Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social committee and the Committee of the Regions - i2010 - First Annual Report on the European Information Society {SEC(2006)604}
Date: 2006-05-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European Employment Strategy, activity report, digital technology, economic and social cohesion, economic growth, information service, information society, information technology

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 19.5.2006 
COM(2006) 215 final 

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

i2010 – First Annual Report 
on the European Information Society 

{SEC(2006)604} 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

3.3. 

4. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Implementing i2010 under the renewed Lisbon perspective ....................................... 3 

Recent trends................................................................................................................ 3 

i2010 at the heart of the Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs...................................... 4 

Policy priorities for the future ...................................................................................... 5 

The Single European Information Space ..................................................................... 5 

Innovation and Investment in Research ....................................................................... 7 

Inclusion, better public services and quality of life ..................................................... 9 

Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 11 

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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 

i2010 – First Annual Report 
on the European Information Society 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The European Commission’s i2010 initiative1 is at the heart of the renewed Lisbon strategy 
for growth and jobs. i2010 addresses the key challenges of a modern information society and 
promotes  a  partnership  between  the  Commission,  the  Member  States  and  all  relevant 
stakeholders to harness the digital economy for Europe. i2010 has identified a number of key 
actions to be implemented during 2005-2010. The present communication updates the actions 
under  information  society  and  media  policies  for  the  period  2006-2007.  It  is  based  on  the 
associated Commission staff working paper, which reviews the i2010 key actions against the 
background of information and communication technology developments in the EU. 

i2010  has  been  endorsed  by  the  EU.  Member  States  have  committed  themselves  to 
implementing  the  i2010  initiative  and  to  contributing  to  review  policy  strategies  within  the 
i2010 High Level Group2. The European Parliament strongly supports an information society 
focusing on the citizen and the public interest. The European Spring Council 2006 asked the 
Member States and the Commission to implement the i2010 strategy vigorously. The present 
communication is the first follow-up to the Spring Council, confirming i2010’s key role for 
the achievement of the Lisbon targets. 

2. 

IMPLEMENTING I2010 UNDER THE RENEWED LISBON PERSPECTIVE 

2.1. 

Recent trends 

Economic growth in the EU improved in 2005 and forecasts predict growth to be around 2% 
in 2006.3 But this is well below the annual GDP growth of 2.7% in the US between 2000 and 
2005.  Europe  still  has  a  mediocre  productivity  performance  and  a  low  investment  in  R&D, 
representing  only  1.9%  of  GDP  in  2004.4  It  is  well-established  that  information  and 
communication  technologies  (ICT)  are  a  key  element  for  productivity  growth  and  that  their 
use  contributes  to  the  prosperity  of  modern  economies.  However,  this  finding  has  not  been 
translated into appropriate action. 

Against the worsening of the global competitive position of the EU, ICT are a source of 
growth  and  competitiveness.  The  ICT  sector  has  continued  to  experience  a  higher  than 
average  growth  rate,  with  estimated  revenue  increases  of  3.6%5  in  2005.  It  is  the  most 

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COM(2005) 229 
Decision 2006/215/EC 
COM(2006) 30 
COM(2006) 30 
If not otherwise mentioned, see annexed staff working document for sources. 

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innovative  and  research  intensive  sector  in  the  EU,  representing  25%  of  the  total  research 
effort and 5.6% of the GDP between 2000 and 2003. ICT also generated at least 45% of EU 
productivity gains over the period 2000-2004. 

But the contribution of ICT is not enough to improve the EU’s global position. Recent figures 
show  EU  investment  in  ICT  research  still  lagging  behind  our  competitors.  The  US  has 
consistently invested almost twice as much as the EU in ICT since 2000. China has become 
the biggest exporter of ICT goods, overtaking Japan and the EU in 2003 and the US in 2004.6 
The take-up of ICT by businesses in the EU remains sluggish. Finally, the contribution of ICT 
to  productivity  has  decreased  significantly  compared  to  the  second  half  of  the  1990s  and  is 
still about half that in the US. Overall no indicator points to a change in the trend or an 
acceleration  in  ICT  developments  which  would  put  the  EU  onto  a  sustainable  path  of 
growth and competitiveness. 

