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Information Society and Media

3. i2010 Initiative

The Information Society affects most aspects of our lives, so policies and activities stretch from the regulation of an entire industrial sector to the protection of each individual's privacy.

Europe’s Information Society policies are brought together under the i2010 Initiative: the EU framework for addressing the main challenges and developments in the information society and media sectors in the years up to 2010. The rationale for the i2010 initiative sees ICT as a key driver for more jobs and growth in Europe.

The initiative, which was adopted by the European Commission in June 2005, promotes an open and competitive digital economy, research into information and communication technologies, as well as their application to improve social inclusion, public services and quality of life. It aims to bring together all the relevant EU policy instruments: regulation, research and partnerships with the member states, together with industry and other stakeholders, and to unite them under a common strategic framework.

i2010 has three specific policy objectives:

1. Information Space: Europe needs an Information Society offering affordable, secure and high-speed communications, carrying rich and diverse content and services;
2. Investment in Research and Innovation: Europe must close the gap with its leading competitors in ICT research;
3. Inclusion: Europe's Information Society must provide a wide variety of public services to improve everyone's quality of life, without leaving any 'digital have-nots' behind.

These policy objectives are further explained below:

A Single European Information Space

To create a “Common Information Space” is the first priority under the i2010 initiative. It means using the rules for electronic communication networks and digital services to get the best possible choice, quality and price for EU industry and consumers. The rules and regulatory practices must promote an open and competitive single market for networks and services, one which is attractive to investors and rewards innovation. The rules must be as simple and flexible as possible, so that market and technology developments are not held back.

Broadband, i.e. high-speed Internet connections, is a prerequisite to accessing new products and services delivered by progress in ICTs, such as voice telephony and television over the Internet. Consumers and businesses alike benefit from broadband deployment: high download rates are necessary for business process integration, outsourcing and efficient tele-working.

In January 2007, there were around 80 million broadband connections in the EU25, 20 million up from 2006. The broadband penetration rate is about 17 percent of the population, which compares favourably with the USA . Five countries are world leaders ( Denmark , Sweden , the Netherlands , Finland and Belgium ) ahead of South Korea and Japan. However, there is a lot of variation at national level: a 26.5 percentage-point difference persists between the leader and the last placed country and the gap is in fact widening. Especially rural areas and disadvantaged regions are struggling: more than 10 percent of the EU population (or 50 million individuals) live in an area where broadband is not available. Offering affordable and secure high bandwidth communications has therefore been made a focus of the first priority of i2010.

The first priority of i2010 foresees also to reform the EU telecom rules and to modernise  the European rules on audiovisual content.  Both of these reviews are being undertaken with the principal aim of generating growth and jobs.

Investment in Research and Innovation

The second policy objective of the i2010 initiative proposes to increase EU investment in ICT research by 80 percent. European media, computer and communications industries have a strong potential for growth, but Europe currently allocates only 18 percent of its total research investment to ICT research. The Commission strives to make ICT research a major focus for investment by private and public actors.

In terms of annual investment in ICT research, Europe is investing only €80 per capita, whereas the US invests €350 and Japan €400. The Commission considers ICT research Europe’s best bet for delivering sustained growth and skilled jobs. Reflecting its key role in Europe’s economic development, ICT research has been made the single largest funding priority in the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The EU has earmarked a total of €9.1 billion (64 percent of the total budget) for funding ICT research over the 2007-2013 period.

EU’s ICT research funding is focused on seven key research challenges to help Europe become a world leader in ICTs. Three challenges aim at industrial leadership in key ICT sectors, while four are driven by socioeconomic targets. Within each challenge, the programme will fund an array of collaborative projects.

The ICT Policy Support Programme will run from 2007 to 2013 with a budget of €730 million. The ICT PSP aims at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses. The programme builds on the aims of the previous e-TEN, Modinis and e-Content programmes and will support the aims of the new integrated strategy i2010 - European Information Society 2010.

In some cases, the scope of the RTD objectives and the resources involved justify setting up long-term public/private partnerships in the form of Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs). JTIs aim to achieve greater strategic focus by supporting common, ambitious research agendas in areas such as nano-electronics, which are crucial for competitiveness and growth, assembling and coordinating at the European level a critical mass of research. They therefore draw on all sources of R&D investment - public or private - and couple research tightly with innovation.

Inclusion, Improved Services and Quality of Life

The European Commission emphasises that an Information Society will be sustainable only if it ensures inclusion and broad electronic participation in society. Therefore the third pillar of the i2010 initiative tries to ensure that all Europeans can reap the benefits of the Information Society.

The Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Viviane Reding, says: “The Information Society is crucial to achieving the Lisbon Goals of creating a competitive, sustainable and socially inclusive Europe where everyone, regardless of their health, wealth or location, can fulfil their potential.”

Also, people who are disadvantaged due to limited resources or education, gender, ethnicity, etc., should be able to benefit equally.

Broadband has yet to reach some of the EU’s less-developed areas. The Commission promotes action at regional, national and European level to close this so-called digital divide and ensure everyone can access the Information Society, regardless of where they are.

Since the Internet also offers opportunities for misusers, such as child pornographers, pedophile rings, hate preachers and others, the Commission has set up the Safer Internet Programme. It tries to establish a network of hotlines to report illegal Internet content to the police or Internet service providers.

The i2010 initiative also advocates better public services through the help of ICTs and the eLearning and eSafety - make European road transport safer –projects. The eContent plus programme (2005-2008) attempts to make digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable.