eEurope initiative goes online
The European Commission has launched an interactive website for its eEurope initiative, aimed at accelerating the uptake of digital technologies throughout Europe. The website will show how the eEurope initiative is being pursued following the recent Lisbon Summit on employment, economic reform and social cohesion, where it was endorsed by EU Member States. European Commission President Romano Prodi launched the eEurope initiative in December 1999, with three key objectives: - Bringing every citizen, home, school, business and administration online; - Creating a digitally literate and entrepreneurial Europe; - Ensuring a socially inclusive Information Society. The website can be found on the Information Society Directorate-General's web pages, on the Europa server, at: URL: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope/index_en.htm(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie) The site contains an introduction to eEurope detailing the background to the initiative and how the Commission will ensure its adoption. The main themes are introduced in the 'objectives' section, and citizens and businesses can keep up to date with eEurope's progress through 'latest developments'. A set of reference documents, legal texts, press releases, and speeches related to eEurope are contained in the 'documentation' section. The Commission hopes to upgrade its information and communication policy by maximising the use of the Internet to inform the public on its policies. In an official statement, the Commission says that one of eEurope's priorities is to give citizens wider access to government information via the Internet, and the launch of this website is a concrete step in this direction.