WRITTEN QUESTION E-1013/01 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. European digital literacy plan.
Date: 2001-03-30
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU employment policy, information technology, new technology, vocational training

C 340 E/146

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

Habitats Directive obliges to the Member States (cid:145)to take appropriate steps to avoid, in the special areas of
conservation, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species as well as disturbance of the
species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in
relation to the objectives of this Directive(cid:146) (article 6.2).

Sustainable management of forests, which concern this area and to which Spain is engaged under the
decisions of the third ministerial Conference on the protection of forests in Europe (held in 1999) means
that there is an obligation to protect biological diversity and landscapes and ensure renewable forestry
resources.

(1) OJ L 206, 22.7.1992.
(2) OJ L 103, 25.4.1979.

(2001/C 340 E/163)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1013/01

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: European digital literacy plan

In 2003, over 1,5 million jobs in new information technologies may remain unfilled. In order to prevent
future shortages (and to alleviate current ones), all the EU Member States should make strenuous efforts to
consolidate digital literacy in order to prevent what would constitute one of the major constraints on
European economic development from arising.

In order to achieve a level of digital literacy which is comparable to the current level in the USA, the
European Union will have to do its utmost to meet a challenge which it cannot ignore.

What has the Commission to say regarding the support which private initiatives may expect from relevant
literacy
Community policy, which has an essential role to play in promoting and encouraging digital
amongst the largest possible number of working people in order to relieve the current (and,
in all
probability, future) shortage of skilled workers in the new information-technology sector?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 June 2001)

The public-private partnership in promoting the teaching of new technologies is, in the Commission(cid:146)s
view, a very important issue.

With this in mind, the Honourable Member should refer to the Commission(cid:146)s answer to Mr Naranjo
Escobar(cid:146)s Written Question E-605/01 (1).

One example of the Commission(cid:146)s commitment is the eLearning Summit (La Hulpe, 10/11 May 2001 (2)),
organised at the initiative of leading companies in the multimedia and information and communication
technology (ICT) sectors (IBM, Cisco Systems, Nokia, SanomaWSOY, SmartForce) in collaboration with the
Commission. This included debates which brought together the public and private sectors with a view to
developing a strategic programme of new models of public and private partnership to help develop
eLearning.

The eLearning action plan is in line with the eEurope action plan, one of the latter(cid:146)s priorities being to
invest in people and knowledge. Progress made at national level in meeting the eEurope education and
training objectives is monitored, and most of the objectives must be met by the end of 2002. This

4.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 340 E/147

approach is based on specific indicators which were approved by the Internal Market Council on
30 November 2000. Progress achieved in this area is subject to regular benchmarking using recognised
evaluation instruments (Eurobarometer surveys and/or data provided by the Member States, for example by
the ESDIS (3) (employment and social dimension of the information society) high-level group).

(1) OJ C 318 E, 13.11.2001, p. 86.
(2)
For further information, contact
Multimedia_Ventures@compuserve.com or jim.ayre@multimediaventures.com.
(3) http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/soc-dial/info_soc/esdis/index.htm.

(2001/C 340 E/164)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1016/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Publication of statistics in the US and EU

1. Will the Commission examine the forthcoming timetables of a group of
leading international
investment banks (e.g. Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, UBS, Deutsche Bank)
for the listing of the statistics regularly published (quarterly or monthly) by United States agencies deemed
to have an effect on the euro-dollar exchange rate (e.g. GDP growth, inflation, non-farm payrolls, etc.)?

2. Will it compile a matrix setting out the time delay between that US publication date and the period
to which it refers, together with a further column indicating the euro area equivalent statistical series, if
any, with the equivalent time delay between Eurostat publication and the period to which it refers?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(19 June 2001)

The Commission is fully aware of the importance attached by financial market operators to the release of
infra-annual economic indicators (e.g. gross domestic products (GDP),
trade
balance, etc.) in the Community and the United States. The Commission believes also that the comparative
evolution of such indicators has an impact on the euro-dollar exchange rate and considers it of utmost
importance that financial market operators are adequately informed.

inflation, employment,

A detailed analysis of the release of infra-annual economic statistics in the Community and United States
will be made in the context of a report comparing Community and United States practices, which will be
submitted in autumn 2001 to the Statistical Programme Committee (SPC). Such an analysis will, of course,
contain a table matching Community and United States release dates for a comparable set of infra-annual
economic indicators.

(2001/C 340 E/165)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1017/01

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(30 March 2001)

Subject: Publication of economic statistics

Does the Commission agree that US practices in the publication of market-sensitive economic

1.
statistics are a proper benchmark for euro area practices?

2. Will it then indicate whether its objective is to match US practices and, if so, on what timescale and
by what means?