Developing the Information Society for European jobs
The job opportunities of the future will be created through innovation and the Information Society, according to the European Council's conclusions from its meeting in Cologne on 3 and 4 June 1999. Meeting to discuss the major issues facing the EU following the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, the European Council confirmed that creating jobs continues to be Europe's top priority, with the European Employment Pact the key instrument. The Council believes it is the Information Society that will create job opportunities in the future. With a budget of 15 billion euro, the Fifth Framework Programme is intended to speed up the process of innovation and exploit the EU's potential for employment and growth to the full. The more competitive Europe becomes in the high technology sector, the more high-quality employment opportunities will be created. For example, the development of a European satellite navigation system (Galileo) should, according to the European Council, be given careful scrutiny, in view of its strategic importance. The Council will speed up its discussions on the Commission communication on the system, with the aim of securing finance largely from private sources. Furthermore, Europe must take a leading role in the Information Society, and all schools must be given access to the Internet as soon as possible. In addition, the European Council emphasised the importance of developing Europe's leading position in electronic commerce. There must be improved policy coordination to create a favourable environment, and a directive, which has the support of industry, must be adopted speedily. Subsequently, the European Council calls on the Commission and the Member States to work together with business representatives to identify the obstacles to the speedy development and application of information technology, and to work out proposals for solving problems. In doing so, the need for standardisation and deregulation should be kept in mind.