However,  there  are  some  positive  trends.  Digital  convergence  is  finally  becoming  a 
reality.  Investments  in  networks  resumed  in  2004  and  2005  and  broadband  subscriptions 
grew by 60% in 2005. Telecom and cable operators are offering converged services, such as 
‘triple-play’ services7 or TV over IP. But revenues from these services do not compensate for 
the loss of voice revenues, and overall growth in the revenues of electronic communications is 
slowing  down.  Faster  progress  in  convergence  is  needed  to  sustain  the  leadership  of  the 
European electronic communication sector. 

The EU needs to shift up a gear if we are not to see a slowdown in the transition to the 
knowledge economy. 

2.2. 

i2010 at the heart of the Lisbon Agenda for growth and jobs 

The i2010 initiative is part of the renewed Lisbon strategy. The new partnership approach of 
the renewed Lisbon agenda is being put to the test and is working: At EU level, significant 
progress  has  been  made  on  the  Community  Lisbon  programme  and  at  the  national  level, 
October 2005 saw the Member States present their National Reform Programmes (NRPs) for 
the next three years. 

All Member States have identified research and innovation policies as a key priority and 
refer to ICT in their NRPs8, addressing mostly eGovernment, broadband and digital literacy. 
Half of the Member States also mention ICT uptake by firms and households, implementation 
of  the  electronic  communications  regulatory  framework  and  network  security.  The  NRPs 
generally  identify  ICT  issues  as  challenges  and  thus  support  the  wider  adoption  of  ICT, 
although  the  proposed  measures  do  not  include  more  forward-looking  elements  like  digital 
convergence  or  ICT  research  and  innovation.  Many  NRPs  also  refer  to  the  EU  i2010 
framework, therefore recognising common objectives.  

The  Annual  Progress  Report  for  Growth  and  Jobs  published  by  the  Commission  in  January 
2006 identifies four priority actions to be addressed by Member States and the Commission 
alike:  i)  Investing  more  in  knowledge  and  innovation;  ii)  Unlocking  the  business  potential, 
especially of SMEs; iii) Responding to globalisation and ageing; and iv) Moving towards an 

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OECD Information Technology Outlook 2006, forthcoming 
Voice, data and video services offered by a single operator/service provider 
According to e.g. Integrated Guideline N°9: “To facilitate the spread and effective use of ICT and build 
a fully inclusive information society “ 

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efficient  and  integrated  EU  energy  policy.9  ICT  have  a  crucial  role  to  play  in  all  these 
priorities,  and  i2010  with  its  three  pillars  –  the  single  information  space;  innovation  and 
investment in research; inclusion - can accommodate them. The Aho Report10 makes several 
proposals that are relevant for research and innovation in the ICT sector: Europe must support 
pervasive technologies and promote the development of innovative and creative markets. The 
Aho Report identifies, among other things, eHealth and digital content as examples for such 
markets. Research partnerships involving institutions, Member States and industry are needed, 
and  European  Technology  Platforms  play  a  key  role  in  this  respect.  Finally,  a  market  for 
innovative products and services should be created by harmonising regulatory environments, 
making  the  best  use  of  standard  settings,  using  public  procurement  to  drive  the  demand  for 
innovative goods and to foster an innovation culture. Some of these proposals have been taken 
up under the first priority action of the Commission’s Annual Progress Report. 

For the second and third priority actions, ‘Unlocking the business potential’ and ‘Responding 
to  globalisation  and  ageing’,  the  Member  States’  measures  on  eGovernment  are  relevant. 
Member  States  recognise  eGovernment  as  a  potential  instrument  for  better  regulation  and 
simplification  of  procedures  and  for  meeting  the  increasing  demand  for  social  and  health 
services  that  will  inevitably  accompany  an  ageing  European  society.  But  very  few  Member 
States establish an explicit link between their ICT priorities and the overall Lisbon objectives. 

3. 

POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE FUTURE 

3.1. 

The Single European Information Space 

i2010 identifies digital convergence as the main driver of change and aims at ensuring that the 
EU  will  fully  benefit  from  the  opportunities  and  prospects  for  strengthening  the  Single 
Market.  i2010  sees  four  challenges  for  convergence:  speed,  rich  and  diverse  multilingual 
content,  interoperability  and  security.  It  calls  for  a  consistent  framework  for  information 
society  and  media  services  to  promote  investment  and  competition,  while  preserving  public 
interest objectives and ensuring the protection of consumer interests. 

