Homepage
Sitemap
Larger
Smaller
Login
Registration
Help
Terms of use
Committee of the Regions asks Member States to step up efforts on e-Inclusion
11.04.2008, 16:40
n a report on e-inclusion adopted on 9 April after a discussion with Viviane Reding,
European Commissioner responsible for information society and media,
the Committee of the Regions calls on Member States to increase their
efforts to develop an all-inclusive information society. The report,
presented by Hungarian member András Szalay
agrees that e-inclusion is fundamental in achieving the goals of
economic and social progress outlined by the Commission's i2010
initiative to develop an information society for growth and jobs.
Mr Szalay, representative of the settlement of Veszprém, underlined "promoting e-inclusion at local and regional levels can enhance standard of living, boost participation in local community life, and act as a catalyst for competitiveness, business start ups, and the development of better, more effective and more personalised public and private services."
E-inclusion, an initiative set up by the European Commission in 2007, aims to ensure that disadvantaged minorities are not excluded from the benefits of ICT due to lack of digital literacy or internet access. The Committee promotes the use of information communications technology (ICT) for increasing regional competitiveness and improving public services.
The CoR opinion also supports efforts to raise public awareness, to increase the exchange of information between Member States and to ensure active cooperation at local and regional level, involving the ICT industry, public authorities, service providers, user and social organisations, in order to achieve the maximum impact.
Addressing the EU political assembly, Mr Szalay emphasised the role and responsibility of local and regional authorities in helping to ensure affordable broadband access, developing new approaches of citizen-centred public e-services, promoting education and training courses which are geared to the needs of socially disadvantaged groups, and ensuring conditions which are conducive to business and research. "Our local and regional authorities and administrations must provide leadership on pilot projects on the ground which help to create a more inclusive and open society for innovation and modern technology,"he added.
He also underlined the importance of using ICT as a "social instrument", linking ICT strategies to Community social policy, and insisted that the coordinated dismantling of regulatory, technical and other barriers is necessary if the e-inclusion initiative is to become fully sustainable and effective.
Mr Szalay, a member of the CoR's Liberal Democrat political group (ALDE), urged the Commission to create and apply indicators to evaluate the regional distribution and use of ICT, in order to provide feedback useful for adopting measures to establish socio-economic and technological convergence between the regions.
Background
In November 2007 the Commission adopted the communication "European i2010 initiative on e-Inclusion - to be part of the information society". This comprised the "e-Inclusion, be part of it!" campaign to raise awareness, demonstrate concrete progress and reinforce commitments. It also included a strategic framework for action to enable the conditions for everyone to take part in the information society by bridging the broadband, accessibility and tackling competences gaps, accelerate effective participation of groups at risk of exclusion and integrating e-Inclusion actions to maximise lasting impact.
The CoR's Commission for Education, Culture and Research (EDUC) organised an external seminar in December 2007 on "Promoting e-Inclusion at local and regional level". A workshop on e-inclusion co-organised with the European Commission is foreseen for the CoR's OPEN DAYS 2008.
Source: www.cor.eu