WRITTEN QUESTION P-0267/02 by Christopher Beazley (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Preparation for the European Council meeting in Barcelona.
Date: 2002-02-01
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Council, Internet, access to information, action programme, communications policy, education, educational institution, information technology, new technology

C 172 E/170

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.7.2002

the local loop in order to help bring about a substantial reduction in the costs of using the Internet’. What
cost reductions for Internet use have been achieved in the EU since the Lisbon Summit?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(6 March 2002)

A list of Internet access prices in Member States in March 2000, at the time of the Lisbon European
Council (23 and 24 March 2000), and in August 2001, which are the latest data currently available is sent
directly to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat. These data show that prices across the
Community have dropped by between 19 % and 37 %, depending on how intensively the Internet is used.
It is usually considered that among the four sets of data the 20h off-peak use and the 40h peak use are the
most relevant figures, the former corresponding to a ‘typical’ private household and the latter to a ‘typical’
business user.

The Honourable Member should be aware, however, that due to the large number of tariff schemes
available both for access calls and subscriptions to Internet service providers (ISPs), a comprehensive
analysis of prices for Internet access is not feasible. The data in the above-mentioned list relate to the
lowest prices applied by the largest
in
accordance with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) methodology. The
prices applied by alternative telecommunications operators and ISPs may differ from those indicated, and
in particular may well be lower.

telecommunications operator for each usage profile chosen,

It should also be borne in mind that Regulation (EC) No 2887/2000 of the Parliament and of the Council
of 18 December 2000 on unbundled access to the local loo (1) came into force only at the beginning of
2001. Given the time necessary for competitors to invest in equipment and roll out their infrastructure,
the main impact of local loop unbundling on prices will not be felt immediately. The Commission has also
pointed out in its Seventh Implementation Repor (2) that the take-up of unbundled local loops has sofar
been disappointing across the Community. It should in this context be noted that other regulatory or
market action, such as the introduction of flat rate interconnection offerings, is likely to have an impact on
the price of access. The Commission is following these developments with great attention, in particular in
the light of its intention to promote broadband.

(1) OJ L 336, 30.12.2000.
(2) COM(2001) 706 final.

(2002/C 172 E/179)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0267/02

by Christopher Beazley (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 February 2002)

Subject: Preparation for the European Council meeting in Barcelona

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called on ‘the Member States to ensure that all schools in the Union
have access to the Internet and multimedia resources by the end of 2001’. Was this target achieved, and
how is the Commission monitoring progress?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(11 March 2002)

Most of the targets set by the Lisbon European Council (23 and 24 March 2000) were embedded in the
eEurope 2002 Action Plan which was endorsed by the Feira European Council (19 and 20 June 2000).

18.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 172 E/171

The Action Plan identifies key measures in 11 priority areas. Targets in the field of education are covered
by the priority area ‘European youth into the digital age’.

The follow-up of the implementation of the eEurope targets is based on the benchmarking of national
progress according to a set of indicators agreed by the Council of Ministers. Indicators related to ‘youth in
the digital age’ focus on the level of penetration and usage of computers and the Internet in schools.

The data are collected via annual Eurobarometer sample surveys in the 15 Member States. Two
Eurobarometer surveys were carried out in this context between February and May 2001, covering
headteachers and teachers respectively. The main results are presented in a Communication on eEurope
2002 benchmarking which was adopted by the Commission on 5 February 2002 (1). A more in-depth
analysis of benchmarking results in the field of education can be found in a Commission staff working
document of 2 October 2001 (2).

The 2001 surveys pointed at a diversity of situations and approaches regarding the development and usage
patterns of computers and the Internet from one Member State to another. However, the surveys suggested
that the development of new technologies is a priority in all Member States. Furthermore, overall figures
were encouraging, suggesting that Member States were in a position to meet the eEurope target of
providing all schools in the Union with access to the Internet and multimedia resources by the end of
2001.

The situation regarding access to multimedia resources in May 2001 was as follows:

B almost all Union schools (94 %) used computers for education: 12 Member States were above 90 % of

schools equipped with computers for educational use;

B about nine out of 10 Union schools (89 %) had an Internet connection: 10 Member States were above

90 % of on-line schools;

B however, pupils did not have access to the Internet in all schools that were on-line: they had access to

on-line computers in 80 % of Union schools.

Updated figures will be made available by the Spring of 2002 based on a second series of surveys to be
carried out in February 2002.

(1) COM(2002) 62.
(2) SEC(2001) 1583.

(2002/C 172 E/180)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0268/02

by Giles Chichester (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(1 February 2002)

Subject: Preparation for the European Council meeting in Barcelona

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called on ‘the Member States to ensure generalised electronic access to
main basic public services by 2003’. Does the Commission believe this target will be met, and what
evidence can it point to to support its view?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(4 March 2002)

Commission and Council integrated this call and the other requests made by the European Council in
Article 11 of the Presidency conclusions of Lisbon (on 23-24 March 2000), into the eEurope 2002 action
plan (1). The action plan was subsequently adopted at the Feira European Council (on 19-20 June 2000)
and contained 64 targets with clear deadlines, such as the one quoted in the Honourable Member’s
question.