Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - eEurope 2002: Impact and Priorities A communication to the Spring European Council in Stockholm, 23-24 March 2001
Date: 2001-03-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU initiative, information network, information technology, new technology, project evaluation

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 13.3.2001
COM(2001) 140 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Impact and Priorities

A communication to the Spring European Council in
Stockholm, 23-24 March 2001

Contents

1.

Introduction

2. The impact of eEurope on the knowledge-based society

2.1. Benchmarking: Cheaper, faster, more secure Internet

2.2. Benchmarking: Investing in people and skills

2.3. Benchmarking: Stimulate the use of the Internet

2.4. Conclusion - the impact of eEurope on society

3. Priority areas to be addressed

3.1. New framework for electronic communications services

3.2. High speed infrastructure

3.3. eLearning and eWorking skills

3.4. e-commerce

3.5. e-Inclusion

3.6. e-government

3.7. Secure networks

3.8. Mobile communications

4. eEurope+ - an initiative by and for the candidate countries

5. Next Steps

2

Communication to the Stockholm Spring
Summit

eEurope - impacts and priorities

Preface

In  the  year  since  the  Lisbon  Summit,  the  information  societ y  in  Europe  has
developed considerably further.  Nearly one  third  of  EU  homes  are  now  connected
to  the  Internet  and  nearly  two  thirds  of  Europeans  now  have  a  mobile  phone.
Almost  half  of  workers  use  computers  in  their  jobs.  Electronic  commerce  between
companies  is  growing  and  forcing  companies  to  restructure  their  businesses.    This
is  only  the  beginning.    More  powerful  computers,  Internet-enabled  mobile
them  will  come  a
terminals  and 
restructuring  of  the  entire  economy.    The  decline  in  technology  stocks  which  is
partly due to exaggerated expectations do not invalidate this analysis.

faster  networks  are 

to  come  and  with 

To  realise  the potential  of  the  new  economy,  there  is  a  need  for  structural  reform.
Public  administrations  often  remain  too  much  stuck  in  traditional  ways  of
working.    Modernising  the  public  sector  is  no  longer  primarily  a  matter  of
introducing  new  technologies;  working  practices  and  rules  must  be  changed  to
realise  the  benefits  of  technology.    Governments  are  slower  to  get  services  online,
electronic  public  procurement  is  not  yet  a  reality  more  than  simply  accepting
emailed  bids  (e.g.  e-market  places  are  not  being  used)  and  public  sector
information  crucial  to  value-added  services  is  not  made  readily  ava ilable  in  all
Member  States.  Progress  has  nevertheless  been  made  in  some  areas,  notably  in
the  speed  with  which  the  legislative  framework  for  the  new  economy  is  being
established.

The Internet sector is now big enough  to  exert  an  influence  on  the  entire  economy.
The  public  sector  must  lead,  not  trail,  in  the  take-up  of  new  technologies.    It
must  both  establish  the  legal  framework  for  the  private  sector  to  flourish  and
exploit  technology  to  bring  more  efficient  delivery  of  public  service.    The
European  Council  should  emp hasise  that  the  transition  to  the    information
society  rema ins  critical  to  future  growth  and  therefore  eEurope  continues  to  be  a
major policy objective.

3

1. Introduction

eEurope's objectives are to accelerate the development of the information society in
Europe and to ensure its potential is available to everybody - all Member States, all
regions, all citizens.  Progress towards these objectives has been documented in the
reports from the European Commission1 and the  French  Presidency2,  which  were
submitted to the Nice European Council.    Welcoming  these  reports  the  Heads  of
State and Government concluded:

'At its Stockholm meeting it [the European Council] will examine an initial report on the contribution which
this  plan  has  made  to  the  development  of  a  knowledge-based  society  as  well  as  the  priorities  for  its  future
implementation. In the same context, the contribution which the plan has made to modernising the civil service in
the  Member  States will  also  be  examined  in  the  light  of  the  meeting  of  Ministers  for  the  Civil  Service  held  in
Strasbourg.'3

This communication is the European Commission's contribution to this discussion.
It builds on the Commission's strategy report to the Spring Summit in Stockholm4
by  developing  its  eEurope  element.  It  is  also  based  on  discussions  with  Member
States in Council and ad-hoc working groups.

In  accordance  with  the  request  made  in  Nice,  the  communication  is  structured  in
two sections - firstly an analysis of the impact of eEurope on the knowledge based
society,  including  the  modernisation  of  public  administrations  in  the  Union  and
secondly  proposals  for  concrete  steps  to  make  progress  in  some  key  areas  of
eEurope.

