eEurope 2002 - An Information society for all - Draft Action Plan prepared by the European Commission for the European Council in Feira - 19-20 June 2000
Date: 2000-05-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU initiative, education, information network, information technology, new technology

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 24.5.2000
COM (2000) 330 final

eEurope 2002
An Information Society For All

Draft Action Plan

prepared by the European Commission for the European Council in Feira

19-20 June 2000

The Lisbon Extraordinary Summit

The European Council held in Lisbon on 23/24 March 2000 set
the ambitious
objective for Europe to become the most competitive and dynamic economy in the
world. It recognised an urgent need for Europe to quickly exploit the opportunities of
the new economy and in particular the Internet.

To achieve this, the Heads of State and Government invited the Council and the
Commission to draw up "…a comprehensive eEurope Action Plan …. using an open
method of co-ordination based on the benchmarking of national initiatives, combined
with the Commission's recent eEurope initiative as well as its Communication
‘Strategies for jobs in the Information Society'. "

This Draft Action Plan is the Commission’s response to this request.

The context

The eEurope initiative1 was launched by the European Commission in December
1999 with the objective to bring Europe on-line. Complementary to eEurope, the
Commission also presented a Communication on “Job Strategies in the Information
Society” in January 20002. The Broad Economic Policy Guidelines3 provide the
economic policy context, stressing the need for well functioning capital markets and
more competition in product markets in order to foster innovation.

Following a positive reception for eEurope from Member States,
the European
Parliament and key actors the Commission submitted a Progress Report to the Lisbon
the Heads of State and Government
Summit of March 2000. At
committed themselves to a number of measures, including target dates, to bring
eEurope forward4.

this Summit,

A revised set of targets

The aim of this Action Plan is to ensure that the targets set by the Lisbon Summit are
reached by defining the necessary measures. eEurope initially identified 10 areas
where action at European level will add value. For this Action Plan, the key target
areas have been revised in the light of the Lisbon Summit conclusions and the
numerous reactions the Commission has received, especially from the European
Parliament and Member States and during the Informal Ministerial Conference on the
Information and Knowledge Society held in Lisbon on 10-11 April.

The issue of risk capital for high tech SMEs was included in eEurope in order to
address the problem of lack of funding for innovative start-ups. In recent months
major progress has been made in new capital markets in Europe and two relevant
Action Plans, one on financial services (to be completed by 2005), the other on risk
capital (to be completed by 2003), have been endorsed by the Lisbon Summit and are

1

2

3

4

For key documentation see
http://europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope/documentation/index_en.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/diamantopoulou/infosoc_en.htm
http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/document/econeur/beg/begidxen.htm
http://ue.eu.int/en/Info/eurocouncil/index.htm

2

now underway. Therefore the aims of eEurope in this area will be dealt with in these
contexts.

Member States and the European Parliament have requested several extensions of
eEurope.

i.

ii.

the new requirements for information society skills and the problem of
skills shortages.

the need to ensure a socially inclusive information society. This had been
partly addressed in eEurope in the eParticipation for disabled action, hence
this action has been extended to include access for all disadvantaged groups.

iii.

ensuring adequate supply of quality digital content for Internet.

In addition they requested that the Commission undertake a benchmarking exercise
in this context. All of these issues were further underlined in discussions during the
informal Ministerial Conference on the Information and Knowledge Society held in
Lisbon on 10-11 April 2000. Finally, in order to ensure a more precise focusing of
action lines, the action lines have been clustered around three key objectives.

1. A cheaper, faster and secure Internet

a) Cheaper and faster Internet access

b) Faster Internet for researchers and students

c) Secure networks and smart cards

2. Investing in people and skills

a) European youth into the digital age

b) Working in the knowledge-based economy

c) Participation for all in the knowledge-based economy

3. Stimulate the use of the Internet

a) Accelerating e-commerce

b) Government online: electronic access to public services

c) Health online

d) Digital content for global networks

e) Intelligent transport systems

An operational Action Plan

This Action Plan focuses on precisely identifiable actions. The analysis of the
development of the 'new economy' and its impact, detailed in the previous documents

3

and largely confirmed by the Lisbon Summit, is taken as given. The Action Plan is
focused on solutions and concentrates on what should be done, who should
undertake action and by when.

There are three main methods by which the eEurope targets will be achieved:

Accelerating the setting up of an appropriate legal environment – On a European
level, a range of legislative proposals is being prepared and discussed. eEurope aims
to speed up their adoption through setting tight deadlines for all the actors.

Supporting new infrastructure and services across Europe – Developments here
depend mainly on private sector funding. Such activity may be supported with
European funding, but much depends on action by Member States. This action should,
of course, not compromise budgetary discipline.

Applying the open method of co-ordination and benchmarking – This aims to ensure
that actions are carried out efficiently, have the intended impact and achieve the
required high profile in all Member States. This process will be fully co-ordinated
with the general benchmarking linked to the special European Council each spring.

With regard to benchmarking, data collection will be a crucial task. There are several
ongoing statistical data gathering initiatives at national and international level related
to the new knowledge based economy. Data from Eurostat and Member States’
statistical offices will be used where available. Industry associations and private
consultants also produce statistics related to the new economy. However,
these
statistics do not cover all relevant indicators, it is sometimes difficult to assess their
quality and they are not always comparable. In such cases, specific surveys or studies
will be used to supplement the data5. The results of this data gathering and the
monitoring of the specific targets of eEurope will be presented on the eEurope web
page6.

The timeframe

The need to undertake urgent actions against tight deadlines in critical areas for the
new economy is one of the key driving forces of the eEurope initiative. The
philosophy of this Action Plan is to focus on such actions and thus ensure the quick
removal of the remaining barriers. This is why the Action Plan focuses on a key date -
2002 - by which all of the targets should be achieved. If Europe cannot ensure change
quickly it will be too late to achieve the ambitious Lisbon objectives. There will
undoubtedly be remaining issues to be resolved after 2002, but if the following targets
were achieved Europe would have made significant progress that would soon begin to
pay dividends.

