Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Better access for rural areas to modern ICT {SEC(2009) 254}
Date: 2009-03-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: access to information, development aid, information technology, rural population, rural region

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 3.3.2009 
COM(2009) 103 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Better access for rural areas to modern ICT 

{SEC(2009) 254} 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Better access for rural areas to modern ICT 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

The efficient use of information and communication technology (ICT), driven by better high-
speed  internet  (broadband)  access,  is  widely  recognised  as  key  to  raising  productivity  and 
stimulating  innovation  in  Europe,  including  in  rural  areas1.  It  can  play  a  significant  role  in 
promoting  entrepreneurship  and  economic  progress  in  rural  areas,  thus  contributing  to 
improve the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry, the quality of life and diversification 
of the rural economy. 

High-quality  internet  provision  can  help  unlock  the  potential  of  rural  areas,  and  can  make 
them  more  attractive  places  to  live.  ICT  helps  existing  businesses  to  perform  tasks  more 
effectively and efficiently and responds to their demand for rapid access to diverse kinds of 
information.  It  creates  greater  scope  for  new  businesses  to  start  up,  and  makes  it  easier  to 
deliver vital services and better quality of life2. 

At present, significant differences exist in the provision and adoption of e-services and high-
speed  quality  internet  access  between  Member  States  (MSs),  with  gaps  between  their  rural 
areas, and between rural and urban areas, being even wider. The bulk of the rural population 
receives lower quality services at higher costs. 

The  European  Economic  Recovery  Plan  (EERP)3  highlights  the  importance  of  broadband 
communications for modern economies and aims to ensure that broadband is available to all 
Europeans  by  2010.  In  this  context,  the  Commission  has  proposed  an  additional  funding  of 
€1.0 billion  to  bridge  the  broadband  gaps,  whic h  would  allow  rural  areas  to  specifically 
address some of the problems they are confronted with as a consequence of the economic and 
financial crisis4. 

This  joint  Communication  responds  to  the  request  made  by  the  Council  (Agriculture  and 
Fisheries)  that  the  Commission  study  the  question  of  better  access  of  rural  areas  to  modern 
ICT, with special reference to high-speed internet access5. It adds to the policy debate on how 
rural development contributes to the Lisbon strategy and the Community ICT policy. A study 
on  "Availability  of  access  to  computer  networks  in  rural  areas"  commissioned  by  DG 
Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  and  completed  in  December  2007  has  been  used  as  a 
background document for parts of the Communication and the Annex6. 

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COM(2007) 803, 11.12.2007. 
SPEECH/07/311 by Commissioner Mrs. Mariann Fischer Boel. 
COM(2008) 800, 26.11.2008. 
COM(2009) 36/2, 28.1.2009. 
Council Conclusions 7085/07, 19 March 2007. 
SAACNRA, 2007, http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/analysis/external/index_en.htm. 

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2. 

POLICY CONTEXT 

The achievement of a knowledge and innovation based society is one of the major priorities of 
the  EU  and  the  role  of  rural  development  in  enhancing  ICT  take-up  in  rural  areas  was 
recognised in the renewed Lisbon agenda7. 

In  2005,  the  i2010  strategic  framework  for  modernising  and  deploying  the  EU  policy 
instruments  to  encourage  the  development  of  the  information  society  up  to  2010  was  set  in 
place.  In  the  ensuing  Riga  Ministerial  eInclusion  Declaration8,  Member  States  agreed  a 
number of targets: for example, to halve the gap in internet usage by 2010 for groups at risk of 
exclusion and to increase the availability of broadband infrastructure to reach at least 90% of 
EU  citizens  and  businesses  by  2010,  mobilising  the  appropriate  instruments  including  the 
Structural Funds (SF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the 
EU  information  society  policy  and  EU  the  competition  policy  in  a  joint  drive  to  bring 
broadband to all Europeans. 