In  2005,  the  Commission  has  launched  the  review  of  the  regulatory  framework  for 
electronic  communications  to  ensure  a  competitive  environment  to  increase  consumer 
benefit and to stimulate investment and innovation. This review will be concluded in 2006. As 
part  of  it,  the  Commission  will  review  the  recommendation  on  relevant  markets.  It  is  also 
preparing  a  regulation  that  aims  to  cut  the  high  cost  of  international  roaming  in  mobile 
networks and enhance the Single Market. 

The  Commission  will  also  present  proposals  for  a  reform  of  spectrum  management  to 
facilitate access to radio frequencies. A coherent approach at European level will have a direct 
impact on European growth and jobs, e.g. through the release of spectrum from the analogue 
TV switch off. This in turn could stimulate wireless broadband and the development of new 
pan-European services. The Commission will also assess standardisation and interoperability 
developments with regard to mobile TV. 

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COM(2006) 30 
“Creating  an  Innovative  Europe”,  Report  of  the  Independent  Expert  Group  on  R&D  and  Innovation 
appointed following the Hampton Court Summit and chaired by Mr. Esko Aho, January 2006 

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In  2005,  the  Commission  has  adopted  a  proposal  for  a  modernised  Television  without 
Frontiers  Directive  to  create  a  level  playing  field  for  all  companies  that  offer  TV-like 
services, irrespective of the technology used to deliver these services. This proposal will now 
go through the co-decision procedure with the Council and European Parliament. 

With  the  emergence  of  new  devices,  networks  and  services,  the  EU  will  have  to  address 
increasingly  new  challenges,  like  the  provision  of  digital  copyright  protected  material  at 
European  level,  the  deployment  of  digital  rights  management  (DRM)  solutions,  the  need  to 
update  consumer  and  data  protection  rules  or  the  fight  against  online  distribution  of  illegal 
content.  The  Recommendation  on  EU-wide  management  of  copyright  for  online  music 
services11  is  a  first  step  to  demonstrate  the  Commission’s  commitment  to  develop  a  Single 
Information Space by progressively removing obstacles to pan-European services that rely on 
copyright in the online environment. 

European citizens and consumers can derive a wide range of benefits from convergence, from 
easier access to a greater variety of information to a greater capacity to create and distribute 
their  own  content.  In  2006  the  communication  on  Content  Online,  building  upon  the 
Commission’s  Film  Online  initiative  launched  in  2005,  will  address  these  issues.  However, 
many people are still reluctant to use information society and media services, due to security 
and  privacy  concerns.  The  communication  on  Spam  and  Malware,  the  communication  on 
cybercrime addressing new forms of criminal activities on the Internet and the new security 
strategy will provide a response to security concerns at large. 

In 2006-2007, the Commission will: 

•  Make  proposals  for  the  review  of  the  eCommunications  regulatory  framework, 
including  a  proposal  to  review  the  recommendation  on  relevant  markets  and  a 
regulation on international roaming; 

•  Promote an efficient management of spectrum; 

•  Assess  the  developments  in  standardisation  and  interoperability  with  regard  to 

mobile TV services; 

•  Extend  the  Film  Online  initiative  to  Content  Online  and  present  proposals  in  a 

communication by late 2006; 

•  Address  trust,  privacy  and  security  issues  in  the  forthcoming  communication  on 
an  EU  security  strategy  (early  2006)  and  in  the  communications  on  cybercrime 
and on Spam and malware; 

•  Review  the  consumer  protection  regulatory  framework,  taking  into  account  new 

technical developments; 

•  Pursue its analysis of the policy implications of convergence in cooperation with 

the Member States through the i2010 High Level Group. 

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Recommendation 2005/737/EC 

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3.2. 

Innovation and Investment in Research 

Research and Innovation 

The 2006 Lisbon Annual Progress Report on growth and jobs has made it clear that the EU is 
likely  to  fall  short  of  its  R&D  expenditure  target  of  3%  of  GDP.  Nevertheless,  research 
remains a top priority in the Financial Perspective and the priorities for ICT research proposed 
by  the  Commission  in  the  7th  Framework  Programme  for  R&D  (FP7)  have  received  wide 
support in the Council and the Parliament. The Lisbon Annual Progress Report has launched 
concrete  proposals  to  increase  investment  in  knowledge  and  innovation,  taking  up  in 
particular  the  Aho  report.  The  Annual  Progress  Report  identifies  for  example  public 
procurement as an area with considerable potential for innovation. 