The need for political commitment

The eEurope targets can only be achieved if Member States, the European Parliament
and the European Commission are ready to commit themselves to this Action Plan
and to the reassessment of priorities which it will imply. None can afford to relax, no

5

6

Under the Promise and IST programmes.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope/index_en.htm

4

matter how advanced they may be relative to others. Each Member State must be
ready to set new priorities and to remove obstacles to achieve the targets. Each will
have to draw the attention of citizens to the emerging possibilities of digital
technologies.

5

Objective 1. A cheaper, faster, secure Internet

a) Cheaper and faster Internet access

The Lisbon summit requested

• the conclusion 'as early as possible in 2001' of work on the legislative proposals

following the Telecom Review

• greater competition in local access networks by the end of 2000 and the

unbundling of the local loop

• that frequency requirements for future mobile communication systems should be

met in a timely and efficient manner

• availability of low-cost, high-speed networks for Internet access

• fully integrated and liberalised telecommunications markets by the end of 2001

The challenge

Since the liberalisation of telecommunications services on 1 January 1998 tariffs for
long-distance and international calls have decreased substantially. However, most
customers access the Internet via local lines, where prices have decreased much less,
due to insufficient competition. So far,
the market has been relatively slow in
producing much needed new tariff models such as flat-rate or free access. Lower
prices are especially important for a quick take-up of the high-speed multimedia
Internet access made available by new technologies, such as xDSL, cable, optical
fibre and radio technologies. The Lisbon Summit has shown strong political will to
ensure that a reduction in costs is assured. Implementation of the Commission
Recommendation on local loop unbundling is the fastest way to advance high-speed
Internet.

Its leadership in mobile networks is one of Europe's biggest assets. Soon the number
of mobile subscriptions in Europe will overtake fixed lines. An increasing number of
customers will have mobile access to the Internet. Fast mobile Internet access, will
only be possible through upgraded 2nd generation networks (specifically using GPRS
and EDGE technologies7) and through 3rd generation networks. Such high speed
access will inevitably be very price sensitive and will require the highest possible
level of competition.

The market is already heavily investing in new networks on a competitive basis.
Nevertheless, several Member States and the European Parliament have expressed
concern about remote and less developed areas. It is vital that citizens living in these
regions enjoy equal access to the modern communication networks.

7

General Packet Radio Service and Enhanced Data GSM Environment.

6

With regard to the next generation Internet, including mobile Internet, the need for
vastly increased Internet IP addresses has made the transition to Internet Protocol
version 6 (IPv6), which provides far more addresses than current version 4, a matter
of urgency. Furthermore the projected hundred-fold increase in Internet traffic will
require much more efficient networks and packet switching technology.

The eEurope response

a new pro-competitive

As a response to convergence and to the changing market and technological
conditions,
regulatory framework, which reinforces
competition and takes account of the increasing speed of developments in this sector,
is being put forward by the Commission. All possible efforts should be made to
ensure that it is adopted before the end of 2001. Meanwhile competition in the local
loop must be developed as a matter of priority. The Commission has therefore
recommended the unbundling of the local loop by the end of 2000. In addition, the
necessary frequencies for multimedia wireless systems should be made available. The
Commission will draw appropriate conclusions from the sector enquiry on excessive
pricing of leased lines conducted under EC Competition Law.

Ensuring that less-favoured regions can fully participate in the information society is a
priority for the Union. Projects encouraging up-take of new technologies must
therefore become a key element in regional development agendas. Public investment
in information society infrastructure in less favoured regions may be justified in cases
of market failures, where private investment alone cannot be profitable. These
investments must be made in a way that does not distort competition and is
technologically neutral. Investments must be determined by each region and on the
basis of their particular economic and social structure. The Commission has
undertaken to increase priority of information society related projects within the
structural funds. A similar revision of priorities has been announced by the European
Investment Bank (EIB).

In relation to the next generation Internet, the Commission will launch an initiative
aimed at mobilising telecommunications operators and equipment manufacturers to
work together with service providers and users to ensure the rapid deployment and use
of IPv6.

Action

for

the

five directives8

Adopt
the new
framework for electronic communications and
associated services;
the new
Commission Directive on Competition in
Communication Services9.

adopt

and,

Actor (s)

Deadline

Council,
European Parliament,
European Commission

end 2001

Implement the Commission Recommendation Member States

end 2000

8

9

These Directives concern the overall framework, access and interconnection, authorisation and
licences, universal service and data protection.
Full title: Commission Directive amending and consolidating Directive 90/388 on Competition
in the Markets for Electronic Communication Services.

7

on unbundled access to the local loop.

Adoption of a Decision to establish a co-
ordinated
policy
framework.

frequency

European

Council
European Parliament

end 2001

Co-ordinated allocation of
multimedia wireless systems10.

frequencies

for

Member States
European Commission

mid 2001

financing

Public
increased
related projects.

priority to

instruments will

give
information society

Member States,
European Investment
Bank, European
Commission

Move towards full conversion to IPv6 through
pilot implementation in Europe. Key telecom
and manufacturer industries will be mobilised
together with service providers and users.

European
Commission,
Private Sector

end 2000

end 2001

Reduce prices for leased lines by increasing
competition and ensuring implementation of
the Commission Recommendation.

Member States

end 2000

b) Faster Internet for researchers and students

The Lisbon Summit requested:

• the creation of a very high speed trans-European network for electronic scientific
communications by end of 2001 linking research institutions and universities, as
well as scientific libraries, scientific centres and, progressively, schools.

The challenge

High-speed networks will open up new possibilities for collaborative learning and
researching. Applications developed in academia today are often the basis for the
commercial applications of tomorrow. The Member States and Commission must
ensure that this potential for innovation is fully exploited.