2. Impact of eEurope on the knowledge-based society

This  section  will  look  at  the  extent  to  which  the  knowledge-based  society  has
arrived  in  the  Member  States,  by  providing  a  first  overview  of  the  results  of  the
eEurope  benchmarking.    The  benchmarking  of  eEurope  is  based  on  a  set  of
indicators agreed by the Internal Market  Council  on    30  November  20005.    These
indicators  were  chosen  as  representative  of  progress  in  areas  targeted  by eEurope
on  Member  States  level.  The  indicators  are  part  of  the  “open  method  of  co-
ordination” and will therefore allow a comparative analysis between Member States
which  in  time  will  include  indications  of  best  practice.  This  will  enable  policy

1 

The eEurope Update, COM(2000) 783, November 2000,
 http://europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope/documentation/update/index_en.htm
  Note by the Presidency for the Nice European Council on the eEurope Action Plan, webpage as above.
2
3 

http://ue.eu.int/en/Info/eurocouncil/index.htm,  Presidency  conclusions,  Nice  European  Council,  paragraph
25.
Communication from the Commission, Realising the Union’s potential: consolidating and extending the Lisbon strategy,
Contribution of the European Commission to the Spring European Council, Stockholm 23 – 24th March 2001,
COM(2001) 79.
The list can be found in the Note from the French presidency as in 2 above.

4

5 

4

 
conclusions  to  be  drawn,  in  particular  to  identify  areas  where  actions  need
reinforcement.

Data  have  already  been  collected  for  several  of  these  indicators.    Work  will
continue to  gather  the  remaining  data  within  the  coming  months.  The  available
results are published in more detail on the eEurope Website6.  The following
analysis gives a first assessment and helps to identify the priorities for eEurope with
a view to the Stockholm European Council.

2.1. Benchmarking: Cheaper, faster, more secure Internet

Internet access in EU Households
(March-October 2000)

March

October

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

B

DK

D

EL

E

F

IRL

I

L

NL

A

P

FIN

S

UK

EU

Source: Eurobarometer (October 2000)

Internet penetration at home is showing encouraging levels of growth.  In the half year
between  March  and  October  2000  penetration  rates  at  home  increased  from  an
average  of  18%  to  28%.  Although  there  are  continuing  differences  between  the
Member  States,  those  with  the  lowest  Internet  penetration  have  experienced  the
fastest growth.

Many  people  in  Europe  access  the  Internet  in  non-domestic  environments,
particularly  in  work,  at  school  or  in  college.  When  these  are  included,  the  overall
total of Internet users in the EU comprises about 40%  of  the population.  However,
this includes occasional users and to obtain a more accurate figure, the Commission
is  currently  undertaking  a  survey  to  establish  the  number  of  regular  users7  in
Europe.

6 
7 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope
The agreed definition is to classify a 'regular user' as someone who uses the Internet at least once a week.

 - soon to become http://www.europa.eu.int/eeurope

5

High  speed  Internet  is  just  beginning  to  be  introduced  in  Europe.  Technologies  like
ADSL(1.1%  of  EU  Internet  households)  and  cable  Internet  modems  (7.8%)  are
not yet widely diffused but introducing competition to local access networks should
bring  prices  into  the  reach  of  far  more  residential  customers.    Local  loop
unbundling  is  now  being  introduced,  following  agreement  at  Community  level  at
the end of December and will help to stimulate the deployment of ADSL services.

Internet Access Price Change
(March-September 2000)

B

DK

D

EL

E

F

IRL

I

L

NL

A

P

FIN

S

UK

EU

20%

10%

0%

-10%

-20%

-30%

-40%

-50%

Source: OECD

20h off-peak

40h peak

Internet access costs have reduced quite considerably since eEurope was launched. The
estimated8  that  between  March  and  September  costs  for  20  hours  a
OECD  has
month  at  off-peak  times  (representative  of  private  household  use)  reduced  by  an
average of 8.6% in the EU. For 40 hours at peak rates (the more relevant costs for
business),  prices  have  fallen  by  23.0%  in  six  months.  Nevertheless  crucial
differences  in  costs  remain  between  Member  States,  which  are  broadly  correlated
with penetration rates.

Security problems, both real and perceived, are widely seen to be an  inhibiting  factor
for e-commerce. A Eurobarometer survey conducted for eEurope in Autumn 2000
found that around 17% of all Internet users had experienced certain problems. The
majority  of  these  related  to  receiving  too  many  unsolicited  emails  (9%),  which  is
more an intrusion of privacy than  a security threat. Viruses, however, are a major
security  issue  and  these  were  encountered  by  around  8%  of  users.    Credit  card
abuse was experienced by only around 2% of users.

8 

Communications Outlook  2001, OECD, forthcoming.

6

 
Security Problems: Credit Cards and Viruses
(% Internet Users)

caught a virus

credit card abused

16%

14%

12%

10%

8%

6%

4%

2%

0%

B

DK

D

EL

E

F

IRL

I

L

NL

A

P

FIN

S

UK

EU

Source: Eurobarometer (October 2000)

In relation to the security of business networks there is little data available on this
understandably confidential subject. One of the few is the number of secure socket
layer (SSL) servers.  The OECD found that, on a per-capita basis, the USA had six
times  as  many  secure  servers  as  the  EU  and  that  this  divide  had  not  narrowed
between their March and September 2000 surveys9.

