WRITTEN QUESTION E-3237/03 by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Access to Internet for Greek households.
Date: 2003-11-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Greece, Internet, access to information, digital divide, household, population statistics

27.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 78 E/499

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 December 2003)

Despite recent improvements, the Commission agrees with the Honourable Member that Greece should
deploy additional efforts to promote the use of new technologies and modern information systems in the
public service.

According to the information at the Commission’s disposal, the main public service in Greece involves
about 270 000 civil servants. It is estimated that approximately 20 % are using PCs. In recent years, a great
effort has been undertaken in order to improve the situation. 10 000 PCs have been installed in the
framework of the TAXIS system and 2 500 through the customs modernisation programme. 3 500 PCs
have recently been installed in the Centres for Services to Citizens (KEP). A corresponding number of civil
servants has been trained in the use of the new systems.

the Public Services offered to the citizens through the use of

Also, the European Social Fund provides for financial support in this context. The 2000-2006 Operational
Programme ‘Information Society’, contains a priority axe EUR 850 million dedicated to the improvement
of
Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT). This programme will contribute to increasing the number of public servants using PCs
to 70 %. It will also contribute to inter-connect 100 % of the public services, including the local authorities.
Another Operational Programme entitled ‘Employment and Vocational training’ has as one of its aims the
training of public servants in basic ICT skills.

Finally, there is significant participation of Greek research organisations on e-Government research within
the Community supported Information Society Technologies Research Programme. This enables the Greek
public sector to stay at the forefront of technological developments in the e-Government area.

(2004/C 78 E/0520)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3237/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Access to Internet for Greek households

(3 November 2003)

Despite the rapid expansion of Internet, relatively few Greek households are linked up to it or have access
to it.

What information does the Commission have regarding access or potential access to Internet for Greek
households? What is the position of Greece, compared with other Member States regarding Internet access
calculated in percentage terms?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(18 December 2003)

Almost all Greek households have the technical
information available to the Commission, 99 % of households have a fixed telephone connection.

infrastructure for internet access. According to the

However, the number of households linked up to the internet is still fairly low. Greece ranks lowest in the
Community (15 Member States) with a figure for households of around 12 % (end 2002), while the
Community average is 43 %.

Regarding the total on-line population (households and others), the figure for Greece is around 32 %, the
lowest in the Community, along with Portugal (35 %) and France (37 %), the average being 52 %.