information society as quickly as possible and to examine the existing framework in the light of new developments;

72. Points out that, in view of the expected increase in teleworking, measures have to be taken with regard to housing, child-care and the protection of privacy; measures must also be taken to provide equality for teleworkers with other workers under employment law and calls on the Commission to submit a directive on teleworking and home working as quickly as possible; wishes particular attention to be paid to the 'apparently' self-employed and employees with poor social insurance;

73. Calls on the governments of the Member States at the next IGC to give the European Union the necessary powers to sign the international treaties needed in the global information society to prevent social dumping;

Social cohesion

74. Shares the Committee of the Regions' concern that the Commission's approach is over-centralized and the local and regional authorities' role is not clearly enough defined, which could pose a threat to the new possibilities for a fair division of employment offered by the new information technologies and could lead to some areas being completely marginalized;

75. Urges, therefore, that not only should the structural funds and the cohesion fund be used to bring the electronic superhighway to less-favoured regions but that in particular it should be used to develop a meaningful local economy in these regions with high-quality employment, thus avoiding industrial centres dumping the 'odd jobs' on the peripheral regions;

76. Calls therefore for a policy that ensures that the planned electronic superhighway is accessible to everyone, both in terms of cost, for example through basic regulation and subsidy for certain connections and services making the concept of 'universal provision of services' a dynamic one developing along with the changes in the information society, and in terms of intelligibility ;

77. Calls on the Commission in the action plan it has announced to include measures to combat the exclusion from society associated with transition to the information society;

78. Calls on the European Union in its plans for the electronic superhighway also to take account of the needs of Third World countries and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, so the development of the information society does not widen the gulf between rich and poor countries;

Cultural aspects

79. Points out that many children are introduced to information technology, and their fears of it allayed, from an early age; calls in consequence for greater encouragement to be given to all initiatives designed specifically to encourage girls in schools and further education, and for targeted campaigns and further training programmes for women.

80. Is extremely concerned at violations of the dignity of women through pornography on the Internet and at the dissemination via the Internet of pornographic and racist material which would be punishable by law if disseminated in the Member States; calls on the Commission, in the future debate on the information society, to consider technical and legal measures to combat at European and global level the problem of the use of the information superhighways for criminal purposes, including trafficking in women and children and pornography, and to investigate measures to restrict access for young people to pornography on the Internet.

81. Considers that there is a growing gulf between the rate of technological innovation, the scale of change which it is causing and the ability of social structures to cope with these changes; requests rules which correspond to social ethics and democratic principles.

82. Considers that the aim is to allow differences, a diversity of traditions and cultures, pluralism and dialogue to survive.

83. Considers that a working party comprising business representatives and bodies representing civil society should coordinate the action plan for the information society.

84. Considers it of prime importance that the information society coordination group should include, among others, trade unions, to ensure that the opportunities afforded by distance working do not result in social dumping.

Broadcasting

85. Advocates retaining the concept of broadcasting involving special legislative decisions and licensing procedures. An examination can be conducted as to whether graded licensing criteria, e.g. concerning the criterion of diversity of opinion, are possible and useful with regard to full programmes, special-interest programmes, pay-per-view or video-on- demand offerings and other services;

86. Advocates non-discriminatory access for providers and users, in particular in order to safeguard diversity of opinion, this to apply especially to broadcasts which are not produced by network operators;

87. In connection with the planned measures to safeguard encrypted television broadcasts, it must be made possible to take effective action to protect minors;

88. The recently established European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) should become involved in the standardization debate. Standardization work should be based on voluntary cooperation between the economic partners involved, such as industry, service providers and network operators, and not be dictated by government;

89. The worldwide discussions on various issues concerning the information society should also involve the World Conference of Broadcasting Unions in addition to the International Telecommunication Union;

90. As regards applications in the audiovisual sector, not only private-sector activities but also publicly financed broadcasting structures play a key role. These structures must not be subsumed under government-financed institutions;

91. In connection with the liberalization of satellite communications, not only traditional satellite operators must benefit, but individual satellite users too, such as broadcasting stations, must be able to gain from this liberalization;

