Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Preparing Europe’s digital future i2010 - Mid-term review {SEC(2008) 470}
Date: 2008-04-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU initiative, information society, information technology, innovation, knowledge economy, research policy, single market, social integration

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 17.04.2008 
COM(2008) 199 final 

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

Preparing Europe’s digital future 
i2010 Mid-Term Review 

{SEC(2008) 470} 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

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

i2010 at mid-term......................................................................................................... 3 

The challenge of future networks and the Internet....................................................... 4 

Towards a true Single Market — the contribution of ICTs ......................................... 6 

Facing the challenge of competitiveness through innovation and research................. 8 

The need to develop a long-term policy agenda for users in the digital environment10 

Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 12 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Information  and  Communication  Technologies  (ICTs)  continue  to  be  a  major  driver  of 
economic and social modernisation. Today, businesses in the EU devote 20% of investment to 
ICTs,  and  the  sector  accounts  for  26%  of  overall  research  expenditure.  Moreover,  60%  of 
basic public services are now fully available online and more than half of EU citizens use the 
Internet regularly.1 

The i20102 strategy, launched on 1 June 2005, was the first coherent policy framework for the 
era  of  convergent  telecommunication  and 
media  services.  Much  progress  has  been 
made  in  the  past  three  years.  A  few 
examples  suffice  to  show  the  breadth  of 
achievements:  a  new  regulatory  framework 
for  audiovisual  media  services  is  in  place; 
to  reform 
proposals 
the  regulation  of 
electronic 
communications  have  been 
launched;3  regulation  to  create  a  single 
market for mobile phone use across borders is in operation; initiatives to boost online content 
in  Europe  are  under  discussion;4  major  new  R&D  and  innovation  funding  initiatives  are  up 
and running (the Seventh Research Framework and the ICT Policy Support Programme under 
the  Competitiveness  and  Innovation  Programme  —  CIP);  ground-breaking  public  private 
partnerships  (Joint  Technology  Initiatives)  have  just  been  launched;  and  new  eInclusion 
initiatives are on track.5 

i2010  aims  to  1)  establish  a  European  information 
space, i.e. a true single market for the digital economy 
so as to exploit fully the economies of scale offered by 
Europe’s  500  million  strong  consumer  market;  2) 
reinforce innovation and investment in ICT research 
given that ICTs are a principle driver of the economy; 
and 3) promote inclusion, public services and quality 
of life, i.e. extending the European values of inclusion 
and quality of life to the information society. 

Meanwhile,  Europe  is  among  the  world  leaders  in  the  development  of  the  digital  economy. 
The European broadband market, with 90 million lines, has more subscribers than any other 
economic  region,  and  half  of  European  citizens  use  the  Internet  on  a  regular  basis.  Some 
Member  States  top  the  world  league  in  broadband  take-up,  mobile  penetration,  data  traffic. 
But  gaps  between  Member  States  are  significant  and  Europe  is  under-investing  when 
compared to other industrialised regions, as well as facing growing competition from China 
and  India.  That  is  why  the  policy  framework  provided  by  i2010  is  needed  more  than  ever 
today. But does the i2010 framework need adjusting mid-way through its term? 

2. 

I2010 AT MID-TERM 

The  current  assessment  of  the  Lisbon  Strategy6  shows  that  structural  reforms  are  starting  to 
pay  off,  but  the  economic  landscape  is  fragmented.  This  overall  picture  is  also  true  for  the 
information  society.  While  the  2007  Strategic  Lisbon  Report  confirms  the  prominence  of 
ICTs in structural reform and  half  of Member States  have strengthened their R&D and ICT 
policies, many parts of the EU still lag behind in adopting ICTs. 

1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 

For all figures quoted, if not specified otherwise, see annexed staff working documents. 
http://ec.europa.eu/i2010. 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/tomorrow/index_en.htm. 
COM(2007) 836, http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/other_actions/content_online/index_en.htm. 
COM(2007) 694, http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/einclusion/index_en.htm. 
COM(2007) 
803, 
report/index_en.htm. 

http://ec.europa.eu/growthandjobs/european-dimension/200712-annual-progress-

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During 2007, the Commission reviewed the i2010 approach in the light of today’s priorities 
for growth and jobs. The assessment of the Lisbon strategy, the Single Market Review7, the 
implementation of the Innovation Action Plan8 and the review of the consumer acquis9 have 
all highlighted the importance of ICTs. The following issues are thus becoming strategic for 
competitiveness and ICT take-up in Europe: 

•  Europe has made big progress towards the networked economy, but it needs to shift up a 
gear to lead the transition to next-generation networks while not slacking off in its efforts 
to overcome the digital divide. 

