Presidency gathers Member State views on eEurope
In preparation for the informal meeting of the EU's telecommunications and information society ministers in Vitoria, Spain on 22 February, the Spanish Presidency has sent a questionnaire to each of the ministers to gather views on how to take the eEurope action plan forward. In the questionnaire, the Spanish Presidency sets out the view that eEurope 2002 is progressing satisfactorily, mainly for three reasons: it used an open method of coordination, involving all players from the start, it set ambitious but realistic targets and it focused on the areas where the public sector could make a meaningful difference to the market. The questions contained in the questionnaire cover the possible structure and focus of a new eEurope action plan and how it should be implemented and monitored. On the area of the information society, the questionnaire addressed standardisation, digital television, broadband and the role of electronic identification in promoting trust and security. The survey asks for opinions on matters such as whether the number of eEurope targets should be reduced, whether the targets should be prioritised, whether the new initiative should focus on genuine Community competences or continue the eEurope approach of also setting targets for Member States and the private sector and whether the action plan should combine all related Community initiatives, such as eLearning and eContent, or whether the decentralised approach should continue. The Presidency asks for views on how the standardisation of convergent technical solutions should be oriented so as to drive the development of the information society within the EU whilst increasing the competitiveness of European industries, what the advantages would be of digital TV as an access platform to the information society in deprived or peripheral areas, and what the barriers are to the creation of a pan-European market for broadband network access and applications. The questionnaire asks for information on the best way to coordinate national electronic identification systems with a view to promoting trust and network security and guaranteeing safe access to eGovernment services. The survey finishes with the question 'do you consider the EU could study, at this time, the possibility of envisaging a single and harmonised electronic identification system allowing for pan-EU access to eGovernment services?'
Countries
Spain