Rural development policy is the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy and focuses 
on  jobs,  growth,  the  competitiveness  and  sustainability  of  agriculture,  forestry,  the  food 
industry  and  rural  areas;  upgrading  human  capital;  maintaining  and  enhancing  the 
environment; quality of life and fighting climate change. Within this context, encouraging the 
take-up and diffusion of ICT for farmers, agri-food and forestry as well as for rural areas in 
general and rural tourism are identified as key actions in the Community strategic guidelines 
for rural development9. The European rural development network, a new important element of 
the rural development policy build-up, provides the forum for defining needs and exchanging 
good practices. 

Both the SF and the EAFRD support investments in ICT services, infrastructure, products and 
skills, with large spill-over effects between and within territories. In the current period, most 
of the investment planned for  the development of the information society in rural areas and 
less  developed  regions  will  support  the  development  of  e-services,  with  more  limited 
investment in ICT infrastructure10. In the field of skills upgrading and training, the European 
Social  Fund  (ESF)  and  the  EAFRD  provide  funding  opportunities  for  people  and 
entrepreneurs located in rural areas, with the EAFRD offering specific additional options for 
farmers,  the  food  industry  and  forest  managers.  The  7th  EU  Research  Programme  (FP7) 
further  stimulates  research  and  the  transfer  of  innovation  in  rural  areas  notably  through  the 
initiatives Regions of Knowledge and Research Potential where ICT is one of the core sectors. 

The  strategic  guidelines  for  rural  development  for  2007–2013  encourage  synergy  and 
complementarity  between  the  rural  development, employment  and  structural  policies.  In  the 
case  of  ICT,  such  synergy  can  be  most  fruitfully  exploited  by  embedding  the  actions  for 
developing  the  information  society  in  rural  areas  within  broader  regional  or  national  ICT 
strategies  supported  by  both  the  EAFRD  and  the  SF.  This  strategic  approach  should  ensure 
compatibility  and  complementarity  with  regional  and  national  ICT  policies.  Within  this 
context,  the  Commission,  MSs  and  stakeholders  should  work  together  to  develop  an  EU 

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COM(2005) 330, 20.7.2005. 
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/ict_riga_2006/doc/declaration_riga.pdf. 
Council  Decision  2006/144/EC  of  20  February  2006  on  Community  strategic  guidelines  for  rural 
development. 
Demarcation lines on the use of the various EU funds are set by MSs and regions. 

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broadband strategy to speed up the extension and upgrading of broadband networks as called 
for by the EERP. 

Achievement of better access to internet and ICT in rural areas could be seen also as equally 
important for the (potential) candidate countries for EU accession as it is for the EU, as their 
preparation for implementation of the EU policies supported by EU pre-accession funds has 
already started. 

3. 

AREAS FOR ACTION AND CURRENT SITUATION 

3.1. 

ICT developments and priorities for rural areas 

In its Communication on Bridging the broadband gap (2006)11 the Commission identified the 
major  reasons  for  the  rural-urban  broadband  divide,  such  as  low  density  of  population, 
remoteness,  lack  of  competition.  Other  socio-economic  factors,  such  as  low  income  and 
education, lack of access to new technologies, low quality of service, lack of applications with 
relevant content for rural and farm businesses, low awareness, or an ageing population, result 
in lower levels of adoption12. 

Demand stimulation: Content, services and applications 

Broadband-enabled  applications  bridge  time  and  distance  and  allow  services  to  reach 
individuals and businesses in their own communities. The focus on development of services 
and relevant content is central in pushing up the demand for and take-up of on-line public 
services and broadband in rural areas. 

The  existing  urban-rural  ICT  gaps  demonstrate  the  need  for  national  and  local 
administrations and institutions to invest in demand stimulation measures. Development and 
availability of public services such as e-government, e-health and e-learning is crucial along 
with e-skills and local applications. 

Business  services  connected  with  broadband  and  the  internet,  including  those  relevant  to 
agriculture, should be stimulated as take-up of broadband by businesses is a key to efficiency 
gains. Better accessibility of businesses enables better information flows, market transparency 
and price discovery, facilitates food industry cooperation and reduces transaction costs. 