2.2. Benchmarking: Investing in people and skills

The  percentage  of  schools  equipped  with  computers  and  Internet  connections  is  now  high
throughout  Europe.  A  Eurobarometer  survey  carried  out  in  February  2001  found
that  on  average,  for  educational  purposes,  94%  of  European  schools  were
equipped  with  computers  and  79%  connected  to  the  Internet.  These  findings  are
relatively consistent for a majority of Member States.

Regarding  the  technology  used  by  schools  to  connect  to  the  Internet,  about  two
thirds  (63%)  use  an  ISDN  line,  while  most  of  the  others  connect  through  a
standard  dial-up  line  (34%).  For  the  time  being,  ADSL  (4%),  cable  modem  (6%)
and satellite (4%) remain marginal ways for schools to connect to the Internet.

These  overall  figures  say  little about  the  ease  with  which  pupils  access  computers
and  the  Internet.  For  this,  the  number  of  pupils  per  PC  provides  a  better
indication. The average school in the EU has a computer for every 10 pupils and an
Internet-enabled computer for 22 pupils, although there are discrepancies between
the  Member  States.  These  findings  suggest  that  many  countries  will  need  to
increase their efforts if the eEurope targets for digital literacy are to be reached.

9 

Surveys carried by Netcraft, reported in OECD Communications Outlook.

7

Pupils per PC

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

B

DK

D

EL

E

F

IRL

I

L

NL

A

P

FIN

S

UK

EU

pupils per PC

pupils per Internet PC

Source: Eurobarometer (February 2001)

On  average,  23%  of  workers  in  the  EU  have  received  formal  computer training.  There
are  large  differences  between  the  Member  States,  with  particularly  low  levels  of
formal training in some Member States.  Nevertheless, 45% use computers in their
jobs.

Data are available for 12 countries on number of  public  internet  access points(PIAPs)
which  indicate  that,  in  most  Member  States,  there  is  less  than  1  PIAP  per  10.000
inhabitants10.  Usage  figures  from  Eurobarometer  indicate  that  less  than  3%  of
Europeans use public access points.

Figures  on  the  number  of  ICT-related  third  level  training  places  are  not  yet  available
from  all  Member  States.  Comparison  of  those  figures  available  reveals  large
differences - from over 10% of all places down to less than 2%.

Already 5.6% of workers use telework, although significant differences exist between
Member  States.    Denmark  is  well  ahead  of  all  others  with  17.6%  of  workers
teleworking  regularly  or  occasionally.    Danish  ‘best  practice’  here  is  likely  to  be  a
reflection  of  a  supportive  legal  environment  and  favourable  tax  measures  and  a
positive social framework. Overall more men than women have the opportunity to
use  telework  and  it  is  most  widespread  amongst  managers.  Further  details  of
progress  on  the  employment  and  social  dimension  of  the  information  society  can
be found in a recent working document of the Commission services10.

10  SEC 

(2001)  222,  7/02/2001,  http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/info_soc/esdis/

documents.htm

8

2.3. Benchmarking: Stimulate the use of the Internet

.

e-commerce is  less  developed  in  Europe  than  in  the  US.  The  Eurobarometer  survey
found only a minority of Internet users (less than 5%) buy regularly on the Internet,
but around 25% more buy “occasionally” or “rarely”.

% U s e r s b u y i n g o n th e In te r n e t

6 0 %

5 0 %

4 0 %

3 0 %

2 0 %

1 0 %

0 %

S

U K

D

F I N

D K

L

N L

A

IR L

F

B

E

I

P

E L

S o u r c e : E u r o b a r o m e te r ( O c t o b e r 2 0 0 0 )

r e g u la r ly

o c c a s io n a lly

r a r e ly

Business  is  more  active,  reflecting  strong  growth  in  business  to  business  e-
commerce. However last year a Eurobarometer survey of companies in certain key
sectors related to Internet development found that, even in this relatively 'informed'
group only just over a quarter sold either to other companies or consumers on the
Internet. These results indicate that e-commerce has some difficulties to take off in
EU  industry.  The  Commission  is  launching  further  surveys  and  studies  to  gather
more information on behaviour of both consumers and companies on-line.

The  use  of  online  government  services  is  developing  in  the  Union.  About  25%  of
Internet users have accessed government websites. However most interactions  are
passive - i.e. information search and downloading. Only 10% of Internet users have
used public websites to submit forms.  The level of interactivity varies by Member
State  with  the  Netherlands,  Finland,  Sweden  and  Denmark  all  having  levels  of
more than twice the average.

