Strengthening the social dimension of the Information Society
The European Commission has adopted a communication on the social and labour market aspects of the Information Society, entitled " People First - The Next Steps". The communication forms part of the Commission's rolling action plan "Europe at the forefront of the global Information Society" and is a follow-up to the Green Paper "Living and working in the Information Society - People first". In its communication, the Commission argues that the social dimension of the Information Society needs to be strengthened further if the European Union is to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by new information and communication technologies in terms of job creation, prosperity and quality of life. It summarises the progress made so far in integrating the social dimension into the development of policies for the Information Society and presents the challenges that lie ahead in reconciling social, economic and technological goals. The communication focuses on four main aspects: - Public policies for the Information Society aimed at improving democracy and social justice, strengthening the capacity of employment creation, enhancing equal opportunities between women and men, supporting people with special needs and improving the quality and efficiency of public administration; - Improving access to infrastructure, applications and services; - Ensuring a workable balance between flexibility and security; - Developing the employability of the workforce through the promotion of a new culture of lifelong learning and the development of human resources.