Currently, the use of public services in the EU's thinly populated areas is more limited than in 
densely  populated  areas13.  For  example,  take-up  of  e-government  services  in  the  EU-27  is 
respectively 22.5% in thinly populated areas and 32.9% in densely populated areas. Internet 
use among SMEs and micro-enterprises in rural areas is at a very low level compared to large 
enterprises as shown in a number of RDPs (e.g. Bulgaria, UK England, etc.). SMEs suffer in 
particular from the lack of skilled labour in the field of new technologies14. 

In  2008,  about  half  of  the  people  in  the  thinly  populated  areas  of  the  EU-27  (41.7%)  never 
used the internet compared to 27.4% in densely populated areas. In certain MSs about half of 

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COM(2006) 129, 20.3.2006. 
COM(2006) 129, 20.3.2006 and SAACNRA, p. 64. 
Eurostat definition based on degree of urbanisation. 
COM(2008) 394, 25.6.2008. 

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the  entire  population  never  used  a  PC  (e.g.  Bulgaria,  Cyprus,  Greece,  Italy,  Portugal, 
Romania,  Malta,  etc.).  In  the  EU-27  the  DSL  internet  take-up  by  households  in  thinly 
populated areas is just 30% versus 40% in  urban  areas15. Over the period 2005–2007 urban 
DSL internet take-up increased more than rural take-up and overall, at national level, take-up 
is two to four times lower in rural than in urban areas16. 

Broadband infrastructure 

The role of MSs, regions and local authorities in incorporating the socio-economic needs of 
rural  areas  and  the  rural  population  into  the  national  strategies  and  national/regional 
programmes  is  vital.  The  ongoing  efforts  to  equip  the  EU's  rural  areas  with  modern  ICT 
connections  including  the  use  of  new  wireless  and  satellite-based  technologies  should 
continue  and  should  be  stepped  up.  In  this  context,  the  Commission,  in  its  EERP  has 
proposed  an  additional  funding  of  €1.0 billion.  Public  funding  fo r  such  initiatives  needs  to 
comply with the State aid rules of the EC Treaty. 

In December 2007 broadband (DSL) coverage reached an average of 98% of the population in 
urban  areas,  while  coverage  of  rural  areas  was  limited  to  just  70%  of  the  EU-27  rural 
population17.  Rural  coverage  remains  poor  in  Slovakia  (39%),  Poland  (43%),  Greece  (50%) 
and Latvia (65%) as well as in Bulgaria and Romania. 

3.2. 

Actors missing the opportunity 

Farm businesses 

Encouraging the take-up and diffusion of ICT in the agrifood sector as a whole, and for the 
agricultural  business  in  general,  is  a  key  action  in  rural  development.  The  lack  of  access  to 
broadband reduces farmers' competitiveness considerably, restricts their options for applying 
better  and  innovative  farm  management,  adjusting  production  patterns  to  current  economic 
developments, controlling the volume and quality of production, and curtails their knowledge 
of  markets  and  economic  trends,  agricultural  research  and  development.  It  limits  their 
commercial opportunities, prevents the use of advisory services, restricts their contacts with 
local  and  national  administrations  and  hinders  their  participation  in  the  decision-making 
process.  Lack  of  internet  access  and  e-services  could  also  weaken  farmers'  stimuli  for 
upgrading  their  professional  skills  and  reduces  the  spill-over  effects  from  sharing  and 
exchanging successful professional experience. 

Small and medium-sized enterprises and micro-businesses 

ICT could act as a catalyst for (small) farm and non-farm businesses, including food industry, 
to work together, to network and to grow, strengthening in this way their competitiveness. It 
could positively affect their work performance and labour productivity, and can help farmers 
fulfil  their  multi-functional  role  in  rural  areas.  Economies  of  scale  can  be  achieved  and 
e-business, e-commerce and e-banking can be more easily carried out. 

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Eurostat. 
Idate definition of rurality. See the Annex for more details. 
Idate definition of rurality. See the Annex for more details. 

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The promotion of ICT use in the food industry and the creation of infrastructure that to ensure 
the access of food processors to internet can become important growth factors for the sector 
leading to increased added value and a better integration between farmers and processors. 

