First meeting of Commissioner Bangemann's High Level Group on the "Information Society"
15 February 1994 - 15 February 1994
Belgium
The fist meeting of the High Level Group on the "Information Society" took place under the Chairmanship of Commissioner Martin Bangemann, vice-president of the European Commission, in Brussels on 15 February.
In launching the group, Commissioner Bangemann said that Europe and the United States should cooperate in building new telecommunications networks. The assembled group of executives from the telecommunications, electronics and media industries will present proposals on these "information highways".
The idea of an information infrastructure is one of the central themes in Commission President Jacques Delors' White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment (COM(93) 700 of 5.12.1993). The Group will hold it's next series of discussions in the United States with groups who have been responsible for developing information networks and highways.
Industrial change is at the centre of the Commission's White Paper. Industrial change and development will affect in large part on information and will fundamentally change every service and manufacturing sector in the European Union and elsewhere. The Committee has established two working groups to examine how this momentum is to be maintained . The first of these groups will examine technological, market and employment aspects and will be led by the chairman of Olivetti, Carlo de Benedetti.
The second group will be headed by Etienne Davignon, chairman of Societe Generale de Belgique and will examine the regulatory, ownership, standardization and political aspects of industrial change on information. The importance of corporate change will need to be looked at and will form part of the conclusions of this working group. There is rapid change in the boundaries between industries in multimedia which will have to be addressed by the competition authorities. A determined effort to improve cooperation with the US in this area must also be made.
In launching the group, Commissioner Bangemann said that Europe and the United States should cooperate in building new telecommunications networks. The assembled group of executives from the telecommunications, electronics and media industries will present proposals on these "information highways".
The idea of an information infrastructure is one of the central themes in Commission President Jacques Delors' White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment (COM(93) 700 of 5.12.1993). The Group will hold it's next series of discussions in the United States with groups who have been responsible for developing information networks and highways.
Industrial change is at the centre of the Commission's White Paper. Industrial change and development will affect in large part on information and will fundamentally change every service and manufacturing sector in the European Union and elsewhere. The Committee has established two working groups to examine how this momentum is to be maintained . The first of these groups will examine technological, market and employment aspects and will be led by the chairman of Olivetti, Carlo de Benedetti.
The second group will be headed by Etienne Davignon, chairman of Societe Generale de Belgique and will examine the regulatory, ownership, standardization and political aspects of industrial change on information. The importance of corporate change will need to be looked at and will form part of the conclusions of this working group. There is rapid change in the boundaries between industries in multimedia which will have to be addressed by the competition authorities. A determined effort to improve cooperation with the US in this area must also be made.