Towards a European
Information Society
lectronic commerce, not just in its present form but embodied in devices and services that we can hardly imagine, presents Europe with tremendous opportunities - for prosperity and competitiveness, for employment, for education, and for social cohesion and strengthened cultural identity.
But innovation is essential, if Europe is to realise this potential. It is needed in the software, information technology and telecommunications industries, which together will develop tomorrow's e-commerce infrastructures and systems. It is needed in the wider community of enterprises, both large and small, where these systems must be applied to reduce costs, to improve quality and efficiency and to add value. It is needed in the public administrations of the European Union and its Member States, both to create a legal framework which supports e-commerce and to open up new electronic channels for their own interactions with businesses and citizens.
There is no doubt that the United States has had the advantage in the first phase of the transition to the digital economy. But today there are signs that Europe is innovating with the speed necessary to catch up. It is building a clear lead in technologies such as mobile telephony, digital TV and natural language interfaces, which will be fundamental in the second phase. And at the political level, the recent adoption of the eEurope initiative and the E-Commerce Directive will make the rapid take-up of these technologies far easier.
May 2000