Young people 

Young people are one of the major drivers behind any ICT development in rural areas. Lack 
of  internet  provision  isolates  them  from  global  events  and  information  flows,  and  reduces 
their  access  to  labour  markets  and  the  means  of  developing  skills  to  qualify  for  well  paid 
quality  jobs.  Creating  access  and  relevant  applications,  especially  for  young  people  leaving 
school  and  entering  working  life,  is  essential  if  they  are  to  be  encouraged  to  stay  in  rural 
areas. 

Women 

More  women  in  rural  areas  are  becoming  entrepreneurs  and  are  getting  involved  in  socio-
economic activities. Their access to labour markets has to be eased further, and one way of 
doing  this  is  by  providing  them  with  high-speed  internet  access  and  raising  their  digital 
literacy. 

Elderly people and disadvantaged groups 

Farmers at the end of their careers, old people and disadvantaged groups in rural areas have 
specific  needs,  many  of  which  could  be  addressed  through  the  supply  of  accessible  and 
relevant technologies and ICT applications. ICT could ease their access to public services, job 
opportunities and quality education. 

3.3. 

Potential impacts of rural ICT projects18 

By  providing  rural  areas  with  services,  products  and  better  infrastructure,  a  wide  range  of 
impacts  and  benefits  could  be  achieved.  However,  existing  environmental  considerations  or 
limitations have to be taken into account. 

For  example,  by  investing  in  on-line  booking  systems  and  web  portals,  farmers  and  rural 
businesses provide better access to information and leisure opportunities for local and external 
communities,  create  awareness  of  local  natural  and  social  values,  increase  the  number  of 
tourists, create growth and employment possibilities, and boost domestic economic and social 
development. 

ICT  projects  can  also  have  a  strong  positive  impact  if  focused  on  adding  value  to  local 
products  or  improving  supply  chain  systems,  precision  farming,  mapping  and  promotion  of 
decentralised  renewable  energies  such  as  bio-energy,  preservation  of  the  natural  heritage, 
provision  of  public  and  business  information,  provision  of  data  for  specific  users  and  for 
educational purposes, capacity building, etc. At the same time, there could be positive spill-
over  effects  leading  to  increased  use  of  bio-energy,  better  access  to  training  opportunities, 
development  of  employment  guidance,  effective  delivery  of  public  services,  promotion  of 
sustainable  farming  and  last,  but  not  least,  transfer  of  innovation  and  promotion  of  good 
practices. 

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Based on SAACNRA (2007) analysis of good practices, pp. 25-38. 

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4. 

ACTIONS PROMOTING ICT IN RURAL AREAS 

4.1. 

The EAFRD and ICT 

Actions 

In  the  current  programming  period,  rural  development  pays  special  attention  to  ICT.  In 
65 RDPs there is a reference to broadband and ICT in the baseline analysis and in 37 RDPs in 
the ex-ante evaluation (out of a total of 94)19. The analyses confirm the significant differences 
between MSs and regions. In half of the programme areas (44 RDPs drawn up by 7 MSs) 
the ICT situation in rural areas is recognised as being at average level, while in 16 RDPs 
(13 MSs) it is considered to be poor. 

The EAFRD supports the development of ICT businesses, services, skills upgrading and 
broadband in rural areas in various ways20. Direct actions on ICT as a basic service for the 
rural economy and population include the development of e-health, health advice and medical 
care,  business  support,  local  public  services,  mobile  or  youth  ICT  centres,  public 
internet/communication points, broadband infrastructure including wireless technologies, etc. 
Specific situation-driven actions cover, for example, IT equipment in small schools, transport 
services by telephone calls, security of rural inhabitants, teleworking or specific village ICT 
initiatives (47 RDPs by 16 MSs)21. 