Low  levels  of  interactivity  were  also  observed  in  a  Eurobarometer  survey  (Spring
2000)  of  local  government  which  showed  that  although  56%  of  local  authorities
had  a  website,  only  28%  had  electronic  versions  of  official  forms  and  only  8%
allowed citizens to send these forms back by e-mail. Work is underway to complete
this picture with more extensive information on what governments really offer.

Further indicators are being developed in order to benchmark progress in bringing
basic  public  services  on-line.  So  far,  efforts  have  focused  on  securing  clear  definitions.
Discussions  with  Member  States  have  resulted  in  a  draft  list  of  these  basic  public
services (attached in annex) which is to be endorsed by the Internal Market Council

9

on 12th March.  The challenge now is to fulfil the commitment made in Lisbon and
ensure  that  all  citizens,  including  those  with  disabilities,  have  interactive  access  to
these services.

Another  Eurobarometer  in  Spring  2000  showed  that  almost  50%  of  general
practitioners  had  Internet  access  at  work.  Figures  are  highest  in  Sweden,  the
Netherlands and Denmark. The same survey showed that doctors' main exploitation
of Internet was to consult professional databases and  to  consult  with  other  doctors.
The levels of interaction with patients is rather low - only 12%.

2.4. Conclusion - the impact of eEurope on society

The  impact  of  digital  technologies  on  markets  and  employment  has  been  widely
documented.  The  impact  of  digital  technologies  on  society,  on  patterns  of  inter-
actions,  values  and  perceptions  is  much  more  difficult  to  assess.  They  are  subtle,
take a longer time and are open to interpretation.

The  benchmarking  results  show  that  the  dissemination  of  digital  technologies  is
progressing.  Penetration  in  households  is  rising  quickly.    The  number  of  users  is
multiplying.  However  one  of  the  most  striking  features  to  emerge  from  this
analysis  is  that  the  full  potential  of  these  digital  technologies  for  efficiency
gains  is  not  yet  being  exploited.  So  far,  not  even  5%  of  Internet  users  shop
online on a regular basis,  only 10% interact with their government online.

New technologies require a learning process before they are well used. However it
is  not  just  a  question  of  learning  how  to  use  new  technologies,  it  is  also  a
question  of  adapting  old  habits  and  practices.  Investment 
in  digital
technologies will only show its full potential for efficiency gains if the institutions,
concepts and operating practices of the old economy are adapted to make full use
of these possibilities. Adaptation in the public sector has so far been relatively slow
in Europe. This no longer primarily a question for technicians. What is needed for
an effective transition is leadership from politicians.

the  rapid  development  of 

Furthermore, 
information  and  communication
technologies  brings  an  increasing  risk  of  disparity  between  regions,  in  terms  of
access  to  the  information  and  knowledge  society.  At  a  time  when  Europe  faces
growing  challenges  from  global  competition  in  this  area  public  authorities  at  all
levels  -  community,  national,  regional  and  local  -  must  be  particularly  attentive  to
this risk. The danger of a true digital divide makes it even more important that the
public  authorities  deal  with  exclusion  from  the  information  society.  The  new
activities  generated  by  the  information  society  tend  to  be  concentrated  in  a  few
urban  centres,  leading  to  dense,  high  performance  networks  which  only  link  the
economies of the central regions of Europe.

issue,  the  Commission  recommended  that  every  regional
To  address  this 
development plan should include activities to encourage access to the information

10

society.  For  the  Objective  1  regions  alone,  it  is  estimated  that  €6  billion  of
Community funds will be mobilised during the 2000-2006 programming period.

The  ministers  for  the  civil  service  met  in  Strasbourg  in  November  2000  and
adopted a resolution on eGovernment.  A  Working  Group  has  been  established
to  consider  the  impact  of  eGovernment  on  the  structures  and  systems  of  public
administrations,  the  potential  it  offers  for  greater  interaction  with  citizens  and
business  and  the  opportunities  for  pan-European  electronic  services.  A  Work
Programme  is  being  prepared  for  adoption  in  the  first  half  of  2001.  The
Commission  is  actively  involved  in  this  initiative.  In  addition,  eGovernment  is
among  the  priorities  being  examined  with  candidate  countries  to  help  to  prepare
their public administrations for accession.

The  contribution  of  the  eEurope  2002  Action  Plan  to  the  knowledge  based
economy and society is only observable over longer periods of time. The eEurope
benchmarking process will measure dissemination. Wider impacts on the economy
can  only  be  measured  in  the  medium  term  as  learning  effects  filter  through.  The
extent  to  which  these  effects  are  realised  depends  on  the  willingness  to  change.
There are signs that eEurope has helped to establish an environment supportive to
such  flexibility.    It  is  already  possible  to  identify  a  accelerating,  activating  and
priority  setting  impact  of  eEurope,  as  has  been  documented  in  the  Commission
and Presidency reports to the Nice European Council.

