eEurope
The eEurope initiative
The eEurope initiative,
launched in 1999 aims to get everyone in Europe
? every citizen, every school, every company ?
on-line as quickly as possible. The eEurope
initiative builds on the current policy
framework, concentrating on priority actions to
overcome handicaps in Europe that are holding
back the rapid uptake of digital technologies.
eEurope 2005
On 28 May, 2002 the
Commission presented an
eEurope 2005 Action Plan, as a follow up to
the
2002 Action Plan. At the Seville Council (21
June, 2002) the Council endorsed the objectives
of the Commission's Action Plan for eEurope 2005
as "an important contribution to the EU's
efforts towards a competitive, knowledge-based
economy, calling upon all institutions to ensure
that it will be fully implemented by the end of
2005".
The eEurope 2005 action plan states that by 2005
Europe should have modern online public
services, e-government services, e-learning
services, e-health services, a dynamic
e-business environment and, as an enabler for
these, widespread availability of broadband
access at competitive prices and a secure
information infrastructure.
To achieve these objectives,
the 2005 Action Plan comprises four separate but
interlinked sets of action:
(1) A dynamic e-business
environment:
By the end of 2003:
-
The private sector is
called upon to develop interoperable solutions
for transactions, security, signatures,
procurement and payments;
-
The Commission will examine
the possibilities of setting up a European
on-line dispute resolution system and further
work with stakeholders on creating consumer
confidence;
-
The Commission will examine
how European companies could be provided with
additional functionality relating to the .eu
domain name (e.g. trusted cyber identity,
trust marks and an authentication scheme).
(2) On-line public services
-
Member States are to ensure
that by 2005 all public services
(administrations, schools, universities,
museums and libraries etc.) have broadband
Internet access;
-
By end 2003, the Commission
will issue an interoperability framework based
on open standards to support the delivery of
e-government services to citizens and
enterprises.
(3) A secure information
structure
-
A ?Cyber security task
force?, constituted by Member states and the
private sector, should be operational by mid
2003. This task force will work as a centre of
competence on security issues and develop a
concept for a European computer attack alert
system and facilitate transborder co-operation
in the field of information and network
security;
-
Development of a ?culture
of security? though good practices and
standards by end 2005;
-
The Commission and Member
states will examine the possibilities to
establish a secure communications environment
for the exchange of government information by
end 2003.
(4) Broadband
-
Analysis and support for
development of broadband deployment and Ipv6;
-
The Commission will ensure
spectrum availability and efficient spectrum
use for by wireless broadband services ad
cooperate with Member States with the regard
to the introduction of such services.
The Copenhagen Summit in
December 2002 should adopt the eEurope
Benchmarking Report. The vast majority of the
actions in the eEurope 2002 Action Plan
should be realised by the end of 2005. The
Commission will present in good time for the
spring European Council in 2004 a mid-term
review to evaluate progress and, if necessary,
make proposals to adapt the Action Plan. |
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