92. The consultations on the possible establishment of a European authority should not, having regard to the subsidiarity principle, incorporate the question of the management of scarce resources such as broadcasting frequencies and cable channels;

Cultural, educational, social and linguistic aspects

93. Calls for more broadly based consultations on the cultural, educational, social and linguistic implications and problems than those hitherto proposed in the action plan; the European sector of a global information society, including its databases, must be multilingual; calls for the creation of appropriate programmes to foster such a development; in this connection, minority language rights must be safeguarded;

94. Advocates that, on grounds also of equality of opportunity within education, networks be designed with maximum density and identical financing;

95. Calls for promotion of an exchange of empirical educational research findings and for pooling of conceptual discussions in the area of developing media competence within the education system which goes beyond the operation of machines;

96. Recommends to the Commission that funding should also be made available for multimedia communications under, for instance, the SOCRATES programme to promote cooperation within higher education;

97. In the interests of developing democratic culture in Europe, calls for the development of a European Freedom of Information Act, with the aim of maximizing access by individuals or groups of citizens to government databases and direct communications with government departments;

98. Calls for consultations, involving representatives of the countries concerned, on the shaping of Europe's relations with the less developed countries in the light of the global information society;

99. Calls on the Commission to adopt all the necessary measures to establish a legal framework for the protection of pluralism of information and cultures in establishing the information society, with a view to tackling the problem of dominant positions and the standardization caused by the global market;

100. Calls on all appropriate levels of government to ensure free access to information infrastructure for all educational institutions; cultural institutions; libraries; health and community centres;

101. Calls on the Commission to urgently present a programme of support through prior projects for the development of European multimedia software, especially European educational material for CD-ROM;

102. Calls on the Commission to conduct studies into the implications of the Information Society on the present and the future labour market so young people can make informed decisions about their education and training;

103. Calls on governments at all appropriate levels to ensure equal access for all young people in schools to new information technologies and materials and the necessary training of teachers to achieve this goal.

Research and development aspects

104. Takes the view that the citizen is at the centre of the information society and that the superhighway must develop in a way that is in the public's interest;

105. Calls on the European Union and the Member States to develop a joint coordinated strategy to respond to the challenge of the information society, and

- to develop liberalized, open and technically advanced infrastructure,

- to lay down a dynamic, state-of-the-art-oriented definition of universal services together with potential solutions to the problem of financing them,

- to dismantle monopolies while guarding against the emergence of oligopolies of major international companies, which would erode the advantages offered by greater competition,

- to adjust national legislation with a view to precluding any obstructive effects,

- to ensure the necessary coordination with authorized institutes qualified in this field during the establishment of globally applicable standards with a view to giving shape to the information society,

- to draw up new rules to structure the information society, if possible worldwide,

- to draw up conditions to ensure that the information society is an instrument of cohesion.

106. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop without delay the necessary supplementary regulatory measures and legislation on:

- copyright and related rights

- data security/confidentiality

- digital identification

- standardization

- protection of privacy

- licensing

- interconnection

- selective and protected access (e.g. to data banks)

while bearing in mind the objectives of worldwide rules on these matters;

107. Calls on the Commission to review the European Union's position in relation to the worldwide information society, as proposed in the Bangemann report. Well-considered changes should be introduced, in particular, in the three specific Information and Communications Technology programmes, especially with a view to interconnection of networks and to supporting the introduction of interoperable services at European level;

108. Calls on the Member States to coordinate demonstration and pilot projects as closely as possible in order to avoid the erection of new barriers within the common market;

109. Calls on the Commission to coordinate the numerous projects and proposals for legislation in progress in various directorates-general and to ensure greater transparency both within the Commission and to the outside world;

110. Calls on the Member States and the Commission, when developing the European information society, to analyse and use the knowledge already acquired by organizations in this field and in other countries;

111. Draws attention to the significance of the information and communications society to regional development, as traditional factors governing location will tend to decline in importance in the new markets, which will offer economically weaker regions good opportunities for development. This will however make regional links and the development of know-how in the field of information and communications a major task for the regions in which small and medium-sized undertakings in particular will play an important role;

112. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create the conditions whereby SMEs can contribute to the development of the information society on a competitive basis. Particular emphasis must be placed on linking up similar types of SMEs in order to boost development units;

113. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide greater support for European-level schemes to link SMEs to networks and to include them in demonstration or pilot projects, in which use can be made of services which have already been liberalized. Scope should be created for experiments so that undertakings can gain experience now before liberalization is completed as of 1 January 1998. SMEs must be able to participate in this experimental work since they are the most fertile source of new employment;

114. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to open electronic 'counters' in the public sector at regional, national and European level to give citizens and businesses, in particular SMEs, access to information on public services. It is desirable that such information be easily available free of charge through the electronic superhighway. Existing European standards and norms should also be observed and applied by the authorities;

115. Calls on the Member States to include in their national curricula instruction on the opportunities offered by the information society; university training for teachers should take account of the didactic possibilities offered by the information society in respect of teaching in schools; if an early start is made in familiarizing pupils with the information superhighway, greater use will be made of it, and the gap between users and non-users of the information society will be narrowed;

116. Calls on the Member States to be aware of the risk that certain groups including members of ethnic minorities, girls and women, people with disabilities and above all low income families and individuals will be even further disadvantaged by the growth of the information society. Asks all Member States to draw up strategies to avoid such disadvantage and asks the Commission to consider establishing a programme to help in this aim;

117. Calls on the Member States to ensure high-quality networking between European and non-European universities and research establishments (including those in the less-developed countries); urges the Commission to conduct research in the next few years into applications for the new information technologies in such areas as education, health care and policy on the elderly;

118. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to encourage, on a mutual basis, communication between universities and research institutes throughout the Union by interconnecting, improving and expanding existing national and cross-border networks; new services as well as standards can be tested on this trans-European glass fibre network;

119. Calls on the Member States to organize these new academic disciplines in order to produce personnel capable of supporting mainstream education in preparing and implementing plans for appropriate future use of services in the information society by pupils;

120. Calls on the Member States to provide citizens and businesses with as much information as possible on progress on the development of the information society. That information must inter alia provide an understanding of the services to be implemented and the way in which citizens and businesses will be able to make use of the newly created services;

121. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to keep the universal service flexible and open to extensive future development, as a new public will arise in the course of convergence. Participation by the various groups in society must be given active encouragement (in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity) and the electronic area created must be incorporated in the public area (e.g. in libraries, schools, universities, post offices, administrations, etc.). The universal service should in future provide comprehensive access for a broad and varied public and offer opportunities for creative expression to the most widely varying minorities - but without seeking to lay down special rules in each case;

122. Calls on the Member States to create the legislative and in particular fiscal framework within which risk capital will be made available for newly established and innovative SMEs in order to promote the development and use of such services;

123. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to analyse, together with all the social partners, including trade union organizations, the socio-economic consequences of introducing information society and superhighway technologies;

124. Calls on the Commission to start up without delay the demonstration projects referred to in the Bangemann report and agreed at the G7 Conference, in order to involve users and service providers and thus stimulate the market; this must have top priority so that pilot programmes for the dissemination of expected applications and activities of the information society may heighten the awareness of the general public;

125. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to introduce a concept for a future control system to prevent network crime;

126. Draws attention to the essential financial role being performed by the Union with regard to the Fourth Framework Programme for research; Considers it desirable that a fundamental debate be held on the mutual interest in participation in specific programmes of the Fourth Framework Programme and similar programmes in the USA and Japan by undertakings, in view of the growing integration of large European undertakings with American and Japanese enterprises in the field of information and communications technologies;

127. Notes that worldwide standards should be developed and tested, as the choice of standards will have a substantial impact on technology and types of information, which in turn will have industrial and commercial and, in the long run, social and cultural repercussions;

128. Calls on the Commission to work out a strategy for speedily and effectively linking the communications networks of central and eastern Europe and the CIS as well as the Mediterranean region and to provide appropriate technical support and instruments to encourage investment.

129. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.