WRITTEN QUESTION P-3126/98

by John Cushnahan (PPE) to the Commission

(8 October 1998)

Subject: e-commerce

Is the Commission aware of a recent report by Anderson Consulting which indicated that Europe needs to take action now or run the risk of missing out on the benefits of e-commerce for its business and citizens?

As e-commerce has the potential to help overcome the disadvantage of peripherality by bringing jobs and access to information to where people are, rather than people having to gravitate towards where jobs are created, it could act as a powerful force in holding local communities together. The EU has a tremendous opportunity to foster this by sponsoring e-commerce-based initiatives in European regions, perhaps using the Information Age Town initiative in Ennis, Co. Clare as a model to follow.

Would the Commission be prepared to take such initiatives?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission

(12 November 1998)

In 1997, the Commission communication on "A European initiative in electronic commerce"(1) underlined the potentially beneficial impact of electronic commerce on the European economy, including peripheral regions, and set out policy priorities for Community action. These included access to infrastructures, technologies and services which are interoperable and affordable, creating a favourable regulatory framework, and promoting a favourable business environment through small and medium-sized enterprise programmes, support actions and research and development, and reinforcing awareness and encouraging best practice.

Since then the Commission has prepared legislative proposals aimed at removing barriers to trans-border electronic commerce within the internal market and creating an environment which can promote trust and confidence in the field of copyright and related rights, and electronic signatures. Further legislation is expected to cover issues such as the liability of intermediaries and the place of establishment.

The November 1997 Luxembourg European Council on employment asked the Commission to assess the implications of the information society for employment and training. The Commission is preparing its report to the Vienna European Council in December 1998 which will show that the information society industries have become one of the biggest and fastest growing sectors of the Community economy but which will also draw attention to the fact that Europe is not making the most of the employment potential of the information society. Innovative start-ups are hindered by lack of capital and administrative red tape. Businesses are failing to exploit the full potential of new technology to develop new products and services and unleash the creativity and innovation of their workforce. Job vacancies are unfilled and new jobs are being lost because of skill shortages and low levels of information and communication technologies literacy. The report will therefore call for urgent and concerted action.

The Commission supports the Regional information society initiative (RISI) which has two strands, the development of regional information society strategies and action plans (22 regions supported) and the development of inter-regional information society applications (9 inter-regional applications supported). Attention has been given to electronic commerce as a tool for local enterprises to improve their performance and enhance local quality of life. RISI supports different projects and exchanges of experience between them in order to develop good practice. The regions supported have established an association named ERIS@. The world wide web address for this organisation is: HYPERLINK"http://www.eris.epri.org/".

As far as regional initiatives are concerned, the new Community support framework (CSF) for 2000-2004 includes a specific sub-programme on the information society. Should past levels of funding be maintained, it is likely to represent as much as 2 % of the total CSF budget.

In the field of research and development, the 2nd key action of the specific programme of the 5th framework programme on information society technologies focuses on electronic commerce and includes activities ranging from research and market studies to demonstrations and pilot projects.

In the field of standardisation, a new initiative ECOM-IS has been launched in order to assess the specificities of various industrial sectors and to facilitate the take-up of electronic commerce by industry.

The Commission's work programme for 1999 envisages a specific action in the field of electronic commerce and SMEs.

(1) COM(97) 157 final.