•  Europe  should  take  better  advantage  of  its  number  one  economic  asset,  the  largest 
consumer  market  in  the  developed  world;  however,  despite  the  global  spread  of  the 
Internet, further steps are needed to create a Single Market for the digital economy. 

•  ICT research expenditure is still below target in most Member States. Greater efforts are 

needed to pool resources by coordinating research and innovation efforts. 

•  As  the  Internet  permeates  daily  life,  public  expectations  and  concerns  about  the 
information  society  are  changing.  Safeguards  need  to  evolve  to  match  technology  and 
market  developments,  without  stifling  the  huge  opportunities  that  online  social  and 
economic activity offers. 

This  Communication  makes  concrete  proposals  for  re-orienting  i2010  to  meet  these 
challenges by further promoting competitiveness and ICT take-up in Europe. 

3. 

THE CHALLENGE OF FUTURE NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET 

Digital  convergence  is  now  a  reality  and  the  Internet  is  an  essential  tool  for  our  economies 
and daily lives. Broadband is becoming the standard mode of connectivity. Online content is 
developing fast, mainly in new and user-created content areas. 

The European broadband market is developing rapidly and already outstrips that of the United 
States.  The  penetration  rate  reached  20%  of  the  population  in  January  2008,  a  threefold 
increase since enlargement in 2004, with Denmark, Finland and The Netherlands being world 
leaders. However, there are now some signs of fatigue: growth in penetration is slowing down 
and  there  are  increasing  gaps  between  Member  States  in  terms  of  take-up,  speed,  price  and 
coverage.  Bandwidth  requirements  are  on  the  rise,  and  although  speeds  are  developing 
similarly  to  those  in  the  United  States,  the  migration  to  high-speed  broadband  in  the  EU  is 
sluggish. 

7 
8 
9 

COM(2007) 724, http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/strategy/index_en.htm. 
COM(2006) 502, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/innovation/index_en.htm. 
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/rights/cons_acquis_en.htm. 

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Graph 1: 

EU Broadband penetration rate (January 2008)

January 07

Broadband lines per region (million)
 January 2008 

   100

   50

99,2

81,6

EU

US and Canada

43,1

Japan and
Korea

%
7

,

3
1

%
8

,

3
1

%
2

,

4
1

%
6

,

4
1

%
1

,

6
1

%
0

,

5
1

%
8

,

8

%
1

,

9

%
8

,

9

%
4

,

8

%
6

,

7

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%

%
3

,

3
% 2
2

,

1
2

%
0

,

0
2

%
0

,

9
1

%
3

,

8
1

%
9

,

6
1

%
1

,

7
1

%
3

,

7
1

%
4

,

7
1

%
6

,

5
3

%
6

,

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3

%
2

,

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3

%
2

,

1
3

%
6

,

5
2

%
7

,

5
2

%
4

,

% 2

5

8

,

3
2

BG PL

SK

EL

RO LT

CY HU

CZ

LV

PT MT

IT

SI

IE

ES

AT EU27 EE

FR

DE

LU

BE UK

SE

NL

FI

DK

Source: Commission services. Data for FR, NL, AT, EE and LT refer to October 2007

High  quality  monitoring  is  crucial  to  the  design  of  the  appropriate  policy  framework.  The 
Commission  proposes  to  benchmark  overall  performance  of  Member  States  on  a  range  of 
factors which could include current take-up, speeds, rural coverage, affordability, innovation 
and other socio-economic dimensions. The Commission will develop, in consultation with the 
Member  States,  a  Broadband  Performance  Index  that  will  seek  to  compare  broadband 
developments in the Member States. 

Investment  in  next-generation  networks  is  not  going  ahead  as  quickly  as  Europe  needs. 
Consequently,  the  Commission  will  in  2008  clarify  the  regulatory  provisions  for  next-
generation  access  in  a  Recommendation.  In  addition  to  fixed-line  infrastructure,  wireless  is 
increasingly  emerging as an alternative infrastructure, especially but  not only in rural areas. 
The  Communication  on  the  ‘digital  dividend’10  has  called  for  some  frequencies  to  be  made 
available  to  allow  a  balanced  mix  of  high-definition  broadcasting,  mobile  TV  and  wireless 
broadband. 