In 2005, the Commission took a number of steps in the field of ICT that went in the direction 
of the Aho proposals: 

•  The  partnership  for  research  activities  was  strengthened  by  setting  up  nine  European 
Technology Platforms relating  to ICT,  two12 of  which are working with the Commission 
and  the  Member  States  to  create  Joint  Technology  Initiatives13.  First  steps  were  taken  to 
achieve  closer  coordination  between  the  Commission  and  the  Member  State  R&D 
programmes. 

•  The Commission organised consultations on ICT-related innovation systems and ways to 
strengthen their link with research. These covered areas such as standardisation: with the 
2006  ICT  standardisation  work  programme,  ICT  also  are  acknowledged  as  an  important 
item in the European Standardisation Action Plan which will review standardisation policy 
in  2006  and  2007.  Member  States  have  launched  a  discussion  on  pre-commercial  public 
procurement of innovation at EU level to promote research and innovation in ICT. Some of 
these  issues  might  be  addressed  in  the  forthcoming  communication  on  ICT  research  and 
innovation. 

•  The  Commission  launched  initiatives  (INNOVA  and  PRO-INNO)  to  improve  innovation 
policies  and  implementation  in  fields  such  as  standards,  procurement,  access  to  finance, 
clustering, technology transfer, IPR and innovation management. 

In  addition,  the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation Programme  (CIP)  has  been  adopted  by  the 
Commission. It includes the ICT policy support programme for the take-up of ICT, which is 
directly linked to the i2010 priorities. The Commission has also created an ICT Task Force, as 
planned  in  the  Commission’s  Communication  on  industrial  policy  from  October  200514, 
composed of a cross-section of stakeholders to review the competitiveness of the ICT sector. 

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Nanoelectronics and embedded systems. 
Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs) are a new type of public-private partnerships envisaged under FP7. 
They will be established to implement the Strategic Research Agendas defined by certain Technology 
Platforms, which are of such an ambitious scale that they require the mobilisation of substantial public 
and private investments and research resources. 
COM(2005) 474 

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In 2006-2007, the Commission will: 

•  Adopt the FP7 work programme; 

•  Propose  two  Joint  Technology  Initiatives  (Nanoeletronics  and  Embedded 

Systems); 

•  Issue a communication on research and innovation in ICT; 

•  Analyse  the  possible  application  of  the  public  procurement  directives  to  pre-
commercial  procurement  and  the  procurement  of  innovation  for  the  uptake  of 
R&D; 

•  Review standardisation for ICT; 

•  Adopt the work programme for the ICT policy support programme; 

•  Review  the  competitiveness  of  the  sector  within  the  ICT  Task  Force  and 

subsequently the i2010 High Level Group. 

Adoption of ICT 

Europe has invested less and later in ICT than the US. The US is also more efficient in the use 
of ICT and is quicker to reap the benefits of ICT investment. The development of eBusiness 
could benefit from the important changes that are taking place in the software industry with a 
shift from the sales of products towards the provision of on-demand services. This is driving 
significant  changes  in  innovative  and  competitive  segments  of  the  global  economy  and  has 
contributed to the recovery of IT markets, which grew by 4.1% in the EU and by 4.8% in the 
world in 200515. 

New software  and  service architectures allow not only the integration of business processes 
within  companies  but  also  the  networking  of  companies,  creating  new  collaborative 
environments. Key enabling technologies behind these advances are Grid technologies16 and 
service-oriented  architectures,  areas  where  Europe  is  leading  the  research.  ICT  can  have  a 
disruptive  impact  on  companies  and  markets,  as  is  already  evident  in  manufacturing  or 
retailing  with  the  diffusion  of  Radio  Frequency  Identification  (RFID).  The  Commission  is 
consulting on issues such as standardisation, interoperability, spectrum needs, and privacy and 
data protection concerns with regard to RFID, and will make policy proposals in the course of 
2006. 

These developments will translate into efficiency gains if businesses match their investment 
in ICT with moves to reorganise business processes. In this respect skills and competencies 
remain  a  major  constraint  and  this  is  addressed  by  the  European  eSkills  Forum.  The  eBSN 
(European eBusiness Support Network for SMEs) aims to improve synergies among existing 
eBusiness policy initiatives in Europe and to promote competitiveness of SMEs through the 
use  of  ICT.  The  Annual  Progress  Report  identifies  “Unlocking  the  business  potential, 

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EITO 2006 
The  Grid  provides  immense  computing  and  knowledge  power  on  demand  by  using  the  resources  of 
many separate computers connected by a network (usually the Internet). 

