Approval of the Directive on Electronic Commerce (Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June) also strengthened the conditions for construction of an economy based on knowledge and the free circulation of information society services in the European Union.
Following on orientations of the 2002 eEurope action plan, the end of the year saw the approval of Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council no. 2887/2000 of 18 December 2000, concerning local loop unbundling (LLU), which entered into force in the member States on 2 January 2001. This Regulation was held to be an important mean to support the spread of the information society.
Given that to generate growth it is necessary to convert connectivity (indicated by eEurope 2002) into economic activities, a new action plan called ?eEurope 2005: Information Society for All? was adopted in June 2002 and officially presented at the European Council in Seville. It identifies the following priority areas for action to stimulate information society development: create conditions for the availability and use of broadband networks by 2005; emphasis on convergence technology, specifically through introduction of open platforms such as third generation mobile and digital television; and creation of conditions for the widespread use of electronic identification and authentication systems, particularly vis-à-vis electronic signatures.
This plan strongly emphasises the development of broadband as a mean for all users, public and private, to access information society potentials via a number of initiatives centred on two aspects: availability of better services, applications and content, in particular online public services, e-government, e-learning and e-health, as well as all measures meant to stimulate electronic commerce; and dissemination of the availability of broadband access at competitive prices, with significant emphasis on improving all aspects linked to the security of information infrastructures.
The 2005 eEurope action plan is a challenge for the private sector to work with the member States and the Commission to pursue the eEurope goals.
This plan set out the presentation of a report in the Spring 2004 European Council, thus recognising that an intermediate evaluation is desirable, based on reliable indicators. This allows an eventual reassignment of resources, specifically as some of the candidate countries for EU membership will join during this period of validity.
Development of the information society is also a priority set out in the 3rd Community Support Framework. Approved by the European Commission on 28 July 2000, the operational programme for the information society (POSI ? programa operacional para a sociedade da informação) defines a set of structural fund financial supports (FEDER and FSE) for projects in the area of the information and knowledge society.
In Portugal, the 2002 eEurope action plan led to adoption of the Internet Initiative (Council of Ministers Resolution no. 110/2000 of 22 August), setting up a central axis for national development of all aspects of the information society.
The year 2002 also witnessed the creation of the Inter-ministerial Commission on the Information Society (CISI ? Comissão Interministerial para a Sociedade da Informação), co-ordinated by the former Ministry of Science and Technology. Its mission was to accomplish through appropriate political co-ordination, compliance with the government?s information society commitments. Several actions were carried out in the scope of its activity, such as monitoring the implementation status of the Internet Initiative and the eEurope action plan, articulation between the POSI and other programmes, in particular the operational economy programme, and representation in the working group to monitor implementation of plans submitted by 3rd generation mobile (UMTS) operators with the aim of information society development.
The Science and Technologies Observatory maintained a unit that draws up statistical indicators and monitors information society development in Portugal. Working with the National Statistics Institute, ICP-ANACOM and other entities, it has been carrying out sector surveys on the use of information and communication technologies in various sectors of Portuguese society (companies, public administration, families and schools).
The programme of the 15th constitutional government, which started in April 2002, clearly emphasises the development of information society. This has been carried out through the adoption of important strategic measures, such as leadership and horizontal co-ordination of information society development by a body answering directly to the prime minister, the elaboration of a 2005 Info Strategy Plan that aims to digitalise the entire public administration sector, to ensure that government is at the vanguard of innovation and to stimulate development of the information society, and development of an e-government strategy, through the supply of better services that are faster, more efficient at a lower cost.
Council of Ministers Resolution no. 135/2002 of 26 October defined the new institutional framework for government activity with respect to the information society, innovation and electronic government. It set up the Innovation and Knowledge Mission Unit (UMIC ? Unidade de Missão Inovação e Conhecimento), which aims to support development of government policy related to the information society and e-government, and the Inter-ministerial Commission for Innovation and Knowledge (CIIC ? Comissão Interministerial para a Inovação e Conhecimento), whose mission is to monitor and articulate innovation, information society and electronic government policies. This Commission replaced the Inter-ministerial Commission for the Information Society (CISI).
The major planning options for 2003 approved by Law no. 32-A/2002 of 30 December 2002 also present a number of measures associated to widespread Internet access, increasing competitiveness of the Portuguese economy and technological issues linked to ICP-ANACOM?s activity.