3. Priority areas to be addressed

As progress towards the eEurope targets varies in speed and extent, Member States
have  requested  that  further  efforts  be  made.  The  Stockholm  European  Council
provides an opportunity  to  further  strengthen  the  key  activities  of eEurope.  Some
areas  below  are  already  included  in  the  above  mentioned  strategy  paper  of  the
Commission.  Other issues have been discussed in the Council Working Group on
Information  Society  Services  and  in  special  workshops  with  Member  States.  The
eight  areas  selected  have  been  identified  through  this  process,  i.e.  in  co-operation
with the Member States and the Presidency.

3.1. New framework for electronic communication services

The ongoing liberalisation of the telecommunications market is the EU's main tool
to  create  the  essential  infrastructures  for  a  dynamic  new  economy,  providing  new
services and lower prices for the end-users.  The most recent step forward was the
harmonised  introduction  of  local  loop  unbundling  which  is  of  crucial  importance
for the development of high speed Internet.  Full and rigorous implementation of
this Regulation is an urgent task for all Member States.

Encouraging progress has been made in Council and the European Parliament with
respect  to  the  new  regulatory  framework.  The  remaining  difficulties  have  to  be
resolved  as  a  matter  of  urgency  without  compromising  the  need  for  a  simplified,
pro-competitive, and sufficiently harmonised framework.  Therefore, the adoption

11

of  the  regulatory  framework  for  electronic  communications  and  its  rapid
implementation in the Member States should be a given high priority.

3.2. High speed infrastructure

The  deployment  of  high  speed  networks  is  primarily  a  task  for  the  private  sector
operating in the competitive environment for communication services. Investments
in  broadband  infrastructure  and  new  markets  need  a  favourable  regulatory
environment.  This again underlines the importance of reaching agreement rapidly
on the new framework.

•

•

•

Multimedia  wireless  systems  have  the  potential  to  become  an  alternative  for
broadband  access  networks  in  competition  with  ADSL,  cable  and  other
technologies.  The  deployment  of  fixed  wireless  access 
infrastructures,
especially  in  the  lower  frequencies  (e.g.  3.5  GHz),  is  also  one  way  to  rapidly
less-populated  areas.
achieve  broadband  Internet  access 
Harmonised  usage  of  such  frequencies  in  Europe,  for  which  the  CEPT  has
identified  spectrum  bands  (i.e.  from  3.5  GHz  to  40  GHz),  is  essential  to  a
wider  rollout  of  this  technology.  This  would  allow  the  industry  to  realise
economies  of  scale,  thereby  overcoming  the  cost  barrier  which  still  prevents
wider deployment of multimedia wireless systems. Member States should be
encouraged to work towards co-ordination of frequency allocations and
licensing  conditions  for  such  services  at  Community,  European  and
global levels.

in  rural  and 

Digital  television  shows  great  potential  to  bring  broadband  access  to  a  large
number of potentially-excluded households. By allowing broadband access via
a  familiar  terminal  which  is  already  present  in  97%  of  EU  households,  it
enables those who may be reluctant to buy a computer to become part of the
network, through a significantly cheaper investment. Member States should
co-operate  to  facilitate  the  introduction  of  digital  television  services
with  Internet  capabilities  and  promote  interoperability  within  the
framework of voluntary, industry-led standardisation.

A  new  Internet  protocol  is  required  in  order  to  enlarge  the  IP  numbering
space and thereby facilitate mobile Internet and the development of new and
more  secure  services.  Europe  risks  running  out  of  IP  addresses  by  2005  if
action  is  not  taken  now11.  At  present,  the  new  Internet  Protocol  Version  6
(IPv6),  which  enables  almost  limitless  address  space12,  is  gradually  being
introduced.  However  this  process  needs  to  be  speeded  up  to  prevent
bottlenecks  and  increase  quality.  This  is  an  issue  of  importance  to  a  wide
range  of  industries  which  will  be  producing  goods  with  embedded  Internet

11 

12 

The  address  space  of  IPv4  is  limited  to  a  few  hundred  million  unique  identifiers,  of  which  74%  are  already
allocated to North American organisations.
Theoretically IPv6 would bring a million billion billion addresses/m2 of the earth's surface.

12

access, 
communications.

including  cars  and  consumer  electronics  as  well  as  mobile

Member  States  should  make  a  commitment  to  progressively  introduce
IPv6  in  their  publicly  owned  networks,  e.g.  those  for  research  and
administrations.

The Commission will increase support for testbeds through its research,
TEN Telecom and IDA programmes.

The Commission will invite Member States to work together with industry
in an ad-hoc group which, should provide proposals by the end of 2001 in
order to accelerate the introduction of IPv6.