With the Internet Protocol (IP) now the primary means of providing services, applications and 
content, a new more powerful version, IPv6, needs to be implemented. This will extend the 
available  number  of  IP  addresses  considerably  and  allow  more  novel  applications  based  on 
wireless  technologies,  which  will  expand  broadband  connectivity  to  include  new  mobile 
devices enabling ubiquitous usage. Radio-frequency identification devices (RFID) and sensor 
technologies  embedded 
in  products  will  generate  much  more  machine-to-machine 
communication and extend the Internet to the ‘Internet of Things’. 

10 

COM(2007) 700, http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/radio_spectrum/index_en.htm. 

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Taking a longer-term view, the Commission is preparing the ground for this future Internet of 
Things, for example through its work on RFID, Internet governance and network integrity11. 
In 2008, the Commission will issue a recommendation on RFID, to ensure legal certainty and 
ease privacy and security concerns. Furthermore, to bring together the various future-oriented 
actions and facilitate a coherent policy for preparing the information society for the future of 
the Internet, the Commission will issue a Communication on the future of networks and the 
Internet in 2008. 

Actions in 2008: 

•  Develop a broadband performance index and invite Member States to set national targets 
for high-speed Internet usage to reach a 30% penetration rate among the EU population by 
2010; 

•  Help  prepare  the  information  society  for  the  future  Internet  economy  by  issuing  a 

Communication on the future of networks and Internet; 

•  Facilitate the transition to new networks by issuing a recommendation on Next Generation 

Access; 

•  Promote the Internet of Things through a Recommendation on RFID, focusing on privacy 

and security issues; 

•  Propose measures to ensure a high level of resilience of critical communication networks 
and information infrastructure (like the Internet) and to guarantee continuity of services; 

•  Propose a set of actions to facilitate the transition to IPv6. 

4. 

TOWARDS A TRUE SINGLE MARKET — THE CONTRIBUTION OF ICTS 

Completing  a  single  market  for  the  information  society  and  media  is  one  of  the  main 
objectives of the i2010 initiative. Important steps have been taken recently with the adoption 
of the Commission’s proposals for the reform of telecommunication rules and the launch of 
the Content Online initiative. 

The  EU  regulatory  framework  has  had  a  largely  positive  impact  on  European  electronic 
communication  markets,  but  has  been  unsuccessful  in  delivering  sufficient  consistency  in 
regulatory  approaches.  The  fragmentation  of  regulation  across  the  27  Member  States, 
including  the  enforcement  of  remedies,  threatens  to  become  a  serious  obstacle  to  the 
development of the Single Market and to hinder the emergence of pan-European services. 

In the reform of the regulatory framework for electronic communications12, the Commission 
has made proposals to ensure greater consistency. It has proposed the creation of a ‘European 
Electronic Communications Market Authority (EECMA)’, which will draw on the expertise 
of  national  regulatory  authorities.  It  will  also  facilitate  a  coordinated  approach  to  spectrum 
across  Member  States.  To  reap  the  benefits  of  a  single  mobile  market,  facilitating  the 
emergence of pan-European mobile services  and the exploitation of economies of scale,  the 

11 
12 

See http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/tomorrow/index_en.htm. 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/policy/ecomm/tomorrow/index_en.htm. 

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spectrum reform proposals promote more trading of spectrum within the EU as well as service 
and technological neutrality. 

The Single Market review13 underlines the potential of ICTs to open up the Single Market for 
the benefit of citizens, businesses and public authorities: the free movement of knowledge and 
innovation  should  be  promoted  as  a  ‘fifth  freedom’  in  the  Single  Market.  The  EU  should 
improve the framework conditions for innovation, in particular in the information society, by 
accelerating  the  setting  of  interoperable  standards  and  moving  towards  more  common 
spectrum management. The Commission has been working on improving ICT standardisation 
and will come forward with a proposal by the end of 2008. 

A clear priority for the EU is to close the important gaps in the Single Market, particularly in 
services,  and  this  includes:  streamlining  of  procedures,  reduction  of  administrative  burdens, 
and  promoting  transborder  market  access  in  particular  for  public  procurement.  Applications 
would include: interoperable provision of pan-European eGovernment services and the cross-
border recognition of eSignatures. 

