Ministersconferentie over kennismaatschappij van start in Hongarije (en)
Hosted by the EU Irish Presidency, the Hungarian Government, and the European Commission, a two-day Ministerial Conference is starting today in Budapest on the eve of the Union's enlargement to twenty five Member States. The conference will review progress made in implementing the eEurope+ Action Plan launched at the Seville European Council in June 2001, and discuss joint challenges for the whole of Europe in the field of Information Society. Some 40 Ministers or their Deputies from the acceding Member States, candidate countries, several EU Member States and the South-East European Countries are expected to attend amongst the 500 participants which include high-level involvement of the private sector, academia and civil society. All member states will send a delegation to the event.
"Real progress is being made across Europe towards a knowledge-driven society", said Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner for enterprise and the information society. "This event allows us to take stock and identify fresh priorities. Making sure that the information society is affordable and available for citizens and businesses in every part of Europe is a crucial factor for growth, competitiveness and new jobs. This means getting the right regulatory framework to foster investment, boost competition and lower prices. But this also means making sure that public authorities drive demand by making greater use of on-line services in areas like administration, healthcare and education. For ten of the countries participating, this meeting presents a final stage in their preparations for accession to the Union. The implementation of the EU regulatory framework and the shaping of national strategies for the deployment of broadband networks is therefore at the top of their agenda. Our work over the next two days should help us in pursuing our common eEurope goals".
This Ministerial Conference builds on previous conferences in Warsaw and Ljubljana It will focus on developments in national strategies for the information society, as well as progress in rolling out broadband and other networks and the exchange of good e-business practices and policies. It will also discuss actions aimed at ensuring wider participation in the information society irrespective of age, gender and location.
At the event, a final Progress Report will be presented on progress made under the eEurope+ action plan. The report is based on data collected in the ten new Member States and the three candidate countries.
Their action plan was launched in June 2001 at the Seville European Council in order to allow them to set out their own roadmap. The report
shows that the Information Society is already a reality in these countries and that it has been matched by tangible political commitments.
National e-strategies have been developed and the implementation of the relevant EU legislation (telecommunications and e-commerce in particular) is on track. In particular, the level of take up of fixed telephone connections and of mobile phones is high. There are ambitious programmes for computers in schools and significant progress is being made in e-government. However, the cost of accessing and using the Internet varies widely, and the cost of a PC compared to monthly earnings may act as a break on the spread of home PCs. Sustained efforts are required to encourage further take-up of e-business, particularly amongst SMEs.
Within the European Union, priorities are now set out in the eEurope 2005 Action Plan which was launched early last year. Its objectives set ambitious targets for all EU Member States. For the ten new Member States that join the European Union on 1 May, and for candidate countries, taking up these challenges mid-way through the process could pose significant challenges. For this reason, the EU's Irish Presidency has also scheduled a political discussion amongst Ministers and/or their representatives of eEurope 2005 and, in particular, the mid-term review launched by the Commission earlier this month (see IP/04/239). Minister Mary Hanafin and Commissioner Erkki Liikanen will moderate this discussion.
Commissioner Liikanen is also expected to meet with the President of the Republic of Hungary Dr. Ferenc Mádl as well as Dr. Péter Medgyessy, Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary, as both have confirmed their participation in this event.
Additional information on the conference can be found at: