Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society: Translating the Geneva principles into actions - Commission proposals for the second phase of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS)
Date: 2004-07-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: information society, information technology, summit meeting, sustainable development, the EU's international role

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.07.2004 
COM(2004) 480 final 

. 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society: 
Translating the Geneva principles into actions  

Commission proposals for the second phase 
 of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE 
COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Towards a Global Partnership in the Information Society: 
Translating the Geneva principles into actions  

Commission proposals for the second phase 
 of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The WSIS recognised that information and communication technologies (ICT) are among 
the  most  important  contributors  to  growth  and  sustainable  development  in  today’s 
economies. They lead to higher productivity growth and foster inclusion. The Geneva Summit 
of  December  2003  laid  the  foundations  for  a  common  approach  to  the  global  Information 
Society  (IS)  in  terms  of  principles,  largely  inspired  by  the  EU  approach  to  an  “IS  for  All” 
developed in the context of the Lisbon strategy. The EU made a significant contribution to the 
preparatory process and to the first session of the WSIS and will continue its commitment to 
multilateralism as a defining principle of its external policy.1 

Following  two  earlier  communications  of  the  Commission  on  the  WSIS  –  the  first  one 
outlining the EU approach2 and the second one assessing the results3 of the Geneva Summit, 
this  communication  outlines  concrete  proposals  for  the  second  phase  of  the  WSIS.  In 
particular, proposals are made for the implementation of the WSIS Plan of Action (POA), the 
follow-up of the two groups (on financing the fight against the digital divide and on Internet 
governance) and for the contribution to the preparatory process. 

2. 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WSIS PLAN OF ACTION 

2.1. 

General considerations 

The first phase of the WSIS culminated in the Geneva Declaration of Principles for a global 
IS and the POA, which should be seen as a common reference for the different players in all 
parts  and  regions  of  the  global  IS.  The  second  phase  of  the  WSIS  will  transform  these 
principles into tangible results, based on the POA. The EU advocated focusing on a limited 
number of priorities for tangible results to be achieved. 

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and 

the  United  Nations:  The 

The  European  Union 
COM(2003) 526, 10.9.2003. 
Towards a global Partnership in the Information Society: EU Perspective in the context of the United 
Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) - COM(2003) 271, 19.5.2003. 
Towards  a  global  Partnership  in  the  Information  Society:  Follow-up  of  the  Geneva  Summit  of  the 
World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) - COM(2004) 111, 17.2.2004. 

choice  of  multilateralism  – 

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In addressing the “digital divide”, the challenge is to make ICT available and affordable, to 
support  services  that  will  enable  generalised  availability  of  applications.  It  is  proposed  to 
organise  the  implementation  of  the  POA  addressing  them  at  different  levels:  Enabling 
environment; ICT applications; Research & Development. 

For the EU, the follow-up of the WSIS has two dimensions: 

•  The  EU’s  internal  IS  policies  are  followed  up  in  the  Implementation  reports  of  the  EU 
regulatory framework for communications services, the eEurope reports, the reports on the 
EU research policy and other relevant reports. On this basis, the Commission will prepare a 
synthetic progress report for the different policy areas. 

•  The  proposals  in  this  communication  address  the  EU’s  external  policies,  based  on  the 
political  dialogue  and  co-operation  with  third  countries  in  the  field  of  the  IS.  The  focus 
should  be  on  a  predictable  legal  environment  that  fosters  innovation  and  on  concrete 
projects that engage the private sector. These policies also seek to promote human rights in 
third countries and to combat abusive uses of ICT. 

2.2. 

Enabling environment 

The creation of an environment capable of attracting investment and providing for sustainable 
growth  and  development  in  an  inclusive  manner is  the  first  priority.  It  encompasses  several 
components to be put in place at national or regional level. 

2.2.1. 

e-Strategies 

The  WSIS  agreed  on  the  importance  of  e-Strategies  at  all  appropriate  levels,  which  should 
include: 

•  Renewing  the  public  action  models:  ease  the  interaction  with  civil  society  and  re-
engineering  social  services;  encouraging  interaction  among  stakeholders  to  develop 
innovative approaches towards more efficient labour markets; 

•  Acting  as  a  leader  in  its  own  field  of  activity:  rendering  public  administration  more 

efficient, delivering public services and promoting inclusive policies; 

•  Capacity  building:  by  shaping  actively  the  transformation  and  preparing  the  future 

generation for the IS; 

•  Ensuring  a  full  ownership  of  all  stakeholders  in  the  elaboration  of  eStrategies, 

strengthening the dialogue between governments, civil society and the private sector. 

A worldwide collaboration on e-Strategies could build on the Open Method of co-ordination 
for eEurope 2005. The Commission’s core of experience in common target setting, indicators 
and  benchmarking  and  in  exchange  of  best  practice  could  be  broadening  to  a  progressively 
wider collaboration. 

In  specific  cases,  mobilisation  of  investment  resources  could  be  considered,  e.g.  possible 
financial participation of the Commission and/or Member States in studies to be undertaken or 
in order to improve access to infrastructure and services, as laid down in the POA. 

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A  Global  ePolicy  Resource  Network  (ePol-NET)  was  launched  at  the  Geneva  Summit  to 
help  ICT  policymakers  in  developing  countries  develop  effective  national  e-policies  and  e-
strategies. The Commission could examine the conditions for participating in this initiative. 

2.2.2.  Regulatory frameworks 

To seize the benefits of the IS, it is necessary to create a favourable regulatory environment, 
as  also  recognised  in  the  POA.  In  this  context,  independent  regulatory  authorities  are  a 
prerequisite.  In  EU  policies,  these  various  issues  are  closely  related  and  addressed  in  the 
eEurope  context.  In  developing  countries,  such  a  framework  benefits  consumers,  whose 
confidence  and  trust  in  communications  services  is  a  precondition  for  integration  in  the 
international  ICT  market  through  better  and  cheaper  access  to  ICT  resulting  from  increased 
trade and investment by the local or foreign private sector. 

Regulators worldwide recognise the need for co-operation to enable them to  discharge their 
public  responsibility  for  health,  safety,  the  environment,  cultural  diversity  and  consumer 
protection  with  increasing  interdependency.  The  Commission  could  envisage  co-operating 
with European national regulatory authorities in the activities related to the promotion of 
regulatory frameworks in the WSIS context. 

2.2.3.  Best practice, benchmarking and observatories 

Benchmarking is crucial for assessing the progress in use and impact of ICT. The POA calls 
for the development of indicators to monitor this progress for the Tunis phase of the Summit, 
and following on from that. The POA also emphasises the need to monitor progress towards 
achieving  international  development  goals,  including  those  of  the  Millennium  Declaration. 
The development of indicators and the building of capacities – in particular for groups at risk 
of  exclusion  and  in  developing  countries  -  in  this  regard  require  a  concerted  effort  at  the 
national,  regional  and  international  levels  involving  many  stakeholders.  An  appropriate 
monitoring  and  benchmarking  exercise  for  developing  countries  and  emerging  economies 
contributes to the dissemination of best practices. 

The availability of affordable ICT infrastructure is a prerequisite to the take-up of IS services 
and  applications.  Investment  in  suitable  infrastructure  is  necessary,  but  not  sufficient.  An 
additional significant barrier is in acquiring the knowledge of how to provide the necessary 
network infrastructure and user access. Information about best practice is of key importance. 
National and regional authorities in Europe and worldwide are taking measures to stimulate 
the competitiveness of their ICT industries. In the WSIS context, it could be considered to 
use these experiences as a model to raise awareness at national and regional levels. 

2.3. 

Priority applications 

e-Inclusion  aims  at  ensuring  equal  access  to  and  the  availability  of  IS  services  for  all  at 
affordable cost. In this context it is essential to promote the development of ICT products and 
services  in  the  IS  following  Design  for  All4  principles.  Actions  to  improve  e-accessibility 
could be considered, based on the proposals of the POA. 

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Design for All is the design of mainstream products and services to be accessible by as broad a range of 
users as possible. 

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Furthermore,  the  EU  could  base  its  proposals  for  priority  applications  on  the  following 
priority fields: eGovernment, eHealth, eLearning and eBusiness, in concretising proposals in 
the POA and taking into account gender and employment issues. 

2.3.1. 

e-Government 

e-Government  is  the  use  of  ICT  in  public  administrations  combined  with  organisational 
change  and  new  skills  in  order  to  improve  public  services  and  democratic  processes,  the 
realisation  of  human  rights  and  strengthen  support  to  public  policies.  Here  ICT  can  help  to 
cope  with  the  many  challenges  of  modern  governance:  efficiency,  i.e.  to  enable  public 
administration  to  reach  a  higher  productivity,  equality,  i.e.  to  serve  all  citizens  without 
discrimination, while being responsive to individuals’ needs, and active citizen participation. 
Citizens and businesses must be at the centre of attention in the design of on-line services that 
are easily accessible to all. 

2.3.2. 

e-Learning 

Everyone should have the necessary skills to benefit fully from the IS. ICT can contribute 
to  achieving  universal  education  worldwide,  through  delivery  of  education  and  training  of 
teachers, and offering improved conditions for lifelong learning, encompassing people that are 
outside  the  formal  education  process,  and  improving  professional  skills.  eLearning 
complements the traditional methods and offers wider delivery of education. It addresses, 
as  the  development  of  skills  to  access  knowledge,  numerous  issues,  such  as  local  content, 
linguistic  and  cultural  diversity  and  intellectual  property  rights.  The  Global  eSchools  and 
Communities  Initiative  was  launched  during  the  Geneva  Summit,  which  is  supported  by 
several  Member  States  and  international  organisations.  The  Commission  could  explore 
supporting this initiative. 

2.3.3. 

e-Health 

The objective of e-Health is to contribute to improvement in access, quality and efficiency of 
healthcare and in particular to be the enabling tool for reorganisation of citizen-centred health 
delivery systems. Access to information and services that support health is a basic right. Many 
countries  lack  adequate  healthcare  facilities  and  personnel,  particularly  in  rural  and  remote 
areas. e-Health applications have an important role in a development context, particularly for 
the achievement of the health-related UN Millennium Development Goals. 

2.3.4. 

e-Business 

The use of ICT represents, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SME), a source of 
major  productivity  gains  and  of  reduction  of  transaction  costs.  The  wide  adoption  of  e-
business suffers the same challenges as on-line public services, failures of interoperability, the 
lack  of  common  standards  and  the  need  for  more  effective  exchange  of  experiences.  The 
Commission has established and regularly consults the e-Business Policy Group. It could be 
considered to explore synergies between this group and ePol-NET. 

2.4. 

Research & Development 

The  WSIS  has  recognised  the  importance  of  Research  and  technological  Development 
(RTD)  both  in  its  aspirations  to  connect  universities  and  other  educational  institutions  by 

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2015  and  in  specific  actions  aiming  at  the  improvement  of  research  infrastructures  and 
technologies. 

For the EU, one of the key mechanisms is the RTD Framework Programme (RTD FP) which 
includes measures to help build research capacity through international human mobility and 
research training. However, the currently available instruments might need revision in order 
to enable third country participation and integration into EU research efforts and programmes. 
In  addition,  the  challenge  of  developing  affordable  ICT,  particularly  suitable  for  Least 
Developed  Countries  (LDC),  could  be  envisaged.  For  the  follow-up  of  the  WSIS,  the 
Commission  proposes  to  focus  on  innovation  for  development  and  on  the  extension  of 
communication and research infrastructures based on the experience of GEANT. 

2.4.1. 

Innovation for development 

The  6th  RTD  FP  provides  for  international  co-operation  with  a  total  amount  of  EUR  600 
million,  whereof  EUR  90  million  are  earmarked  for  research  in  the  IS  Technologies  (IST) 
Programme.  The  participation  of  third  countries  should  remain  an  important  objective  in 
the  next  FP.  EU  participation  in  research  programmes  of  third  countries  could  also  be 
envisaged. 

Also, RTD results should be usable for the largest number of users possible. Accessibility 
and inclusion should be considered in the projects so that the application of the technologies 
produced does not create additional barriers. Thus it is important to invest in RTD on “Design 
for All” for mainstream products and services. The available instruments may need a revision 
how to include partners from emerging economies and developing countries in EU projects. 
Further, it may need to be recognised that international cooperation projects in which may be 
of a different from others. Projects must allow for recognition of local priorities and should 
be based on local know-how but also benefit from capacities of multinational companies. 

Enlargement, and the greater prosperity differentials in Europe, will require more investment 
in  easy-to-use  and  affordable  infrastructures, terminals  and  services.  European  leadership  in 
development  of  appropriate  technologies  for  the  “next  2  billion”  in  the  world’s  ICT-user 
markets  would  be  both  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  WSIS  objectives  and  establish  wider 
markets for European-designed equipment and services. 

2.4.2.  Global Education and Research Network 

The POA indicates that projects and adaptation of technologies to local needs and conditions 
must be developed. GEANT fosters already linkage between research network backbones 
across  the  world.  Through  the  combination  of  financial  support  from  different  sources, 
significant international connectivity has been achieved, giving GEANT the status of a global 
connectivity  leader  for  research.  Developing  countries  could  be  assisted  in  their  efforts  to 
create research networks by drawing upon European expertise. This knowledge transfer might 
be  supported  by  the  European  Commission  in  the  context  of  existing  development  aid 
programmes. The wider extension of GEANT to universities in the main developing countries 
(Brazil, China, India, etc.), with Europe as the hub of this “knowledge infrastructure” could 
become an explicit aim. 

Europe could in this context also take leadership in multi-lingual collaboration capabilities, 
where it has, in particular after enlargement, a rich and diversified experience. 

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2.5. 

EU approach to implementing the Plan of Action 

Here the Commission may envisage using existing instruments and embed the actions to be 
undertaken in the overall EU political relations and co-operation with its partners. 

2.5.1.  General orientations and methodology 

The methodology will be based on existing instruments for dialogue and co-operation: 

•  New  neighbours:  The  common  interest  lies  in  harmonisation  of  the  regulatory 
frameworks,  directly  inspired  by  the  EU  regulatory  framework,  in  order  to  create  a 
common electronic communications area. 

•  Emerging  economies  (Brazil,  Mercosur,  China,  India,  South  Africa):  Priority  may  be 
given  to  the  development  of  eStrategies,  open  and  competitive  markets  and  industrial 
partnerships. 

•  LDC: Access to infrastructure and services remains the main problem. An initiative to use 
the potential of existing dispersed infrastructures in different sub-Saharan countries may be 
envisaged, using different technologies, including mobile and satellite. 

2.5.2. 

Instruments for implementation 

The Commission and the Member States dispose of a number of instruments to contribute to 
the implementation of the POA. 

•  Development  aid:  The  main  orientations  are  mainstreaming  of  ICT  in  development 
projects  in  cases  where  ICT  can  bring  added  value,  including  the  promotion  of  human 
rights and democratisation. 

•  Economic  co-operation:  Policy  and  regulatory  dialogues  between  the  Union  and  its 
partners have been established, which find a natural extension in the implementation of co-
operation programmes.5 

•  International scientific co-operation: RTD co-operation, especially in the framework of 
the  IST  programme  helps  promote  mutually  beneficial  partnerships  with  both  advanced 
and emerging economies alike. 

•  Financing institutions: Co-operation with EU financing institutions, such as the European 

Investment Bank, in projects and programmes has to be envisaged. 

2.5.3.  Partnerships for co-operation 

The following categories of partners may be identified to have maximum impact: 

•  Third countries or regions with existing co-operation agreements: This is the case e.g. 
for Latin America, the ACP, the Mediterranean region or the Newly Independent States. 

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Cooperation programmes with the EU’s partner countries in Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean 
include  demonstration  projects  in  the  fields  of  education,  health,  local  governance  and  e-Inclusion. 
Complementary initiatives aim to strengthen research and stakeholder networks. 

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•  Stakeholder networks and Public Private Partnerships: This encompasses co-operation 
with different civil society organisations, regulatory authorities, development organisations 
or  research  entities.  The  commitment  and  participation  of  the  private  sector  and  civil 
society in the deployment of the POA is key to its success. Co-operation with individual 
companies, industry associations, users’ organisations and non-governmental organisations 
may be envisaged. 

•  Co-operation  with  international  organisations:  In  order  to  increase  synergies,  co-
operations  with  the  United  Nations  and  different  international  organisations  could  be 
envisaged. 

3. 

FOLLOW-UP OF THE UNSETTLED ISSUES OF PHASE 1 

The  Geneva  Summit  agreed  to  set  up  two  working  groups  under  the  authority  of  the  UN 
Secretary  General  for  the  two  most  contentious  issues  of  Phase  1:  Internet  governance  and 
Financing. 

3.1. 

UN Working group on Internet governance 

An  over-riding  public  policy  objective  is  the  continued  stability  and  growth  of  the  Internet 
and its ability to deliver social and economic benefits. There is a need to build on the present 
structure  of  the  Internet  to  reinforce  its  stability  and  growth  potential.  Wherever  possible,  a 
bottom-up  approach  to  policy  making  should  involve  all  stakeholders,  in  particular 
developing  countries  whose  participation  to  policy  making  can  be  improved.  Naming  and 
addressing,  security  and  dependability  of  the  Internet,  including  spam,  are  key  priorities  for 
governments impacting directly on the proper functioning of the Internet. At the same time, a 
broad range of public policy issues are relevant for the Internet such as harmful content, data 
protection  and  privacy,  consumer  protection,  e-commerce,  intellectual  property  rights  (IPR) 
and  the  digital  divide.  The  Commission  may  envisage  participating  actively  in  the  UN 
Working group. 

3.2. 

UN Task Force on Financing 

The fight against the digital divide was one of the main topics of the Geneva Summit. ICT are 
not  to  be  considered  in  isolation,  but  as  part  of  an  overall  development  strategy  and  policy 
dialogue with beneficiary countries. The international community can play an active role by 
pointing to the potential benefits of new policies and helping interested countries in designing 
appropriate policies as a function of their situation and priorities. Depending on the final set-
up of the Financing Task Force, the Commission may envisage active participation. 

International co-operation and financing related to WSIS should be framed in the context of 
the Monterrey consensus with proposed actions at the level of foreign direct investment and 
other private flows, international trade, as well as financial and technical co-operation. 

In  its  communication  on  the  progress  on  the  Monterrey  consensus6,  the  Commission 
advocates for stronger EU coordination in the area of development cooperation. Aid-recipient 
developing  countries  and  countries  with  economies  in  transition  could  be  assisted  in 

6 

Translating  the  Monterrey  Consensus  into  practice:  the  contribution  by  the  European  Union  – 
COM(2004) 150, 5.3.2004. 

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strengthening  their  capacity  to  mainstream  ICT  in  their  national  development  plans  and 
poverty  reduction  strategy  papers  and  to  effectively  co-ordinate  donor  funding.  In  this 
context, it may be proposed to elaborate a document outlining the activities of Member States 
and  the  Commission  to  present  a  full  overview  of  development  aid  delivered  by  the 
European Union in the field of ICT. 