The  legal  framework  governing  the  information  society  and  the  sometimes  fragmented 
implementation in the Member States can make it difficult to exploit the potential of ICTs on 
a  European  scale,  risking  increasing  barriers  to  cross-border  online  trade.  It  is  necessary  to 
address overlapping requirements, gaps or inconsistencies in implementation and to keep pace 
with technological change (see graph 2 below) to ensure the efficient functioning of the "e-
Internal  Market".  For  example,  eInvoicing  will  be  addressed  during  2008  and  2009  by  an 
identify  regulatory  shortcomings  and  eInvoicing  business 
Expert  Group 
requirements, and will propose to the Commission by end-2009 a framework to promote full 
recognition of e-invoices in cross-border transactions. 

that  will 

Graph 2: Evolution of the legal and technical landscape 

Source: DLA Piper, 2007 

13 

COM(2007) 724. 

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Actions: 

•  Support the adoption of the regulatory package for e-Communications and in particular the 

creation of the EECMA; 

•  Make spectrum management more efficient by facilitating the harmonisation and trading of 

the pan-European part of frequencies; 

•  Develop pan-European public services, with the aid of the large-scale pilots under the ICT 

Policy Support Programme; 

•  Propose improvements to the EU's ICT standardisation system; 

•  Adopt an Action Plan to further promote eSignature and e-authentication; 

•  Implement the European electronic invoicing framework. 

5. 

FACING  THE  CHALLENGE  OF  COMPETITIVENESS  THROUGH  INNOVATION  AND 
RESEARCH 

Research and innovation are at the top of the EU agenda for economic reform. But although 
22  out  of  27  Member  States  have  identified  these  areas  as  key  challenges  in  their  national 
reform programmes and have foreseen over 14% of the Structural Fund investments in 2007-
2013  for  RTD  and  innovation,  the  target  of  3%  of  GDP  on  research  by  2010  is  still  out  of 
reach.14 

The EU spends only about half as much on ICT R&D as the US, and is specialised in sub-
sectors with low research intensity. ICTs represent about 30% of the overall research effort in 
most  developed  countries,  and  the  gap  between  the  EU's  efforts  and  those  of  its  main 
competitors is undermining its future ability to lead information society innovations. 

To stimulate an increase in investment, the EU has shown the way by making ICTs the single 
largest item within FP7. The EU is also pioneering public-private partnerships with the launch 
the  Joint  Technology  Initiatives  ARTEMIS  (embedded  systems)  and  ENIAC 
of 
(nanoelectronics).  The  Joint  National  Programmes  are  designed  to  leverage  more  R&D 
investment from both Member States and industry. 

Financial support is complemented by a set of demand-side measures for innovation, such as 
the Lead Market Initiative15. The initiative focuses on high-potential markets in Europe and 
relies  on  a  mix  of  R&D  and  innovation  financing,  public  procurement  of  innovation, 
regulatory 
instruments,  and  coordination  and  partnership  with  Member  States  and 
stakeholders. 

Procurement  for  innovation  is  underutilised  in  the  EU.  This  includes  in  particular  the 
procurement  of  R&D  to  bring  about  radical  improvements  in  public  services  while  at  the 
same time creating opportunities for European companies to acquire international leadership 
in new markets and promoting consumer friendly standards. 

14 
15 

COM(2007) 803. 
COM(2007) 860, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/leadmarket/leadmarket.htm. 

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The  European  Technology  Platforms  have  helped  bring  about  a  more  strategic  and 
coordinated European research agenda and develop European, national and regional research 
and innovation programmes and policies, but there needs to be more cross-fertilisation among 
them. 

eHealth  is  a  good  example  of  how  ICT 
innovation  can  serve  overarching  European 
policy  goals.16  ICTs  can  also  help  achieve 
the EU’s ambition to address climate change 
and  increase  energy  efficiency.  First  of  all, 
the  ICT  sector  itself  can  ‘get  its  own  house 
in  order’  by  improving  energy  efficiency  at 
level  of  components,  systems  and 
the 
applications. For example, depending on the 
application,  the  energy-saving  potential  of 
data  centres  is  between  20-70%.  But  more 
broadly, ICTs can improve energy efficiency 
across the economy through ‘dematerialisation’, enabling new business models, and through 
improved  monitoring  and  finer  control  of  processes  and  activities.  As  a  first  step,  the 
Commission will focus on ICTs as an enabler to improve energy efficiency. 