Rural  non-agricultural  businesses  of  farmers  related  to  ICT  are  mentioned  in  21 RDPs 
(15  MSs)  and  cover  the  development  of  e-services,  e-commerce,  access  to  the  internet,  etc. 
Farmers can further upgrade their IT equipment under the farm modernisation measure. The 
creation of websites for marketing and e-booking, tourist web-portals and information centres 
will characterise the ICT actions linked to rural tourism as envisaged in 34 RDPs (13 MSs). 

The  creation  of  ICT  based  services,  cooperation  networking  and  cluster  formation, 
e-commerce and e-marketing will be main targets for non-farm rural micro-enterprises and 
businesses as specified in 28 RDPs (17 MSs). 

Farmers, foresters and food processors will have access to significant support for professional 
training  in  ICT  and  computer  skills  (40 RDPs),  e-learning  (13 RDPs),  information 
activities  using  ICT  (11 RDPs)  or  area-specific  actions  such  as  networking,  demonstration 
projects or distance learning. 

The  use  of  ICT  for  the  environment  is  represented  by  forest  fire  tele-detection  and 
monitoring  systems,  communication  equipment  (e.g.  for  prevention  of  forest  fires)  and 
networking (14 RDPs). 

Rural  development  will  also  support  IT  investments  such  as  networks  in  public  buildings, 
training  and  information  on  environmental  issues  in  Natura 2000  combined  with  internet 
forums for exchanging views, databases and e-catalogues for the conservation of biodiversity 
resources, provision of advisory services, promotion of producer groups, raising e-skills of the 

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This covers also the six framework and network RDPs, which, however, are excluded from the analysis. 
See the Annex for more details. 
Investments in hardware and software are eligible in all programmes. 
Several  MSs  opted  to  leave  the  content  of  certain  measures  open,  without  specifying  any  priority 
actions; these are not counted. 

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rural population, etc. National and regional web portals for rural development networks will 
also be financed. 

Leader  actions  could  cover  a  wide  range  of  ICT  investments  in  rural  areas  such  as 
innovative  communication  technologies  in  addressing  tourism,  productive  sectors,  the 
environment and cultural assets in the fields of transnational and inter-territorial cooperation, 
training and access to the internet. 

Budget 

ICT  actions  in  rural  development  are  embedded  into  several  measures,  where  also  non-ICT 
related  actions  will  take  place22.  In  total,  for  basic  services  for  the  rural  population  the 
EAFRD  will  spend  €2.7 billion.  Another  €4.9 billi on  will  be  spent  on  farm  diversification, 
creation  of  non-farm  micro-enterprises  and  rural  tourism.  Training  and  information  actions 
under  the  EAFRD  (including  those  on  e-skills)  account  for  €1.2 billion  in  total.  Additional 
money  for  ICT  projects  could  be  spent  under  Leader  and/or  within  other  rural  development 
measures. 

A good share of technical assistance funds in RDPs are dedicated to investments in hardware 
and software in public administration to offer on-line services and consultations to (potential) 
applicants. 

Targeting, monitoring and evaluation 

The Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) for  rural  development  2007–
2013 provides a solid basis for targeting, monitoring and evaluating the situation in rural areas 
with respect to many indicators, including ICT related. 

In  the  context  of  the  CMEF,  for  example,  Austria  aims  to  ensure  that  80 000  people  take 
advantage  of  better  services  through  internet  availability,  while  the  Czech  Republic  targets 
70 000 people. In terms of internet penetration, Finland aims to achieve wireless coverage of 
the  whole  country  by  2013,  while  Lithuania,  for  example,  targets  99%  coverage  with 
2 500 internet access points. 

4.2. 

Cohesion Policy funds and ICT 

To  achieve  overall  objectives,  synergies  between  Community,  national  and/or  regional 
financing  and  policies  having  an  impact  on  ICT  developments  in  rural  areas  must  be  fully 
exploited.  

In the current programming period, Cohesion Policy funds will continue to support the ICT 
development,  including  in  rural  areas.  Approximately  €15.3  billion  (4.4%  of  the  total 
Cohesion budget) will be directly invested in ICT priorities, including e-public services and 
broadband infrastructure. The European Social Fund (ESF) will invest considerably in e-skills 
in  the  framework  of  different  strategic  priorities  such  as  life-long  learning,  workforce 
adaptability and training for unemployed persons, including those in rural areas. 

