“eEurope” is the EU’s scheme for guiding this process of change and to modernise education and training systems to ensure digital literacy at school and in the workplace. It also gives the Internet a European dimension by encouraging multi-lingual content.
Background to the EU and the knowledge-based society
At the Lisbon Summit in March 2000, European heads of state and government set a new goal for the European Union - to become the most competitive knowledge-based society in the world by 2010. However, eEurope is not only about making European industry more competitive: it is also about ensuring that all European citizens, especially those with special needs, have access to modern communications technologies to improve their quality of life.
The new knowledge-based society must be an inclusive society. In emphasising digital inclusion, the European Commission aims to distinguish the European approach to the information society from other regions of the world.
The EU effort is designed to build on and to strengthen the “European social model”, including a high level of social protection. It is also meant to preserve Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity. It focuses on developing European content in European languages so that everybody have access to services and content in their own mother tongue.
eEurope: the components
eEurope was necessarily ambitious as it aimed to bring everyone in the European Union online as quickly as possible so that using the Internet becomes commonplace. The European Commission launched the basic outline for eEurope in November 1999. Subsequent action plans have set out roadmaps of what needs to be done by when.
eEurope 2002
Action Plan 2002 cast its net very wide and successfully put the Internet at the top of the European political agenda.
- Cheaper, faster and secure Internet access
- Investing in people and skills
- Stimulating the use of the Internet through
- Easy access to public services
- eHealth - Doctors on line
- ‘eContent’ - content and information in your own language
eEurope 2005
Action Plan 2005 narrowed the focus, concentrating on effective access, usage and the ready availability of the Internet. It gave top priority to eGovernment, eLearning and eHealth and the creation of a dynamic environment for the development of eBusiness.
eGovernment
- by the end of 2004, EU governments will ensure that 20 basic services are available on line, interactively. This must include guaranteed access for citizens with special needs;
- by the end of 2005, the EU Member States will carry out a significant portion of their public procurement electronically.
eLearning
- EU governments should seek to ensure that all schools and universities have broadband access by the end of 2005;
- by the end of 2003, EU governments should launch training programmes to provide adults with the skills they need for employment in the knowledge society.
eHealth
- By the end of 2005, EU governments should develop health information networks linking hospitals, laboratories and homes;
- By the end of 2005, the European Commission and EU governments will ensure the online provision of health services, including information on healthy living and illness prevention, electronic health records, e-reimbursement, etc.
eBusiness
- By the end of 2003, the Commission will set up an eBusiness support network to promote the take up of digital technologies and processes by small and medium sized companies;
- By the end of 2003, the private sector should develop interoperable eBusiness solutions for transactions, security, signatures, procurement and payments;
- By the end of 2003, the Commission will examine possible ways of for setting up an EU-wide online dispute resolution system.