eHealth  Lead  Market  Initiative:  An  ageing  society 
together  with  a  dramatic  increase  in  chronic  diseases 
and  an  increasing  demand  for  better  healthcare  will 
lead  to  an  explosion  of  healthcare  costs.  ICTs  play  a 
key  role  in  the  transformation  of  healthcare  systems 
and  Europe  has  invested  massively  in  R&D  for 
healthcare applications. Forecasts expect an increase of 
43% of the market volume by 2020, bringing it to €30 
billion from currently €21 billion within the EU-15 in 
2006.  But  eHealth  systems  in  the  Member  States  are 
not  easily  compatible.  The  eHealth  Lead  Market 
Initiative  thus  aims  to  develop  a  European  market  for 
innovative  eHealth 
to  combat 
fragmentation in the way healthcare is delivered in the 
different Member States. 

technologies  and 

Following the evaluation of the Sixth Framework Programme17, the Commission will in 2009 
launch a set of initiatives to ensure Europe’s leadership further developing ICTs, to modernise 
and  improve  the  quality  and  efficiency  of  its  public  sector  and  to  master  the  technologies 
essential for the economy and society. This process will be launched with a Communication 
on ICT research and innovation in 2009 and defining preparatory actions in FP7 and the CIP. 

The  contribution  of  ICTs  to  the  Lisbon  goals  is  further  enhanced  by  the  development  of  e-
infrastructures  (such  as  GEANT  or  Grids),  which  help  build  new  research  environments, 
driving  productivity  and  the  quality  of  the  science  performed.  These  infrastructures  link 
researchers  in  all  domains  with  huge  bandwidth  and  computing  power,  removing 
geographical  constraints  and  facilitating  distributed  collaboration,  thus  creating  synergies 
between  dispersed  research  groups  and  enhancing  their  potential  to  address  more  complex 
challenges. 

Actions: 

•  Launch  the  Joint  Technology  Initiatives  as  the  first  true  Europe-wide  public-private 

research partnerships; 

•  Promote the European Technology Platforms, in particular closer cooperation among them; 

•  Implement 

the  eHealth 

innovation  scorecards; 
Recommendation  on  eHealth  interoperability;  address  standardisation  and  certification 
needs; measures to improve legal certainty; 

initiative:  eHealth 

lead  market 

•  Promote the role of the public sector as a first buyer of innovation; 

16 
17 

COM(2007) 860. 
An independent panel chaired by Mr Esk Aho will issue its report mid-2008. 

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•  Issue a Communication on ICTs and energy efficiency; 

•  Launch  a  process  to  ensure  Europe’s  leadership  in  ICTs  with  a  Communication  on  ICT 

Research and Innovation; 

•  Promote the role of e-Infrastructures in a changing and global research environment. 

6. 

THE NEED TO DEVELOP A LONG-TERM POLICY AGENDA FOR USERS IN THE DIGITAL 
ENVIRONMENT 

The  Internet  is  now  part  of  daily  life:  in  2007  one  in  every  two  Europeans  was  a  regular 
Internet user and nearly 80% of households using the Internet had already migrated from dial-
up to broadband, with users increasingly embracing new applications. 

Graph 3:

Two years of rapid growth

Individuals using internet regularly

Households with broadband as % of households with
internet

Internet users having purchased online in the last 3
months

Internet users using chat sites, messengers

Internet users downloading music, games, films

2005

2007

Source: Eurostat, data are EU27 averages

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Nevertheless,  nearly  40%  of  Europeans  do  not  use  the  Internet  at  all and  46%  of  European 
households still do not have Internet access. 

The  Commission  is  working  step  by  step  towards  realising  the  ambition  of  making  the 
information society accessible to all Europeans. The eInclusion initiative provides a strategic 
framework to boost the effective participation of groups at risk of exclusion and to improve 
the  quality  of  life  through  the  use  of  ICTs.  The  latter  issue  is  also  addressed  in  the  i2010 
flagship  initiatives,  such  as  the  Intelligent  car  initiative,  which  have  been  developing  into 
policy strands in their own rights. 

The reform of the legal framework for electronic communications will strengthen user rights 
in  the  telecoms  sector  by  making  it  easier  to  make  informed  choices  before  purchasing 
products  and  to  switch  providers.  Access  to  emergency  services  through  ‘112’  will  be 
improved and users with disabilities will benefit from greater access to services. Privacy and 
security  provisions  will  also  be  strengthened.  In  addition,  in  line  with  its  obligations,  the 
Commission will report in 2008 on the application of the universal service obligations in the 
light of social, economic and technological developments. 