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The  programming  of  the  budget  in  rural  development  is  done  at  axis  and  measure  level,  and  not  at 
action level. Because of this, data on action-related investments is not available. 

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4.3. 

Research 

Research plays a role in understanding the ICT needs in rural areas as well as in discovering 
efficient and effective ways for solving existing problems. Further to the support for projects 
under FP6 and FP7, two ERA-networks have been created under the umbrella of the Standing 
Committee  on  Agricultural  Research  (ICT-AGRI  and  RURAGRI),  which  are  focusing  their 
activities on the coordination of national research programmes, including ICT applications in 
agriculture and in rural areas. 

4.4. 

ICT  projects 
implementation23 

in  rural  areas  and  driving  forces  for  their  successful 

ICT projects in Europe's rural areas focus on (i) equipment to access the internet, (ii) content, 
covering what people look at and use on the internet, including the services which encourage 
them to go on line, and (iii) developing new skills to access the internet. Projects that combine 
the three aspects make the greatest impact. 

In addition to good project management, economic, political and social factors comprise the 
set of conditions that can make ICT projects in rural areas successful and can guarantee their 
greater ownership within the local community, high take-up and sustainability. 

Community financial support 

The  cost  of  providing  infrastructure,  delivering  training  and  adapting  services  is  higher  in 
rural areas for a number of reasons as aforementioned. Many commercial providers focus on 
densely populated urban or peri-urban areas, where they can maximise take-up and return on 
their  investments.  In  many  cases  initial  take-up  in  rural  areas  is  slow  as  there  is  more 
reluctance to adopt new technologies than in urban areas. Public funds including  EU funds 
can help to bridge the investment gap in ICT access infrastructure, on-line services and 
other  promotional  measures  supporting  demand  in  rural  areas,  including  mountains  and 
islands. Appropriately addressing the needs of these areas in national and regional strategies 
and programmes is essential. 

Support from national and regional authorities 

Beyond  ensuring  funding  options,  various  forms  of  national  and  regional  support  have 
raised  the  sustainability  and  success  of  ICT  projects  in  rural  areas  in  recent  years.  Whether 
financial  or  legal  support  has  been  given  or  governments  and  local  authorities  have  kick-
started the projects, benefits for rural agricultural, food and non-farm businesses as well as the 
rural population have been created. 

Involvement and cooperation of local actors 

The  engagement  of  local  (economic)  actors  can  have  a  marked  effect  on  a  project  if  they 
develop  their  own  interest  in  deploying  the  new  technology.  Involvement  of  the  local 
population is needed for projects to achieve sustainability. Establishing local, community or 
group  broadband  aggregation  schemes  could  be  a  step  in  initiating  local  broadband  actions 
and further help in (better) defining the broadband strategies. More attention needs to be paid 

23 

Based on SAACNRA (2007) analysis of good practices, pp. 25-38. 

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to cooperation  within the communities in the matter of broadband resources and facilities 
and their efficient use. This has also been confirmed by the Leader+ good practices. 

Understanding and reacting to new business opportunities and needs 

Globalisation and the internet have created intensive business competition for markets 
and clients. To sustain their business, rural entrepreneurs have to react adequately and exploit 
the advantages of ICT. 

Understanding  what  potential  users  want,  and  in  what  form,  could  substantially  raise  the 
take-up and provide correct responses to existing demand in rural areas. In this way, factors 
such  as  unemployment,  low  internet  usage  and  access  to  knowledge  in  rural  areas  could  be 
improved.  The  creation  of  greater  ownership  of  a  project,  which  may  even  imply 
involvement  of  the  community  in  its  management,  could  ensure  greater  take-up,  higher 
efficiency of the investment and continuation of the activity after initial funding has ended. 

4.5. 

Promotion of good ICT practices for rural areas 

The exchange of good practices helps the promotion and development of innovative products 
and services, creates value-added in the development of strategies, improves knowledge and 
shows how the correct use of the assets can turn into valuable and positive outcomes. 