With faster Internet a new concept in computing is emerging - distributed computing
over networks. This is ultimately conceptualised in the idea of the 'World Wide Grid' -
WWG. The concept is to facilitate collaboration between geographically dispersed
teams in all scientific disciplines and industrial areas by enabling them to share data
and computing infrastructure, working together in real time. WWG calls for further
development, integration and validation of technology which enables the seamless
integration of networks, computers and storage into a unified system.

10

in the 40.5 to 43.6 GHz band according to the decision of the European Radio Conference
(ERC) of 1.6.99

8

The eEurope response

The Commission has recently launched the research networking activity under the 5th
Framework Programme, which will provide
80m. to ensure the upgrading of trans-
European capacity to 2.5 Gbit/s. Europe needs to invest more to provide both a truly
'state-of-the-art' infrastructure and the technologies required to fully exploit it.

€

In January 2000 the Commission published a Communication entitled "Towards a
European Research Area" in which a better use of electronic networks by European
scientific communities and the creation of virtual centres of excellence are set as
strategic priorities.

Already the IST Programme is supporting projects in distributed computing, but a
major effort is needed to roll this technology out to all researchers. Thus adequate
resources will be secured to support the development of the WWG.

Faster Internet backbones will not significantly improve performance for researchers
and students if they do not have access to high speed connections and quality
applications, supported by user-friendly and network independent interfaces. This
means major improvements in internal campus networks to enable collaborative
working and innovative forms of learning and working together at a local level.

Actors

European
Commission

Deadline

end 2001

Action

€

80m. already
Adequate funds (in addition to the
allocated to the upgrade of
the trans-European
backbone interconnecting the National Research and
Education Networks) will be earmarked for
the
research networking aspects of the IST Programme,
with the objective of establishing Europe as a global
connectivity leader and initiating the evolution
towards a fully optical backbone with improved
capacities in terms of bandwidth and services.

National research networks should be upgraded to
researchers and students across
ensure that all
Europe benefit
from equally powerful networks,
where appropriate, using structural funds and EIB
support.

Member States,
European
Investment
Bank

end 2001

High speed Internet access and intranets should be
established in universities, where appropriate using
structural funds and EIB support.

Foster World Wide Grid (WWG) technology through
development of middleware and the deployment of
testbeds driven by the requirements of a wide range
the
of
integration and validation of the relevant technology.
Adequate funding will be provided for this activity

communities

scientific

aimed

and

at

end 2001

Member States,
European
Investment
Bank

European
Commission

end 2002

9

within the IST Programme.

Through its research programmes, the Commission
will support
the uptake of Grid technologies for
scientific work and collaboration in all research
areas.

European
Commission

end 2002

c) Secure networks and smart cards

The Lisbon Summit considered

• consumer confidence is a key factor in the development of electronic commerce.

The challenge

Secure networks and secure access using smart cards are vital elements in building
trust and confidence in electronic commerce. Concerns have often been expressed,
amongst others by the European Parliament11, about the potential for invasion of the
privacy of network users. In addition, new forms of crime are emerging using the
tools of the information society. As the Internet becomes ubiquitous for all business
and personal communications, the sensitivity and economic value of the content of
information transmitted is increasing. The economic damage caused by disruptions
(e.g. by virus, denial of service attacks) in Internet functioning is increasing.

Protecting security can be costly and slow down the speed of the network. Therefore
arbitrary solutions cannot be imposed, but the market should, as far as possible, be left
to define the adequate security level for user needs. However, many users are unaware
of both the relative lack of privacy of their transactions and the means with which to
protect themselves. In particular there is not enough reliable information available on
the trust-worthiness of products.

On the supply side many high quality European security products are on the market.
New technologies are being developed and the industry is constantly developing.
There are problems, however, in relation to the integration of these products into
dominant operating systems and applications software and regarding their overall
interoperability.

In Europe, widespread deployment of smart cards is already a strength of the Union,
but the market is fragmented both between countries and sectorally. Further efforts
are needed to accelerate, consolidate and harmonise use across the Union, as well as
in the accession countries.

The eEurope response

The eEurope initiative proposes to undertake focused action in three main areas:

11

The Read report on eEurope stressed that '…the development of secure identification systems,
systems to preserve the confidentiality of messages and methods to prevent changes in them
are paramount to develop a digitalised, competitive and mobile eEurope.'

10

•

Increased security of access to electronic services by encouraging the use of
smart cards - in all forms

is

a multifunctional

technology which

Smart-cards
and
confidentiality, where the potential is not yet fully exploited. This activity has already
been launched at the 'Smart-Card Summit' in Lisbon on 11 April 2000 and industry
has shown strong willingness to pursue common efforts. A Smart Card Charter,
containing a detailed work-plan, was adopted and the participants agreed to set up a
high level Task Force to initiate and support common developments in the
deployment of smart cards in the European Union.

protects

privacy

•

Improved availability of solutions for Internet security.

Smart-cards are one of the solutions to secure electronic services, particularly the
Internet. However, given the complexity and increasing importance of security issues
on the Internet, a broader response is required. The main responsibility for ensuring
wider awareness and take-up of security products clearly lies with industry. However
there are areas where this nascent industry could benefit from public-sector efforts to
support its development. In addition, to prevent Internet disruptions the public sector
has to play a catalysing role.    The proposed actions are therefore mainly aimed at
stimulating and re-enforcing private initiatives.

• Better co-ordination to fight cybercrime

A G-8 Conference on safety and confidence in cyberspace was organised in Paris on
15-17 May 2000. A Council of Europe Convention on cybercrime is being discussed
and the European Commission is currently preparing a Communication on this issue.
eEurope should ensure that a better co-ordination mechanism is established to ensure
greater discussion and co-operation on this key issue.

Action

Actor (s)

Deadline

Availability of a core of common specifications for
smart-cards interoperability and security

Improve human interface of smart card terminals
including better usability for disabled people and
support for multiple languages

end 2000

end 2001

Private sector,
Standards
organisations
European
Commission

Private sector,
standards
organisations,
European
Commission

Availability of cost-effective smart card solutions to
enable secure electronic transactions.

Private
public sector

and

end 2002

Improve the overall security of on-line transactions
by:

• Ensuring the

availability of products

(in

end 2001

Private sector,
European
Commission,
Member States

11

particular network cards, software and routers)
capable of supporting secure transmissions based
on IPSec and Ipv6

• Supporting industry-led security certifications
through co-ordination of efforts and mutual
recognition,
security
including
professional certification.

information

• Promoting privacy-enhancing technologies and
including proper

supporting their deployment,
codes and the consolidation of practice.

public/private
of

• Stimulating
on
dependability
infrastructures
(including the development of early warning
systems) and improve co-operation amongst
national 'computer emergency response teams'.

co-operation

information

Promote the development and deployment of open
source software security platforms for effective "plug
and play".

Establish a co-ordinated and coherent European
approach to cybercrime.

Private Sector,
Member
States,
European
Commission

Member States
European
Commission,

end 2002

end 2002

12

Objective 2: Investing in people and skills

a)European youth into the digital age

The Lisbon Summit requested that:

• Every citizen be equipped with the skills needed to live and work in the new

information society

• Member States ensure that all schools in the Union have access to the Internet and

multimedia resources by the end of 2001

• Member States ensure that all the teachers needed are skilled in the use of the

Internet and multimedia resources by the end of 2002

• Schools are progressively linked to the very high-speed trans-European network

for electronic scientific communications to be created by the end of 2001

• Europe's education and training systems must adapt to the knowledge society

The challenge

Member States are making visible progress in connecting schools to the Internet.
More needs to be done, in particular:

i.

ii.

iii.

there must be a sufficient number of computers and fast Internet connections.

the installed equipment and available software, content and services must
correspond to educational needs.

the actual usage of these new tools must be assured by well-trained teachers
and the adaptation of both teacher and pupil curricula.

The eEurope response

The main responsibility for achieving the targets lies with the Member States. The
role of the Commission is to support Member States by providing an overall impetus,
by helping to co-ordinate their efforts, by promoting the relevant use of new
technologies and applications, as well as financing dissemination of best practice and
cross-border school networking. An important European added value is the assurance
that technological solutions, software and contents are not developed at national level
in isolation. Member States should be able to learn from each others' experiences and
build upon each other's achievements.

Adapting schools to the requirements of the digital age should not occur at the
expense of other priorities. The Internet will not solve existing day-to-day problems,
for instance regarding availability of teachers, budgets and infrastructure. Therefore
additional financial resources will need to be made available to achieve the ambitious

13

objective of ensuring that all pupils are digitally literate by the time they leave school.
Industry must also be encouraged to play a more active role through innovative and
effective public-private partnerships.

The Commission will bring specific educational actions together in a complementary
eLearning initiative that is being launched. eLearning will encompass eEurope targets
in an educationally oriented framework and will address the request of the Lisbon
Council to adapt Europe's education and training systems to the knowledge society.

Actor (s)

Deadline

Member States

end 2001

Member States

end 2002

Member States

end 2002

Member States

end 2002

European
Commission

Member States

end 2002

Actions

Provide all schools with access to the Internet and
multimedia resources, where appropriate using the
Structural Funds.

Provide all pupils with access to the Internet and
multimedia resources in their classroom, where
appropriate using the Structural Funds.

Connect schools progressively to the research
networks, where appropriate using the Structural
Funds.

support

services

availability of

Ensure
and
educational resources on the Internet, as well as e-
learning platforms,
teachers, pupils and
for
parents (e.g. access for disadvantaged children,
access to digitised cultural heritage, multilingual
multimedia learning materials, European open
source software initiative, collection of best
practice). European Commission to support these
efforts via the education,
training and culture
programmes and to provide adequate funding
within the IST Programme.

Provide training, using Structural Funds where
appropriate, to all teachers,
in particular adapt
teacher curricula and offer incentives to teachers
to actually use digital technologies in teaching.
European Commission will ensure exchange of
best practice and co-ordinate research efforts
through
IST
its
programmes.

education,

training

and

Adapt school curricula to enable new ways of
learning and to ensure that all pupils are digitally
literate by the time they leave school. European
Commission to support pilot projects, exchange of
best practice and co-ordinate research efforts, via
its IST and education programmes.

Member States
European
Commission

end 2002

14

b) Working in the knowledge-based economy

The Lisbon Summit concluded:

• There is a widening skills gap, especially in information technology where

increasing numbers of jobs remain unfilled.

• Europe's training systems need to adapt to the demands of the knowledge society to
offer training opportunities tailored to target groups and those in employment who
are at risk of seeing their skills overtaken by rapid change.

• Life-long learning should be given higher priority as a basic component of the

European social model.

• The need for a substantial increase in per capita investment in human resources.

• A European framework should define new basic skills to be provided through life
long learning and a European diploma for basic IT skills should be established.

• The need for adaptability through flexible management of working time

and…through making it easier to reconcile working and family life.

The Challenge

In Lisbon, it was made clear that achieving full employment would require a radical
transformation of the economy and skills to match the opportunities of the new
economy.

The first challenge is education and training. Education will make a major
contribution to developing new skills but its results will inevitably only be realised in
the longer term. More needs to be done. First of all concerning jobs for information
technology professionals, where studies on the skills gap indicate that Europe
currently has around 800,000 vacancies, expected to grow to around 1.7 million by
2003 unless action is taken.12 However, the challenge is wider than just meeting the
demand for information technology professionals. Digital literacy is an essential
element of the adaptability of the workforce and the employability of all citizens.

The second challenge is to raise employment rates to as close as possible to 70% by
2010. This requires action to improve the employment prospects of those groups with
low employment rates, especially women and older workers. Work can be made more
attractive through more attractive and accessible through flexible work arrangements
such as telework.

The third challenge lies in the modernisation of work organisation. Greater flexibility
brings the technological benefits of variable time and place of work to people in work.
Social Partners should be encouraged to contribute by supporting agreements on
flexible working to the benefit of both employers and employees.