Follow-up of the EU-ACP Joint position on the IS for Development 

In  this  joint  position,  signed  on  10  December  2003  in  Geneva,  the  ACP  group  and  the  EU 
have  agreed  a  strategic  partnership  on  IS  to  jointly  contribute  to  the  implementation  of  the 
POA.  It  reaffirms  the  common  determination  to  intensify  collaboration  to  develop  demand-
driven  IS  strategies  in  ACP  countries  and  regions  in  the  context  of  overall  development 
strategies, including where appropriate, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. As a first step, the 
Commission has recently approved an “ACP ICT-Programme”. 

4. 

HORIZONTAL ISSUES OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY 

The  Geneva  POA  also  calls  for  action  on  horizontal  issues.  Progress  at  international  level 
could be useful in particular on issues such as: security, spam, different software models, IPR. 
Some of the issues are already discussed in other international forums (e.g. IPR in the World 
Intellectual Property Organisation) and it should be assessed where a discussion should take 
place, as WSIS might not be the most appropriate forum for each of them. 

Network  and  information  security  is  about  ensuring  the  ability  of  a  network  or  an 
information  system  to  resist  accidental  events  or  malicious  actions  that  compromise  the 
availability, authenticity, integrity and confidentiality of data and related services offered by 
or  accessible  via  these  networks  and  information  systems.  Communication  networks  are 
global, and security issues highlight the need both for closer international co-operation and for 
a common approach. Although many initiatives need some adjustment to local environments, 
it is clear that international co-operation should be more widespread. There is a need to pursue 
a  truly  open,  global  and  multidisciplinary  approach  to  security  to  effectively  tackle  the 
complexity and global nature of the security challenges. 

Spam  (unsolicited  commercial  communications  by  e-mail)  is  another  challenge  for  the 
Internet  that  can  undermine  confidence  in  the  use  of  ICT.  To  combat  spam  effectively  and 
thereby implement the Action Plan, appropriate action at both national and international level 
should be taken. Efforts made in the EU and other regions of the world should be echoed by 
similar efforts at global level. The European Commission facilitates both bilateral cooperation 
and  multilateral  cooperation,  including  in  organisations  like  the  OECD  and  the  ITU.  The 
WSIS should seek to promote greater awareness, as well as the need for effective legislation 
against  spam,  the  need  for  international  cooperation  on  enforcement,  the  need  for  best 
practices and (technical) solutions by industry and for greater user awareness. 

The WSIS agreed to encourage research and promote awareness among all stakeholders of the 
possibilities offered by different software models, and the means of their creation, including 
proprietary,  open-source  and  free  software,  in  order  to  increase  competition,  freedom  of 
choice and affordability, and to enable all stakeholders to evaluate which solution best meets 
their requirements. This should in particular be seen in the co-operation with the developing 
world.  Common  accessibility  standards  for  the  web  and  also  of  ICT  equipment  can  lead  to 
better and cheaper products that would be compatible across borders, facilitating access to the 

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IS and related services to a large number of potential users that are excluded today. Industry 
will  also  benefit  from  the  possibility  of  having  larger  markets  and  governments  and  public 
administrations  could  offer  better  accessible  services  and  environments  for  their  employees 
and for all the public. 

On  IPR  protection,  the  WSIS  concluded  that  it  is  important  to  encourage  innovation  and 
creativity in the IS. Facilitating meaningful participation by all in IPR issues and knowledge 
sharing through full awareness and capacity building is fundamental for an inclusive IS. The 
EU attaches great importance to adequate IPR protection and the respect for and enforcement 
of established rules. 

EU initiatives taken to address these horizontal issues (e.g. ENISA, the Action Plan for Safer 
Use of the Internet) could be used as models for actions at the global level and could take a 
broader worldwide leadership in the WSIS follow-up. 

5. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The EU has a broad offer for international co-operation in the IS, which can be used as a basis 
for the actions to be developed for the Tunis Summit. This communication gives an outline of 
possible actions, which could be developed in more detail during the co-ordination process for 
the second phase of the WSIS. 

The proposals in this communication may form the basis for the EU-input to the second phase 
of  the  WSIS,  enabling  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  to  have  a  comprehensive 
package of actions ready for the Tunis phase to contribute to the success of the Tunis Summit. 

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