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Italy targets eEurope

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Published 07 July 2003 - Updated 23 December 2011
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e-business e-commerce e-government e-health e-learning
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Italy wants eGovernment to be a "top priority" for its six-month EU Presidency.

During its six-month term, the Italian Presidency aims to promote the goal of building a knowledge-based digital European economy set out by the Lisbon European Council. In accordance with the eEurope 2005 Action Plan, the Presidency will promote the growth and spread of new technologies and services to boost economic competitiveness and efficiency. While heeding the objectives specified for the individual areas of the Action Plan (eGovernment, eLearning, eBusiness, eHealth, eCommerce), the Presidency will consider eGovernment a strategic sector. During the Italian Presidency's six-month term, a Commission Communication and a Council Resolution are scheduled to be released to promote the use of digital tools in the public and the private sectors alike. The Presidency will also keep the IDA III programme high on its agenda (the programme focuses on the exchange of digital data between public administrations).

The Presidency's other key priority issues are:

  • Network security: the Presidency will work for the approval of a Regulation establishing the European Network Security Agency;
  • New technologies: broadband, 3G mobile telephony, digital television and multimedia will continue to be in the forefront of attention. The Presidency will host the annual European ICT Conference in Milan in October 2003;
  • World Summit on the Information Society: The Presidency will present a European position at the UN World Summit on the Information Society to be held in Geneva in late December 2003;
  • Market liberalisation: The Presidency will give impetus to the ongoing process of market liberalisation in order to boost regulatory harmonisation and transparency;

 

Positions: 
TheEuropean Information, Communications and Consumer Electronics Technology Industry Association(EICTA) has issued a "call to arms" to the Italian Presidency in an effort to "revive the stagnating technology sector". EICTA welcomes the Presidency's priorities and believes that the "expectations of the European ICT/CE sector are great". EICTA urges the Presidency to consider its recommendations laid down in the document "eEurope - The Way Forward".

 

Next steps: 
  • eGovernment Conference - Como, Italy, 7-8 July (see also
EurActiv 4 July 2003)
  • informal Telecommunications Summit (Viterbo, Italy, 3-5 September 2003)
  • ministerial conference on digital TV (23-25 October 2003)
  • Telecommunications Council (20 November 2003)

 

Background: 
Telecommunications plays an ever increasing role in economic, social and cultural growth and development, and the EU intends to harness the benefits of the information society. The framework for this process is laid down in the eEurope Programme. The EU's main general objectives in the telecommunications sector are to create common and homogeneous rules and legislation, to protect European interests in the global market, to guarantee all citizens access to communications services, to encourage the application and integration of online services, and to reinforce network security. In 2002, the value of the Western European ICT market amounted to 592 billion euro (6.7 per cent of GDP).

 

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