12

Europe’s Growing IT Skills Crisis A Special Report by IDC.

15

The eEurope response

The primary responsibility for ensuring employability and adaptability in the new
economy, particularly by providing skills and transforming work organisation, lies
with the Member States and the Social Partners. The Commission plays a key co-
ordinating role within the European Employment Process, which is based on drawing
up employment guidelines at European level and translating them into National
Employment Action Plans. Following-up Lisbon, information society objectives will
be further enhanced across the Employment Guidelines.

The High Level Group on the Employment and Social Dimension of the Information
Society (ESDIS), composed of Member State representatives, will annually evaluate
progress by monitoring the actions listed below and will contribute to the overall
assessment of the employment impact of the eEurope Action Plan.

Action

Actor (s)

Deadline

Give all workers the chance to become digitally
literate through life-long learning.

of

information

50% increase
technology
training places and courses (both in work and
in educational
institutions) using European
Social funds where appropriate.

Social Partners,
Member States,
Private Sector

Member States,
Social Partners

Establish a European certificate for basic
information technology skills,
taking into
account
the European Computer Driving
Licence (ECDL).

Member States,
European
Commission

Support greater flexibility in the workplace,
e.g.
teleworking, where appropriate through
agreements by Social Partners and backed up
by Member States.

Social Partners,
Member States
Private sector

Promotion of a network of corporate 'in house
universities' for demand-driven training and
retraining of postgraduates.

Social Partners,
European
Commission.

c) Participation for all in the knowledge-based economy

end 2002

end 2002

end 2000

end 2000

end 2002

The Lisbon Summit recognised:

• that special attention should be given to disabled people and the fight against

“info-exclusion”.

• that

the new economy creates the potential

to reduce social exclusion, both
through higher levels of growth and employment and by opening new ways of
participating in society.

16

• Every citizen be equipped with the skills needed to live and work in the new

information society

The challenge

The implication of the Lisbon conclusions is that eEurope should extend the focus of
its eParticipation action. The benefits of the information society must be accessible,
not only to those persons who have disabilities, but also to those outside the labour
market and the educational system. Action in this area will contribute to the new
Community initiative to promote social inclusion, also called for by the Lisbon
Summit. The key issues were debated extensively in the recent ministerial conference
in Lisbon.

As government services and important public information become increasingly
available on-line, ensuring access to government websites for all citizens becomes as
important as ensuring access to public buildings. In the context of citizens with
disabilities, the challenge consists of ensuring the widest possible accessibility to
information technologies in general as well as their compatibility with assistive
technologies. In addition, new technologies can often be easier for everyone to use if
the usability requirements of all potential consumers are considered from the
beginning of the design process.

The eEurope response

In relation to access for people with disabilities, the High Level Group on the
Employment and Social Dimension of the Information Society (ESDIS),
in co-
operation with the Commission will examine and monitor legislation and standards
relevant
to the information society to ensure their conformity with accessibility
principles.

Public sector web sites and their content in Member States and in the European
Institutions must be designed to be accessible to ensure that citizens with disabilities
can access information and take full advantage of the potential for e-government.

In relation to 'designing-in' accessibility to all
information society technologies,
training for designers in this area is relatively new and therefore fragmented across
Europe. There remains much scope for mutual learning between centres of excellence
to build a co-ordinated and high quality approach.

In addition to these actions, further efforts will be required to address the problems of
those who fail to fully benefit from the information society for other reasons - poverty
or lack of awareness and training. Availability and accessibility of Internet terminals
in public spaces - libraries, unemployment offices, schools - combined with on-site
training opportunities could secure access for all.

Action

Actor (s)

Deadline

Publication of "Design for all" standards for
accessibility of information technology products,
in particular
to improve the employability of
people with disabilities.

European
Commission,
Private Sector

end 2002

17

Review relevant
ensure conformity with accessibility principles.

legislation and standards to

Adoption of
(WAI) guidelines for public websites.

the Web Accessibility Initiative

and

establish

Set up public Internet access points in public
spaces
all
communities providing access to training and e-
work facilities, where appropriate using the
Structural Funds.

tele-centres

in

Member States,
European
Commission

European
Commission,
Member States

end 2002

end 2001

Member States

end 2001

Ensure the establishment and networking of
national centres of excellence in design-for-all
and create a European curriculum for designers
and engineers.

European
Commission,
Member States

end 2002

18

Objective 3: Stimulate the use of the Internet

a) Accelerating e-commerce

The Lisbon Summit came to the following conclusions:

• the Council and European Parliament should adopt all pending legislation on
electronic commerce by the end of 2000; Member States should accelerate their
implementation into national law, which should be finalised by 2001

• the Commission and Council should consider how to promote consumer confidence
in particular through alternative dispute resolution

in electronic commerce,
systems

• the Commission, the Council and the Member States should ensure that it is
possible for Community and government procurement to take place on-line by
2003

• the speed of technological change may require new and more flexible regulatory

approaches in the future.

The challenge

Electronic commerce is already developing dynamically in inter-business trading (so
called business to business or B2B e-commerce) , with companies undertaking major
restructuring of their operations in many sectors - banking, insurance, automobile
manufacturing etc. This is bringing about fundamental change in the way companies
operate in all sectors of the economy 'old' and 'new'. It is important for SMEs not to be
left behind in this process and to become active across national borders.

The area of business to consumer interactions (B2C e-commerce), growth has been
slower, although the imminent advent of mobile e-commerce should help to increase
its potential. B2C e-commerce poses some regulatory challenges:

i.

ii.

Variations persist
companies, especially SMEs conducting business throughout the Union.

in the legal situation which causes difficulties for

Consumer confidence needs to be enhanced if e-commerce is to achieve its
full potential.

Electronic commerce provides the potential to improve the efficiency of government
procurement. It also increases the opportunities for SMEs to become involved in this
market throughout the Union. Electronic procurement is not yet widespread in public
administrations. Efforts are needed to clarify the legal situation and to restructure the
administrative system.

19

The eEurope response

To ensure the establishment of the Internal Market for e-commerce, the Commission
has already proposed a number of legislative measures. The imminent adoption by
Council of the "Dual Use Regulation", providing, inter alia, an Internal Market for
security products and the rapid adoption of the e-commerce Directive are very
positive signs. The remaining proposals must be adopted as soon as possible and
Member States must accelerate transposition at national level. The establishment of
the .eu domain name will further contribute to the development of an Internal Market
for e-Commerce.

With regard to consumer confidence, the private sector is developing a variety of
initiatives - trustmarks, privacy policy statements etc - but these are difficult for
business and consumers to evaluate. There is therefore a need for common criteria and
transparency. In addition, businesses are required to invest quite substantial efforts to
develop self-regulation and alternative dispute resolution. Such efforts will only be
undertaken in the presence of sufficient incentives.

The public sector must expand e-procurement. Any required legislative changes will
be assured at European level and the European Commission will both monitor
developments in Member States and make major efforts to bring substantial elements
of its procurement on line.

Actor (s)

Deadline

Council,
European
Parliament

end 2000

end 2000

Private Sector,
European
Commission,
Member States

Action

Adoption of outstanding EU legislation on:

•

•

•

•

copyright,

distance marketing of financial services,

e-money

jurisdiction.

in

consumer

confidence

e-commerce

in
Boost
partnership with consumer groups,
industry and
Member states. Promote alternative dispute resolution,
trust marks and effective codes of conduct by working
with stakeholders to develop general principles and by
e-
creating
confidence forum' managed by the Commission will
engage as many stakeholders as possible in this
process. Commission and Member States to further
develop
dispute
linking
resolution systems and launch pilot projects at
European level through the IST programme.

incentives. An

EEJ-net13

appropriate

alternative

'online

13

EEJ-net stands for European Extra-Judicial network.

20

Increase flexibility in e-commerce regulation by
building more on self-regulation, inter alia through co-
operation with relevant business groups such as the
Global Business Dialogue14.

end 2000

European
Commission,
Member
States, Private
sector

Improve legal certainty for SMEs offering e-commerce
the Union through an on-line
services
information service and awareness actions.

across

European
Commission

end 2000

Encourage SME's to 'Go Digital' through co-ordinated
networking activities for the exchange of knowledge
on,
and
best
benchmarking.

e-commerce

practices,

readiness

Establish a .eu top level domain name.

of

two Directives

Adoption
Public
Procurement incorporating provisions to remove legal
obstacles to electronic procurement.

regarding

Private Sector,
European
Commission,
Member States

European
Commission,
Council,
European
Parliament,

Council,
European
Parliament

Adoption of a Directive on VAT on certain services
supplied by electronic means to ensure compatibility
of the EU VAT system with e-commerce, in particular
to provide a level playing field for European content
providers.

European
Commission,
Council,
European
Parliament

b) Government on-line: electronic access to public services

end 2002

end 2000

mid 2001

end 2000

The Lisbon Summit conclusions call for:

• efforts by public administrations at all levels to exploit new technologies to make

information as accessible as possible.

• Member States should provide generalised electronic access to main basic public

services by 2003.

The challenge

Digital technologies provide the opportunity to more easily access and re-use the
wealth of information held in the public sector. eGovernment could transform old
public sector organisation and provide faster, more responsive services. It can increase
efficiency, cut costs and speed up standard administrative processes for citizens and

14

www.gbde.org

21

business. Electronic access would also make a major contribution to accelerating the
transition to the information society by stimulating Internet services that are more
relevant to Europeans. The challenge for administrations is to adapt quickly to the
new methods of working and enable new innovative ways of working, including
partnerships with the private sector.

However this potential is not being realised. The changeover to electronic interaction
involves major changes to the internal workings of administrations which can be
complex to manage. In addition, different rules on access across the Union restrict the
development of pan-European services.

The eEurope response

The outcome of the consultation carried out in relation to the Green Paper on "Public
Sector Information in the Information society" indicated a need to improve access,
dissemination and exploitation of public sector information in Europe. In response,
the eEurope initiative aims to ensure that citizens have easy access to essential public
data, as well as promoting online interaction between citizens and government.

The challenge of improving efficiency in the public sector will require a re-thinking of
internal organisation and of electronic exchanges between institutions. Member States
and the Commission have been co-operating in this area through the IDA (Interchange
of Data between Administrations) Programme which will be used as a basis to
develop pan-European services and exchange best practices.
In addition, new
applications have been developed through the EU framework programme, which have
the potential to support innovative solutions. Finally, the Commission itself will
address the need to revise its procedures to better exploit digital technologies in the
context of its reform.

Action

Actor (s)

Deadline

public

Essential
legal,
administrative cultural, environmental and traffic
information.

including

online

data

Simplified online
fast
business e.g.
company.

administrative procedures
for
track procedures to set up a

Member States,
supported by
European
Commission

Member States,
European
Commission

Develop a co-ordinated approach for public sector
information, including at European level

European
Commission

Set up pan-European portals of interactive public
services (implementation through IDA programme).

Promote the use of open source software in the public
through
and e-government best practice
sector
exchange of experiences across the Union (through
the IST and IDA programmes).

European
Commission,
Member States

European
Commission,
Member States

22

end 2002

end 2002

end 2000

mid 2001

during
2001

All basic transactions with the European Commission
must be online (e.g.
research contracts,
recruitment, procurement).

funding,

European
Commission

end 2001

c) Health online

The Lisbon Summit
real efforts must be made by public
administrations at all levels to exploit new technologies to make information as
accessible as possible.

indicated that

The challenge

Health services in all Member States are large, expensive and complex sectors to
administrate. The prime objective of this action is to develop an infrastructure of user
friendly, validated and interoperable systems for health education, disease prevention
and medical care. Many of the tools for the building of such an infrastructure exist,
however efforts are needed at Member State level
the
implementation of the infrastructure in a coherent way which enables them to use
technology to achieve their health objectives.

to move towards

As well as requiring an infrastructure which can connect citizens, practitioners and
authorities on-line, four key challenges remain for the full exploitation of Health
online:

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

Electronic health services are growing across Europe and the world.
Accordingly best practices must be identified and disseminated. In parallel
European bench-marking criteria should be developed.

frequently accessed
Health related information is amongst
information on the Internet. Yet at present the European citizen has very few
resources with which to assess the quality and authenticity of this vital
information.

the most

Public expenditure on health telematics tools and devices is a significant item
in health budgets. Yet currently very little independent
technology
assessment exists to guide the purchaser’s decision-making. Similarly,
medical practitioners need access to up-to-date, networked public health data
guidelines in order to assist their disease management decision-making.