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eCommerce is not progressing as fast as other Internet domains. The complexity and diversity 
of  products  and  services  are  making  it  more  difficult  for  consumers  to  judge  the  quality  of 
what is offered on the market, and a lack or perceived lack of trust and security when using 
new technologies and services could be hindering wider take-up. Clarifying users’ rights and 
obligations is a first priority, which will be addressed in 2008. Raising trust and confidence in 
the  online  world  is  also  crucial.  The  current  review  of  EC  consumer  law  will  address  these 
issues,  in  particular  by  harmonising  and  improving  users’  rights  and  obligations.18  In  this 
context,  the  Commission  will  make  a  proposal  that  aims  at  increasing  confidence  in  cross-
border  transactions  (including  online  transactions)  by  simplifying  and  improving  the 
consumer regulatory framework. 

The noticeable rise of online content, especially user-created content, is largely driven by new 
business  models  that  increasingly  rely  on  online  advertising.  The  protection  of  copyright 
remains  a  constant  concern  for  Member  States  and  the  Commission.  The  launch  of  the 
Content  Online  platform19  will  provide  a  forum  to  discuss  these  issues.  On  the  issue  of  the 
disclosure of personal data for copyright protection, the Court of Justice20 has highlighted the 
need to strike a balance between the fundamental rights of intellectual property and personal 
data protection. 

Social networking, or the participative web, is one of the growth phenomena of the past four 
years, becoming one  of  the  most popular online  applications for Europeans, after email and 
online search. In 2007, 24% of European citizens participated in online fora, up from 18% in 
2006,  with  even  stronger  interest  among  the  younger  generations.  The  e-Participation 
initiative explores the Internet as a way of bringing political messages to the citizen. The rise 
of more participative ways of using the Internet leads to new challenges as well. A growing 
number  of  users  are  concerned  about  content  quality,  information  accuracy,  the  integrity  of 
information  privacy  and  the  protection  of  minors.  Those  starting  to  advertise  and  distribute 
content  and  to  generate  earnings  from  this  through  user-created  content  platforms  are 
confronted with unauthorised use of their copyright-protected content. These challenges will 
be addressed further in 2008. 

Actions: 

•  Report on the universal service obligations; 

•  Implement  the  eInclusion  initiative:  proposal  on  eAccessibility  legislation;  Ambient 
Assisted  Living  flagship  to  respond  to  the  challenge  of  an  ageing  population;  review  of 
digital literacy policies; eInclusion summit; 

•  Publish a guide that explains users' rights and obligations in the digital environment; 

•  Launch the next phase in the review of the consumer acquis — Framework Directive on 

Consumer Contractual Rights; 

•  Launch Safer Internet 2009-2013 for the protection of minors and the fight against illegal 

content; 

18 
19 
20 

COM(2006) 744, p. 1, http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/rights/cons_acquis_en.htm. 
COM(2007) 724. 
Case C-275/06. 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
                                                 
•  Respond to the challenges to privacy and trust stemming from new converging services in 

the future ubiquitous information society; 

•  Launch the Content Online Platform; 

•  Address  issues  concerning  the  interoperability  and  transparency  of  digital  rights 
management systems (DRMs) for consumers in the Recommendation on Content Online. 

7. 

CONCLUSION 

This  Communication  confirms  the  important  contribution  of  information  society  and  media 
policies to the achievement of the Lisbon goals. It also confirms the validity of i2010 as the 
reference framework for European information society and media policies. It makes concrete 
proposals for i2010 to be re-oriented to further promote competitiveness and ICT take-up in 
Europe. In 2008-2009 the Commission will also develop the long-term agenda for information 
society and media policies, and prepare an assessment of the overall contribution of ICTs to 
Europe’s economic performance21. There is a crucial need to develop European policies that 
both encourage the competitiveness of the leading countries and address the gaps between the 
high and low performers, thus countering fragmentation among Member States. 

21 

Support  for  this  will  be  drawn  from  ongoing  analysis  and  consultations  on  the  following  topics:  the 
economic  and  social  impact  of  ICTs,  including  on  employment;  the  legal  and  economic  aspects  of  a 
Single  Market  for  the  information  society;  future  policy  needs  for  new  networks  and  the  Internet, 
privacy  and  trust  issues  in  the  ubiquitous  information  society;  user-created  content;  a  long-term 
reflection  on  the  role  of  ICTs  in  sustainable  development;  and  the  development  of  an  information 
society for all, including regional policies, 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/studies/index_en.htm. 

EN 

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   EN