3.3. eLearning and eWorking skills

The  agreement  on  providing  Internet  access  to  schools  by  2001  and  on  ensuring
the  training  of  teachers  by  the  end  of  2002  were  amongst  the  most  far  reaching
commitments  achieved  at  Lisbon.  Now  that  the  technology  is  being  brought  into
the  classroom,  new  challenges  are  emerging.  At  the  same  time  the  wider  problem
of  lack  of  digital  literacy  amongst  workers  is  becoming  more  pressing.  The
Commission's  strategy  report  to  the  Spring  Summit  in  Stockholm4  underlined  the
digital  skills  gap  as  a  priority  area  for  action. In addition  the  recent  joint  informal
meeting of employment and telecom ministers  in  Luleå  underlined  the  urgency  of
tackling  this  issue13  and  supported  the  establishment  of  a  taskforce  on  skills  and
mobility in European labour markets. The challenge of digital training and skills for
workers  has  been  monitored  in  the  follow-up  to  the  'Strategies  for  Jobs  in  the
Information Society'.

Four  areas  are  particularly  urgent  and  therefore  require  targeted  action:  the
training  of  teachers;  the  adaptation  of  school  curricula  to  fully  exploit  the
potential  of  the  Internet  for  education  and  innovative  pedagogical  methods;    the
assurance of access to high quality multimedia resources  through broadband
connections. Building on the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council and the
eLearning: Designing Tomorrow's Education" initiative, the Commission intends to
adopt the eLearning action plan in  March 2001 to mobilise all relevant Community
programmes  and  instruments  to  accelerate  the  implementation  of  the  eLearning
initiative in particular to address the ICT skills gap and promote digital literacy for
all  in  Europe..  Member  States  and  the  Commission  should implement  the    2001
Employment  Guidelines,  the  eEurope  and  eLearning  initiatives  and  ensure
the necessary investments to:

•
•

aim at a target of at least one multimedia computer per five pupils,
accelerate  appropriate 
especially for teachers and trainers,

training  programmes 

in  digital 

technologies,

13      http://eu2001.se/static/eng/docs/rundresa010305.asp

13

-
-
-
•

•

•

•

•

adapt  school  curricula  to  enable  new  ways  of  learning  and  teaching  using
Internet and multimedia,
upgrade  Internet  access  for  learning  and  training  establishments  to  higher
bandwidth via ADSL, cable, wireless access, or other means,
stimulate  the  availability  of  high-quality  educational  multimedia  content
and  services14,  including  those  exploiting  cultural  heritage,  as  well  as
appropriate virtual learning environments.
support  research,  through  the  IST  programme,  on  e-learning  advanced
technologies and standards  and  their applications,  to  support  Europe's  move
to an effective knowledge-based economy.
Address  the  skills  gap  in  information  and  communication  technologies  in
the  EU,  by  tackling  its  structural  causes,  promoting  life-long  learning  and
supporting  increased  dialogue  and  co-operation  between  the  social  partners,
educational institutions and other stakeholders.

3.4. e-Commerce

implementation  of 

Rapid 
the  electronic  signature  and  e-commerce
Directives, in particular of the country of origin approach, is vital to enhance
legal  security  both  for  business  and  consumers  by  ensuring  over-all  coherence  of
the  Community  legislative  framework  for  electronic  commerce.  This  will  be  a  key
factor in enabling European business and consumers to buy and sell across national
borders as easily as within their national market. However more needs to be done
to  boost  consumer  confidence  in  e-commerce,  if  the  disappointing  uptake  of
business to consumer e-commerce is to be addressed.

The cross-border  dimension  of  the  Internet  brings  into  play a  series  of  important
issues in the field of jurisdiction and applicable law at global level.  However  more
action  is  needed  in  non-regulatory  areas.  The  rapid  development  of  online
dispute settlement systems and codes of conduct for e-commerce  in  the  EU
and  at  global  level  is  a  matter  of  urgency  to  increase  consumer  confidence  and
business  predictability.  The  Commission  will  make  concrete  proposals  on  how  to
further their development and diffusion.

SMEs are often the most wary of developing  their  e-commerce  potential  due  to  a
lack of knowledge of the legislative framework and a fear of new technology. The
Commission's  'go  digital'  initiative  which  will  be  launched  shortly  will  support
SME's  in  their  efforts  to  move  into  e-commerce  and  to  trade  across  national
borders.

3.5. e-Inclusion

As  the  Information  Society  advances  it  becomes  more  important  to  ensure
that  disadvantaged  people  are  not  left  behind.  The  emerging  risks  of  digital

14      Inter alia using the IST, eContent, Socrates and Leonardo Programmes

14

divide  underline  the  urgency  of  preventive  actions  for  specific  target  groups
mobilising both public and private actors.

The  Nice  European  Council  stressed  the  importance  of  the  fight  against  poverty
and  social  exclusion  in  Europe  and  launched  a 'Social  Inclusion  Process'  based
on an open method of co-ordination. One of its key objectives is e-Inclusion which
aims  to  fully  exploit  the  potential  of  the  knowledge  based  society  and  ensure  that
no-one  is  excluded  from  it,  taking  particular  account  of  the  needs  of  people  with
disabilities.

