Brussels, 20/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - In January 2009, 93% of companies with ten or more employees had access to the internet in the 27 member states of the European Union and 82% of companies had a broadband internet connection. 12% of companies' turnovers was generated from e-commerce, according to the latest information published by Eurostat following a survey conducted at the beginning of 2009 on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in companies in the EU27 member states, Croatia and Norway.
The highest proportions of companies with internet access in the EU27 were recorded in Finland (100%), Denmark, Austria and Slovakia (all 98%) and Germany (97%). The percentage was less than 90% in only six member states: Romania (72%), Bulgaria (83%), Latvia and Hungary (both 87%), Cyprus (88%) and Greece (89%). The proportion of companies with a broadband connection in January 2009 was above 90% in Finland (94%), Spain and Malta (both 93%) and France (92%). Only in Romania (40%), Lithuania (57%) and Poland (58%) did fewer than 60% of enterprises have a broadband connection. The share of company turnover generated from e-commerce in 2008 varied significantly between member states. The highest shares were recorded in Ireland (26%), Finland and Sweden (both 18%), the Czech Republic, Germany and the United Kingdom (all 15%), Hungary (14%) and France (13%). The lowest shares were observed in Bulgaria and Cyprus (both 1%). Three quarters (73%) of e-commerce turnover came from within the country, 19% from another EU27 member state and 8% from outside the EU27. The highest proportions of e-commerce turnover from outside the EU27 were observed for companies in Malta (56%), Slovakia (34%), Ireland (23%) and Cyprus (20%).
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) 4 is a technology which uses special tags to remotely retrieve data by radio waves. In the EU27 in January 2009, 3% of companies used RFID. The Netherlands (9%), Finland (8%), Germany, Spain, Austria and Slovakia (all 4%) had the highest shares of companies using RFID and Greece, Cyprus and Romania (all 1%) the lowest. (I.L./transl.rt)