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particularly of SMEs” as a second priority action for more growth and jobs in the EU. i2010 
in turn addresses the  need to remove technological,  organisational and legal barriers  to ICT 
adoption by businesses. In 2006, the priority will be to identify and analyse new trends and to 
assess  the  need  for  policy  measures.  Work  in  these  areas  can  build  on  initiatives  such  as 
GRIDs, interoperability or digital ecosystems and on the better integration of research results 
in business processes. 

In 2006-2007, the Commission will: 

•  Complete a public debate on RFID and issue a communication at the end of 2006; 

•  Review  eBusiness  policies  and  trends  (2006)  and  define  the  necessary  policy 

measures (2007) 

3.3. 

Inclusion, better public services and quality of life 

Inclusion 

With  the  third  pillar  of  i2010,  the  i2010  initiative  incorporates  the  diverse  eInclusion 
policies into a coherent and coordinated framework, in support of sustainable growth and 
the  European  social  model.  The  scope  of  eInclusion  policies  as  defined  in  i2010  covers 
ageing,  accessibility,  digital  divides,  eGovernment,  digital  literacy  and  culture.  While 
geographical  divides,  accessibility  and  digital  literacy  come  under  well-established  EU 
policies  with  a  strong  information  society  dimension,  the  forthcoming  eInclusion  initiative 
will be broader. In 2005 and early 2006, major progress was made with the communications 
on ‘Bridging the broadband gap’17 and on ‘eAccessibility’18. The 2006 Ministerial Conference 
on eInclusion in Riga will be the starting point for the 2008 European initiative on eInclusion. 

In 2006-2007, the Commission will: 

•  Follow up the commitments of the eAccessibility communication; 

•  Support the creation of an information platform for the exchange of best practices 
on  broadband  and  organise  a  major  conference  on  broadband  for  rural 
communities; 

•  Prepare  with  the  Member  States  the  Ministerial  Declaration  of  the  Riga 

Conference on eInclusion; 

•  Follow up the work on digital literacy: eLearning conference, communication on 

ICT for education and training to support lifelong learning and innovation. 

Better public services 

The renewed Lisbon strategy emphasises the role of public services in achieving the objective 
of growth and competitiveness. The use of ICT in public services can help meet the overall 
EU priorities highlighted in the Annual Progress Report on Growth and Jobs - to make public 

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finances sustainable and to simplify administrative procedures. These priorities are shared by 
all Member States in their approach to eGovernment and other public services, including the 
European Commission with its e-Commission initiative19. Progress has been made in making 
these  objectives  concrete,  in  particular  by  agreeing  on  key  enablers  and  targets  for  a 
coordinated implementation of ICT-enabled public services. 

The  Ministerial  Declaration  on  eGovernment  adopted  in  November  2005  sets  the  EU 
priorities  for  ICT-enabled  public  services.  The  adoption  of  the  e-Health  Action  Plan  in 
2004  and  its  implementation  are  significant  achievements  in  speeding  up  the  reform  of  the 
health systems. Work in these strands is relevant to the two Lisbon objectives ‘Responding to 
globalisation  and  ageing’  and  ‘Unlocking  the  business  potential’.  In  February  2006,  the 
Commission  has  adopted  a  communication  on  the  interoperability  of  Pan-European 
eGoverment  services20,  which  identifies  the  different  aspects  of  interoperability  needed  for 
these services and calls upon Member States to collaborate in order to realise interoperability 
at the European level. The eGovernment Action Plan adopted in April 2006 lays out a road 
map for achieving for a range of targets for eGovernment by 2010, and the Commission has 
issued  a  Staff  Working  Paper  on  eHealth  interoperability  in  March  2006,  which  will  be 
followed by a Recommendation in 2007. 

Electronic  procurement  is  a  key  element  of  the  strategy  for  better  public  services  and 
interoperability,  identity  and  authentication  are  common  themes  developed  in  the  fields  of 
eGovernment and eHealth. While efficient and user-centric services are mainly developed at 
national level, pilot projects at EU level address the pan-European dimension and the role of 
public online services as key enablers, focusing on identity management, interoperability and 
security. Experience has shown that projects need to have a critical mass to achieve the best 
impact and to ensure some degree of cross-border interoperability. Preparatory actions were 
included in the 2005 IDABC work-programme and are being implemented. For 2006, parts of 
the eTEN efforts will concentrate on the preparation of large-scale pilots to be implemented 
under the CIP from 2007 onwards. 