•

•

The  Stockholm  European  Council  should  call  on  the  Member  States  to  ensure
that the information society dimension is fully addressed in their National Action
Plans on Social Inclusion to be submitted by June 2001.

In support of this process ESDIS15 will draw up a report on e-Inclusion by end
2001  to  enhance  the  co-ordination  of  policies  to  prevent  a  digital  divide  in
Europe.

3.6. e-Government

EU institutions and national public administrations should make every effort to use
information  technology  to  develop  efficient  services  for  European  citizens  and
business.

Public administrations should:

•

•

•

•

develop internet-based services to improve access of citizens and businesses
to public information and services,
use the Internet to improve the transparency of the public administration
and  to  involve  citizens  and  business  in  decision  making  in  an  interactive
fashion.  Public  sector  information  resources  should  be  made  more  easily
available, both for citizens and for commercial use,
ensure  that  digital  technologies  are  fully  exploited  within  administrations,
including the use of open source software and electronic signatures.
establish  electronic  marketplaces  for  e-procurement,  building  on  the  new
Community framework for public procurement.

The  IDA  Programme  is  a  valuable  tool  in  supporting  the  development  of  pan-
European  interactive  public  services  as  well  as  ensuring  exchange  of  best  practice
between Member States.

3.7. Secure networks

The need for action in the area of network security has become increasingly evident
in recent months.  Increases in high profile sabotage, like the 'I Love You' virus and

15      High Level Group on Employment and the Social Dimension of the Information Society.

15

denial  of  service  attacks,  have  raised  public  awareness about  the  potential  for  real
economic damage arising from the insecurity of networks.

In  spite  of  this  pressure  for  action,  progress  in  this  area  has  been  relatively  slow,
beyond  the  smart  card  activity  where  the  Commission  will  stimulate  the
implementation of “common requirements”16.  The reasons lie in its complexity in
terms  of  political,  organisational  and  technical  issues,  the  decentralised  and  global
nature of the Internet and the vast number of different applications, which require
recently  adopted  a
appropriate 
Communication  on  cyber-crime17  which  foresees  the  establishment  of  an  EU
Forum  on  cybersecurity  and  cybercrime,  but  more  needs  to  be  done  to  improve
network security as such.

security.  The  Commission 

information 

A working meeting with Member State experts and industry took place in Brussels
on  February  2nd  to  discuss  the  development  of  common  approaches  to  some  of
these  issues.  A  consensus  emerged  that  concrete  progress  can  be  made  in  the
following areas:

•

•

•

Establishment  and  co-operation  of  CERTs  (Computer  Emergency
Response  Teams)  to  prevent  and  respond  to  incidents  for  the  benefits  of
enterprises, governmental bodies and citizens in all Member States.
Improved  co-operation  on  network  security  in  the  Union  aimed  at
documenting  and  analysing  security  problems,  informing  market  actors  and
developing solutions.
Support  for  research  and  technological  development  in  network  security
needs to be strengthened both at Community and Member State level.

3.8. Mobile Communications

In  parallel  with  Internet  developments,  mobile  telephony  has  seen  large  growth
rates  in  the  European  population.  Overall  penetration  rates  are  now  over  60%  in
the  Union.  These  high  rates  should  help  to  give  Europe  a  strong  lead  in  mobile
Internet  when  the  3rd  generation  (3G)  networks  are  rolled  out.  However,
preparation  for  3G  has  been  hampered  by  the  high  cost  of  licences  in  some
Member  States  which  has  co-incided  with  uncertainty  in  the  high  tech  stock
market.

Discussions  with  Member  States  have  revealed  a  strong  interest  in  securing  a
supportive  environment  for  mobile  communications  to  ensure  that  one  of
Europe's  most  dynamic  industries  will  continue  to  strive.  This  will  require
movement on the following issues:

The common requirements are available on: www.cordis.lu/ist/ka2/smartcards.html

16 
17    Creating a safer society by improving the security of information infrastructures and combating computer related
crime, COM (2000) 890, http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/eif/InternetPoliciesSite/Crime/crime1.html

16

•

•

•

The  Commission  has  already  tabled  a  proposal  for  a  Decision  on  a  regulatory
framework  for  radio  spectrum  policy  in  the  Community.  Adoption  of  this
Decision is urgently required.

The introduction of IPv6 (see proposed action above) is instrumental for quality
mobile Internet

Strong  support  for  technological  development  is  needed  through  the
national  and  Community  research  programmes  if  Europe  is  to  maintain
leadership in the future.

An  analysis  of  the  state  of  play  in  3G  licensing  in  Europe  and  more  detailed
proposals for actions are included in a  Commission Communication18.