Europe currently holds a strong position in the nascent eHealth industry,
the IT market. Yet particular
which represents approximately 6% of
uncertainty persists
related industry about
responsibility and data protection, the legality of providing on-line medical
opinions, as well as on-line pharmaceutical information and product supply.

in the health telematics

The eEurope response

Management and operation of the health services are a Member State competence, yet
there is a role for the Community complementing their activities with the aim of

23

improving public health, preventing human illness and diseases, and obviating sources
of danger to human health (Art 152 Amsterdam Treaty).

An action will be launched through the IST programme to identify and disseminate
in
best practices in eHealth and develop benchmarking criteria. Furthermore,
collaboration with key experts, a series of quality criteria will be established for
health-related websites, which would form the basis for a European level trustmark.

The Commission will publish a Communication on "Legal Aspects of eHealth in
2001". The objective would be to review current legislation which has a bearing on
the area, clarifying the existing legislation and building industrial confidence to enter
the market. The eEurope response will aim to accelerate market development.

In-depth European wide technology assessments of key health telematics applications
will be undertaken to assess their feasibility in terms of interoperability and cost-and
effectiveness. In addition, specific data assessment networks will be established,
including a pharmaceutical relative effectiveness network which would help Member
State health systems to make informed purchasing decisions and networked databanks
on communicable disease incidence in the Member States. The Commission will
facilitate the setting-up of the networks by Member States at a European level, while
offering a European level quality assurance.

Action

Ensure
that primary and secondary healthcare
providers have health telematics infrastructure in
place including regional networks.

Best practice in electronic health services in Europe
identified and disseminated, benchmarking criteria
set.

Establish a set of quality criteria for health related
websites.

Establish health technology and data assessment
networks.

Actor (s)

Deadline

Member States

end 2002

end 2001

end 2001

end 2002

Member States,
European
Commission,
Private Sector

European
Commission,
Member States,
Private Sector,

European
Commission
Member States,
Private Sector

d) European digital content for global networks.

The Lisbon Summit concluded that :

• Content industries create added value by exploiting and networking European

cultural diversity

24

• Member States and the Commission should ensure the availability of content for

high speed networks.

The challenge

The content industries are a fast growing segment of the European economy. Europe
has a strong base on which it can build a dynamic digital content industry - a long
established print publishing sector and extensive cultural heritage and linguistic
diversity which can be exploited as well as a significant, growing audio-visual sector.
A key challenge to the European content industries is to fully exploit the opportunities
created by the advent of digital technologies. Support for digitisation of production
and distribution of European digital content is, therefore, essential. Moreover, Europe
has 100,000 cultural institutions (museums, libraries and archives) employing over 1
million people. They contain a wealth of information which can be made more
accessible and more effectively exploited.

The main challenges are the uptake of new technologies for the creation of new
content,
the digitisation of materials, ensuring lasting accessibility and the
development of new services. Other important objectives include stronger support and
closer co-operation between educational communities and the content industry, with
consequent mobilisation of material and immaterial resources

However, several factors contribute to the risk that Europe's potential in this area will
not be realised.

i. The digitalisation of cultural goods is uneven,

limiting industry's ability to
develop European products. A fragmented European market hampers faster
growth.

ii. Lack of clarity and homogeneity in rules on access and exploitation of public

sector information is a prime example.

iii.

Insufficient
linguistic and cultural customisation of digital content. Such
customisation could help European companies to establish a global presence and
exploit new markets.

iv.

Insufficient co-operation between educational and cultural
communities and the content industry.

institutions and

v. The nature of content is changing - Europe shows weakness in the online
distribution of content and information on global networks. Content
is an
essential ingredient in stimulating on-line sales. At the same time, developments
in mobile Internet access and the increasing importance of mobile e-commerce,
mean that content providers will have adapt their products to new access devices.

The eEurope response

In response to the request from the Lisbon Summit, the Commission is currently
reinforcing and renewing initiatives which provide support to the content industries in
the digital era. From the perspective of the creation of cultural content these are
the audio-visual sector and the new framework programme
MEDIA plus for

25

CULTURE 2000. As a follow-on to the INFO2000 and Multilingualism in the
Information Society (MLIS) programmes, the Commission is launching a programme
which will support of European digital content on global networks and promote
linguistic diversity in the information society.

Special attention will be given to supporting the creation of a framework supportive of
the commercial exploitation of public sector information and the development of
multilingual services, encouraging the development, distribution and promotion of
European audio-visual works
and promoting the
dissemination of live cultural events over the Internet. Greater co-ordination of
digitisation programmes across Europe will be assured to ensure wider access to
Europe's common heritage.

and multimedia products

Action

Actor (s)

Deadline

Launch a programme to stimulate the development and use
of European digital content on the global networks and to
promote the linguistic diversity in the information society,
including action to support exploitation of public sector
information and establish European digital collections of
key datasets.15

European
Commission,
Member
States, Private
sector

end 2000

a

digitisation
co-ordination mechanism for
Create
programmes across Member States - define common
themes,
ensure
available
interoperability.

resources,

catalogue

European
Commission,
Member States

end 2000

e) Intelligent Transport Systems

The Lisbon Summit requested :

• to speed up liberalisation of transport with the aim of achieving a fully operational

internal market.