In 2006/2007, the Commission will: 

•  Launch the eGovernment Action Plan and propose strategic orientations for ICT-

enabled public services; 

•  Set up the European Union public health portal and prepare a Recommendation on 

eHealth interoperability; 

•  Launch  pilot  projects  to  test,  at  an  operational  scale,  technological,  legal  and 

organisational solutions to bringing public services online (2007) 

Quality of Life 

The  contribution  of  ICT  to  quality  of  life  and  to  sustainable  development  often  goes 
unrecognised. This is why i2010 aims to raise the visibility of this issue by launching flagship 
initiatives on key social challenges: the ageing society, safe and clean transport, and cultural 
diversity. An ICT flagship initiative has been proposed for each of these areas. 

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Decision C(2005) 4473 
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The digital libraries and intelligent car initiatives were launched in 2005. In 2006, a proposal 
for  a  Recommendation  on  digitisation  and  digital  preservation  will  be  presented.  The 
significant impact of digital libraries and ICT networks on scientific peer review, publication 
patterns and  the European  Research Area will be addressed in a communication in 2006. A 
High Level Group on the European Digital Library has been launched and is bringing together 
major  stakeholders  from  industry  and  cultural  institutions  and  will  address  issues  such  as 
public-private  collaboration  for  digitisation  and  copyrights.  The  third  initiative  "ICT  for 
independent living in an ageing society" will be launched in 2006. 

In addition, ICT can play an active role in reducing the environmental impact of industry and 
society, and in developing major tools to achieve EU objectives for sustainable development. 
Therefore, the Commission will propose a fourth ICT flagship for 2007 to use the potential of 
ICT for sustainable growth, focusing on energy efficiency and waste reduction. 

In 2006-2007, the Commission will: 

•  Launch the ICT flagship “ICT for Independent living in an ageing society”; 

•  Implement the "Intelligent Cars" flagship; 

•  Implement  the  "Digital  Libraries"  flagship,  propose  a  Recommendation  on 
digitisation and digital preservation as well as a communication on digital libraries 
of scientific information; 

•  Propose a fourth ICT flagship initiative “ICT for sustainable growth”. 

4. 

CONCLUSION 

The challenges identified in the i2010 initiative remain valid but need to be addressed more 
vigorously.  Policy  makers  need  not  just  to  be  more  aware  of  the  need  to  accelerate  ICT 
developments; they should also build policies to enhance the positive trends in the ICT sector. 
Particular  priorities  are  implementation  of  broadband  strategies,  coherent  approaches  to 
content  and  spectrum,  integrated  research  and  innovation  strategies  and  more  ambitious 
public services. Today there is a greater need than ever to get Europe’s ICT policies right to 
catch up with our major global competitors. 

Three messages will therefore continue to underpin i2010 in 2006-2007: 

•  Urgency:  the  increasing  recognition  of  the  role  of  ICT  in  growth  and  jobs  should  be 
converted  into  action,  through  a  strategic  approach  to  the  opportunities  of  digital 
convergence  in  National  Reform  Programmes  that  combines  macro  and  micro  policy 
levels. There is also a need for expeditious treatment of legislative proposals under i2010 
so  that  Europe  can  benefit  fully  from  the  fast  moving  effects  of  digital  convergence  on 
growth and competitiveness. 

•  Partnership: Joint action and responsibility between the Commission, the Member States 
and  stakeholders  under  the  Lisbon  Agenda  and  i2010  not  only  to  identify  bottlenecks 
hampering  innovation  but  also  to  take  affirmative  steps  to  coordinate  policies  across 
Europe in order to establish a single information space of 25 EU Member States. 

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•  Action: The EU must move from consensus on the importance of ICT for growth, jobs and 
the quality of life to action by vigorously implementing regulations and policies that assist 
competitiveness  and  by  using  the  economic  weight  of  public  administrations  in  order  to 
promote  the  emergence  of  innovative  services  for  the benefits of citizens  and for growth 
and jobs. 

EN 

12 

   EN