4. eEurope+  : an initiative by and for the candidate countries

The  process  of  preparing  for  enlargement  is  closely  linked  to  the  need  to
modernise  the  economies  and  institutions  of  the  candidate  countries.  Such
modernisation is a key aim of eEurope.
At  the  European  Ministerial  Conference  held  in  Warsaw  on  11-12  May  2000,  the
candidate  countries  recognised  the  strategic  goals  agreed  at  the  Lisbon  European
Council and undertook to take up the challenge set by the EU Member States
by developing their own eEurope-like Action Plan - eEurope+ - that would adopt
all  the  strategic  goals  and  objectives  of  eEurope,  but  contain  their  own  specific
national measures and target dates.

The Joint High Level Committee on the Information Society (JHLC), composed of
government representatives from the CEECs, met in October 2000 to outline such
a  plan,  eEurope+.  This  plan  is  currently  being  finalised.  The  objectives  of  this
initiative would be:

The acceleration of the  adoption  of  the acquis  communautaire  in  IS-
related  areas,  harmonisation  of  the  regulatory  framework  and  the
liberalisation of markets,

The  implementation  of  national  action  plans,  taking  account  of  the
eEurope objectives and the monitoring and benchmarking of progress
towards these objectives,

Awareness  raising  of  the  potential  of  the  new  economy  amongst  the
public sector, business and the general public.

Promote exchange of best practice

•

•

•

•

18       The introduction of Third Generation Mobile (3G) in the European Union: State of play and the way forward,.

17

Member  states  should  therefore  welcome  the  initiative  and  efforts  of  candidate
countries  to  pursue  the  goals  and  objectives  of  eEurope+.  Community  support
could  be  provided  through  EU  programmes  which  are  available  to  candidate
countries.

5. Next Steps

Last year saw rapid breakthroughs in the Internet in Europe. Through the eEurope
initiative,  the  information  society  became  one  of  the  key  elements  of  the  Lisbon
strategy.  This  high  level  commitment  is  beginning  to  bear  fruit,  but  the  current
economic context makes eEurope even more important than last year. There is a
further need to stimulate the use of the Internet and to foster structural reform in
order to reap the full benefits of the new economy.
eEurope  actions  must  continue  to  be  given  high  priority.  The  Commission  will
ensure their regular monitoring to ensure effective implementation. In addition, the
integration  of eEurope  priorities  in  several  Community  policies  contributes  to  the
achievement  of  the  eEurope  targets.  Both  the  Broad  Economic  Policy  Guidelines
and  the  Employment  Guidelines  take  eEurope  priorities  into  account.  Regional
policy is contributing to the success of eEurope through initiatives like eRegio19.

Whilst eEurope is widely known in business and policy circles globally and has been
widely emulated (most recently in eJapan) maintaining the momentum and focusing
European  level  actions  on  the  key  issues  requires  constant  commitment  from
policy makers.

The  benchmarking  exercise  needs  to  be  consolidated.  All  studies  and  surveys
required to complete the first round of indicators will be launched in the first half
of 2001, with the aim to have a complete set of indicators by end 2001.  Values will
then continue to be monitored either at six monthly or yearly intervals.  Finally the
results  of  the  benchmarking  will  inform  the  identification  of  best  practice  and
support mutual learning in the context of the 'open method of co-ordination'.

19      See "The regions and the new economy - new guidelines for innovative actions under the ERDF" COM (2001)

60.

18

ANNEX

Draft common list of basic public services

For eGovernment, the following two indicators are the basis for benchmarking.

•

•

Percentage of basic public services available online,

Use of online public services by the public.

To make these indicators operational, Member States have agreed to a common list of 20
basic public services, 12 for citizens and 8 for businesses. Progress in bringing these
services online will be measured using a four stage framework: 1 posting of information
online; 2 one-way interaction; 3 two-way interaction; and, 4 full online transactions including
delivery and payment. Data will be collected in surveys twice a year.

Public Services for Citizens
Income taxes: declaration, notification of assessment

Job search services by labour offices
Social security contributions (3 out of the following 4):
• Unemployment benefits
•
Family allowances
• Medical costs (reimbursement or direct settlement)
•

Student grants

Personal documents (passport and driver's licence)

Car registration (new, used and imported cars)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. Application for building permission

7. Declaration to the police (e.g. in case of theft)

8.

9.

Public libraries (availability of catalogues, search tools)

Certificates (birth, marriage): request and delivery

10. Enrolment in higher education / university

11. Announcement of moving (change of address)

12. Health related services (e.g.interactive advice on the availability of

services in different hospitals; appointments for hospitals.)

Public Services for Businesses
Social contribution for employees

Corporation tax: declaration, notification

VAT: declaration, notification

Registration of a new company

Submission of data to statistical offices

Customs declarations

Environment-related permits (incl. reporting)

public procurement

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

19

20