Communication on 'Electronic Communications: the Road to Knowledge Economy'

The European Commission disclosed, on 12 February 2003, a communication addressed to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on "Electronic Communications: the road to knowledge economy", which replies to the request put forward by the 5 December 2002 Council of Ministers to submit a report on the situation of the sector and the foreseen subsequent measures.

This communication presents a set of measures that should be implemented between Spring 2003 and the end of 2005, giving a special emphasis to the timely implementation of the new regulatory framework, the encouragement in the use of broadband as underlined in the eEurope 2005 Action Plan and the reinforcement of the national and european research initiatives.

Once the applicable regulatory framework is completely defined and stabilized, it is the Commission?s understanding that the use of broadband and the 3rd mobile generation will contribute to the creation of stimulating supply and demand conditions, namely to the development of attractive contents, services and applications and to the investment in broadband multi-platforms infrastructures. The connection between the electronic communications sector and the eEurope 2005 Action Plan is more and more close:  the full implementation of this plan is a fundamental step for a profitable growth, according to the Commission?s conclusion.

Consequently, the Commission asks for an urgent support from the Council and the European parliament to the proposed actions, which scheduled list is as follows:

Spring 2003 - the Commission will provide Member States with guidelines on criteria and modalities of implementation of the Structural Funds in support of the electronic communications sector, notably broadband fixed and wireless infrastructure

Spring 2003 - Commission to issue a Communication on barriers to widespread access to Information Society services through open platforms.

Spring 2003 - Necessary information on health-related problems of electro-magnetic fields will be made available on Commission website in connection with the World Health Organisation.

22-23 May 2003 - Brussels, e-health awards at the ministerial conference on the same subject organised by the Commission and the Greek Presidency.

June 2003 - Final adoption of the Council Framework Decision on attacks against information systems

June 2003 - Second call for proposals under the IST priority under the Work Programme 2003 of the 6th Framework Programme with emphasis on information society services and applications

June 2003 - Communication to European Parliament and Council on Interoperability in support of pan-European eGovernment services.

Mid-2003 - Commission to organise a workshop on secondary spectrum trading and spectrum usage.

3-4 July 2003 - e-Government awards at the Como ministerial conference organised by the Commission and the Italian Presidency

24 July 2003 - Transposition of the new legal framework for electronic communications of March 2002.

2nd semester 2003 - Committees must be working effectively and the notification procedure must function rapidly and efficiently

End 2003 - All Member States should have a comprehensive broadband strategy in place

End 2003 - Commission document assessing national broadband strategies in all Member States to be presented

End 2003 - Member States to actively support standardisation regarding health protection of the public in the mobile sector.

End 2003 - Commission report on the state of deployment of 3G networks.

End 2003 - Final adoption of the Directive on the re-use of public sector information

End 2003 - Final adoption of the Regulation setting up the European Network and Information Security Agency

End 2003 - Commission and Member States to work out coherent approaches to deployment deadlines in the appropriate fora under the new regulatory framework

End 2003 - The Commission and Member States to provide clarifications on issues of network infrastructure sharing.

Spring 2004 - First eEurope 2005 benchmarking report

End 2005 - All public administrations should have broadband connections

End 2005 - Europe should achieve widespread access and aim to reach half of Internet connections to be broadband by 2005.

See:

Information Society - News & Libraryhttp://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/news_library/index_en.htm