WRITTEN QUESTION P-0538/01 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Linking up schools to the Internet.
Date: 2001-02-16
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Internet, competence of the Member States, data collection, educational institution

13.11.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 318 E/73

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(10 May 2001)

The recent judgment of the Audiencia Nacional referred to is subject to appeal by the Spanish government.
Potentially, therefore, there might be no budgetary cost of implementing a judgment in this case. In any
event,
individual
expenditure categories. The budgetary impact of the final legal judgment on this particular issue would not
therefore be central to such an assessment.

fiscal policies as a whole and not

the Commission assesses national

the cost of

(2001/C 318 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0538/01

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 February 2001)

Subject: Linking up schools to the Internet

Does the Commission have any comparative data about the link-up of schools to the Internet for each
Member State of the European Union? What measures has it taken so far to promote the link-up of
schools to the Internet and what steps does it intend to take in this area in future?

Answer given by Ms Reding on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

Linking schools to the Internet and providing them with computer and multimedia equipment are matters
for the Member States. However, at the Commission(cid:146)s initiative, the Member States have adopted very
ambitious objectives in this area as part of the eEurope action plan. These objectives include, in particular,
providing all schools with access to the Internet and to multimedia resources by the end of 2001 and
giving all pupils access to the Internet and to multimedia resources in their classrooms by the end of 2002.

In order to monitor the progress made towards achieving these objectives,
the Commission has
comparative data on the connection of schools to the Internet, broken down by Member State. It received
these data from the correspondents of the eLearning working party who were appointed by the Ministers
of Education of the Member States. They have been included in the report entitled (cid:145)Realising the European
Union(cid:146)s potential: consolidating and extending the Lisbon strategy(cid:146) that the Commission is sending directly
to the Honourable Member and to the Secretariat-General of Parliament (1).

It is important to stress, however, that these data merely indicate whether an Internet connection exists
and do not show the quality or level of service available or the extent to which it is actually used for
teaching. In order to improve decision-making on the integration of information and communication
technologies into schools, it is essential to have better data. To this end, the Education and Culture DG is
working in close cooperation with the Information Society DG and Eurostat to define better qualitative and
quantitative indicators in this area.

This cooperation concerns in particular the comparative evaluation of the performance of the Member
States in implementing the objectives of the eEurope action plan. The Council of Ministers has approved
a list of indicators, including in the area of education, which are being monitored by the Commission.

A Eurobarometer survey has been carried out on the use of ICTs (information and communication
in schools. The results, which show rapid progress, will soon be available on the
technologies)
Europa server.

The Information Society Technologies Programme is promoting research activities complementary to the
subject. As example, for the 2001, the action line (cid:145)e-learning for European Youth into the digital age(cid:146) is
expected to pull together a critical mass of key actors, from various European sectors, to research, develop

C 318 E/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

and perform large scale validation of novel ICT based systems and services, at a trans-European level, for
improving elearning in schools and higher education institutions in the digital age.

(1) COM(2001) 79 final.

(2001/C 318 E/075)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0541/01

by Dominique Vlasto (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 February 2001)

Subject: Medical research into prion diseases

In view of the new cases of infection attributable to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) routinely
discovered in EU Member States, the slump in beef consumption and the concern expressed by European
citizens, medical research into prion diseases ought
the
Commission(cid:146)s research policy.

the current priorities of

to rank amongst

The funding allocated to this type of research under the Fourth R & D framework programme was
consistent with its being considered a key action. Sadly, this is no longer the case under the Fifth
framework programme.

Does the Commission believe that the current research funded under the Fourth framework programme
and the share of the annual budget of the Directorate-General for Research earmarked for medical research
into prion diseases are sufficient to yield rapid results?

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(17 May 2001)

The launching of the action plan on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) research in the
Fourth framework programme (1) was indeed a major effort which has resulted in an important
mobilisation of expertise from more than 120 laboratories throughout the Member States and Associated
Countries and a far-reaching combination of scientific disciplines. The projects supported by the TSE
action plan have produced and are producing very relevant results.

In the Fifth framework programme (2), all the areas of the TSE action plan are well covered in the Quality
of Life and Management of Living Resources Programme (3), in the different Key Actions and Generic
Activities as well as in Infrastructures. There are three on-going projects and nine additional projects
currently under negotiation. Most of these projects are built on very successful projects supported by the
TSE action plan.

Research on TSE continues to be a priority. In this regard the Commission, following the mandate of the
Research Council of 16 November 2000, has established an expert group composed of national experts
and outstanding scientists. This group has met on 15 December 2000 and 16 February 2001. This group
has analysed on going research activities both in Member States and at Community level. Members of the
Commission(cid:146)s Scientific Steering Committee and its TSE/ bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) ad hoc
Group as well as scientists from the Joint Research Centre participate in the expert group which guarantees
that their recommendations are also taken into account. The group has identified areas that could benefit
from coordination and collaboration at Member State level and areas which need strengthening as well as
new research areas. The Commission is examining the tools available to enable higher degree of
coordination, including the launching of a dedicated call for proposals.

A full inventory on the ongoing research activities has been established by the expert group and will soon
be published.

Finally, in its proposal for the next framework programme for RTD (2003-2006) (4) the Commission has
identified food safety and health risks as one of the seven thematic priorities for research at Community
level. This priority specifically includes research on prion diseases.

(1) OJ L 126, 18.5.1994.
(2) OJ C 173, 7.6.1997.
(3) OJ L 64, 12.3.1999.
(4) COM(2001) 94 final.