• the Commission to put forward its proposals regarding the use and management of

airspace as soon as possible.

The Challenge

The key challenge for Europe is to meet the growing demand for mobility within
finite transport infrastructure networks. All transport networks are faced with three
key challenges: congestion, safety and the shortage of new services.

Congestion is a major problem in both road and air transport. Air traffic delays are
partly due to structural inefficiencies of the system (Airspace Management) but also

15

Draft Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION adopting a Multiannual Community programme
to stimulate the development and use of European digital content on the global networks and
to promote the linguistic diversity in the Information Society.

26

to the heterogeneous nature of the various Air Traffic Management Systems, which
have not always kept pace with technology development. There is a need to introduce
automation tools to aid controllers coupled with the introduction of aircraft
information transfer by datalink.

Congestion on the roads is especially acute in urban areas and on trans-European
corridors, with consequent negative environmental effects. Intelligent Systems and
services for road transport can alleviate bottlenecks but they are often developed in a
too fragmented manner and the end-user may experience excessive delays before
services are fully operational. Member States need to work together and with the
private sector to speed up the deployment of intelligent transport systems in cities and
regions and to enable the development of traffic and travel information services.

Concerns over safety have been highlighted by major accidents on the railways and at
sea. Road safety continues to be a major issue. Although there have been no recent
air disasters in Europe, the number of reported near misses is growing. Maritime
transport safety is hampered by lack of information and requires closer identification
and monitoring of traffic along the coasts of Member States, in particular, of ships
carrying polluting goods.

For drivers and other road users the systems to enhance safety are the number one
concern followed closely by convenience (assistance/warning) systems. The challenge
is to introduce active safety systems in all new vehicles. Location determination of
wireless callers through 112 number and subsequent access to full range of emergency
services would be a major factor contributing towards public safety and comfort.

A key explanation for the shortage of new services and technological solutions to the
problems of congestion and safety is the fragmentation of transport infrastructure
management between Member States. This creates a barrier to service providers who
cannot exploit the economies of scale of the single market. In the case of railway
transport,
the
technical and operational
development of the rail business in a trans-European perspective.

requirements hamper

strict national

The eEurope response

Technologies solutions have been developed both in Member States and in European
research programmes that can alleviate the problems noted above. There are
promising signs that these technologies are beginning to be deployed. The role of
eEurope will be to kick start new solutions and accelerate their deployment.

Major policy decisions have still to be taken regarding intelligent transport. This is
especially the case regarding the establishment of the Single European Sky, the
deployment of Galileo,
the deployment of intelligent systems in road, rail and
maritime transport and the future of urban transport. Europe needs to invest more to
transport systems will be
the overall performance of intelligent
make sure that
sufficient to manage the demand arising from the expected traffic growth.

The private sector has a key role in the development of intelligent transport serves. In
implementing the actions of eEurope, Member States should ensure that barriers to the
development of private services are removed.

27

Action

Actor(s)

obligations

Adoption of a Directive on rights of users
of
and
provide
communications
location
to
information
Emergency Services through 112.

providers
to
available

of
services

European Parliament,
Council

Deadline

end 2001

Adoption of new Directives
the
establishment of the Single European Sky.

for

European Parliament,
Council,

end 2001

Implementation of Recommendation on
“Participation of
in
deploying traveller information services in
Europe”.

the private sector

Member States,
Private Sector

end 2000

Deployment plan for Intelligent Transport
transport.
Systems

road

for

Foster development of in-vehicle active
safety systems and their introduction to
new vehicles
through a Commission
Recommendation and support for research
activities.

Implementation
Recommendation
Interface.

of

EC
the
on Human-Machine

end 2001

end 2002

European
Commission,
European Parliament,
Council

European
Commission, Private
Sector,
Member States

Member States

mid 2002

Private Sector

Commission decision on adoption of
specifications for wireless communication
for high speed trains.

European
Commission, Member
States

end 2000

Adoption of a Directive for a European
maritime
information
system.

reporting

and

Adoption of Decision to deploy the
Galileo infrastructure.

end 2001

end 2000

European
Commission,
European Parliament,
Council

European
Commission,
European Parliament,
Council

28

Annex - Indicative list of eEurope Indicators

1. A cheaper faster and secure Internet

a) Cheaper and faster Internet access

- Internet penetration (households connected, Internet users, high speed access)

- Internet access costs

b) Faster Internet for researchers and students

- speed of interconnections and services available between and within national
research networks (within EU and World-wide)

- number of high speed internal campus networks established

c) Secure networks and smart cards

- percentage of population using smart-cards for access and/or transactions

- market penetration of IPSec

2. Investing in skills and people

a) European Youth into the digital age

- number of computers per 100 pupils

- percentage of primary and secondary schools on the Internet

- percentage of schools with broadband Internet connections (including satellite)

- number of visits to web servers run by schools and the public education system

b)Working in the knowledge-based economy

- percentage of workforce with basic computing skills

- proportion of the workforce engaged in telework

c) Participation for all in the knowledge based economy

- number of public internet access terminals per 1.000 people

- number of centres of excellence connected to the design-for-all network

Stimulating the use of the Internet

a)Accelerating e-commerce

- percentage of e-commerce websites with trust marks, security labels or other
certifications

29

- consumer awareness of ADRs

- percentage of enterprises that carry out more than 10% of
electronically

their business

- number of public internet access terminals per 1.000 people

- number of centres of excellence connected to the design-for-all network

b)Government on-line: electronic access to public services

- percentage of basic public service interactions carried out on-line

- percentage of public procurement carried out on-line

c) Health on-line

- percentage of primary and secondary healthcare service providers networked at a
regional level

- number of European peer reviewed health-related websites established

d) Digital content for global networks

- percentage of EU web sites in the national top 20 visited

- number of European multilingual portals

e) Intelligent transport systems

- percentage of 112 calls with location information in Europe

- percentage of large European cities with traffic and travel planning information
services

- percentage of European motorway networks (vs.
equipped with congestion information and management systems

total

length of the network)

30