The  external  study  managed  by  DG  Agriculture  and  Rural  Development  has  prepared  a 
database  of  67  good  ICT  practices  in  rural  areas,  the  dissemination  of  which  could 
stimulate  innovative  projects  and  support  the  strategies  for  rural  areas.  The  database  covers 
projects  financed  by  private  and/or  Community  funds  mostly  within  the  period  2000-2006. 
They were also included in the database of the European broadband web-portal launched by 
the Commission in June 200824. 

Such exchange of good practices in the field of rural development can be further embedded in 
the EU and national rural development networks, the Interreg programmes and promoted via 
Leader. 

5. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

The  development  of  ICT  in  rural  areas  requires  a  strong  strategic  approach  with 
complementarity  and  synergies  between  Community,  national  and  regional  funds  and 
policies, all contributing to rural development. 

With this Communication the Commission:  

•  Reaffirms the 2010 "broadband for all" objective as set out in the context of the EERP and 
recalls  that  30%  of  the  EU's  rural  population25  is  currently  excluded  from  broadband 
access.  

•  Calls on MS to use the funding for broadband infrastructure under the EERP in efficient 
and effective way boosting the economic and social life in rural areas. For this to happen, 

24 
25 

www.broadband-europe.eu.  
Idate definition of rurality. 

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targeted  adaptation  of  RDPs  taking  into  account  the  needs  of  MSs  should  take  place  in 
2009 following the endorsement of the Commission's proposal by the Council; 

•  Recommends stepping up actions supporting demand for and supply of ICT technologies. 
This  should  include  actions  increasing  local  and  backhaul  access  to  an  affordable  ICT 
infrastructure and access to as well as development of on-line services and relevant content 
for rural farming and non-farming businesses. Actions supporting demand should include 
activities such as PC ownership, professional ICT and e-business training for farmers, food 
processors,  rural  agricultural  and  non-agricultural  businesses  as  well  as  digital  literacy 
actions  for  the  rural  population.  Actions  should  be  accompanied  by  networking, 
benchmarking  monitoring  and  other  actions  (possibly  in  the  framework  of  existing  ICT 
observatories)  aimed  at  supporting  local  and  regional  capacity  to  manage,  plan  and 
implement ICT projects within the framework of the RDPs;  

•  Encourages  MSs  and  regions  to  make  use  of  the  technical  assistance  budgets  to  launch 
studies/analyses  reporting  on  the  ICT  situation  in  rural  areas  and  in  agriculture,  stock-
taking of current ICT initiatives and monitoring of ICT indicators; 

•  Calls  on  MSs  and  regions  in  their  annual  reports  on  rural  development  from  2010  and 
onwards to indicate the ICT-related actions undertaken in the report year and possibly their 
financing.  The  Commission  is  prepared  to  report  on  the  above  in  a  working  document 
based on the information submitted by MSs; 

•  Urges  MSs  and  regions,  in  the  framework  of  their  2010  mid-term  review  of  rural 
development, to put greater emphasis on ICT actions, including in the field of agriculture, 
forestry  and  the  food  industry,  and  on  progress  made,  on  the  basis  of  which  to  propose 
further strengthening of ICT-related actions and adjustments in RDPs where necessary; 

•  Underlines  that  for  achieving  effective  results  in  rural  areas,  correct  targeting  and 
complementarity of Community funding are needed to create synergy effects. To reach this 
goal it is crucial that the national and regional authorities managing different Community 
funds (SF/CF/EAFRD) cooperate closely with each other; 

•  Stresses the importance of dissemination and sharing of good ICT practices in rural areas 
within  the  European  and  national  networks  for  rural  development.  The  EU  RD  network 
should  provide  useful  suggestions  as  regards  the  implementation  of  the  ICT  policies  in 
rural areas. An appropriate event will be organised in the second half of 2010;  

•  Encourages ICT project managers and developers in rural areas to use the European ICT 
web-portals that have been set up (www.broadband-europe.eu and www.ePractice.eu). 

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