The EU will prioritise the future governance of the internet and financial mechanisms for bridging the digital divide between industrial nations and developing countries.
The EU’s agenda is pretty much in line with the overall priorities of the summit: Agreements must be reached in particular in the fields of internet governance and financing mechanisms to bridge the digital divide. A number of working groups have been set up in order to bring these goals forward and to boost the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
During phase one, no real solution to the financing issue has been found. Governments set up a Task Force to study existing and possible new financing mechanisms. The Task Force’s report was published in January 2005.
The situation on Internet Governance is somewhat similar. A Working Group was set up in order to review and develop recommendations on the role of different stakeholders in internet governance. The Working Group’s report is due in July 2005; drafts are available for comments on the internet.