Brussels, 27/09/2001 (Agence Europe) - The e-business campaign of the Euro Info Centres was launched on Wednesday. Implemented in the context of the "Go-Digital" initiative ("Helping SMEs to go digital"), it aims to provide information and practical advice to SMEs wishing to adopt electronic commerce or which are still ill-informed about the possibilities and mechanisms. It takes place in the fifteen EU Member States as well as in Iceland, Norway, Poland and Slovenia.
The campaign comes within the framework of the eEurope initiative aimed at improving and consolidating Europe's competitive position for the use of new information and communications technologies. It provides mainly for a specific action, Go-Digital, in order to encourage SMEs to integrate the internet in their activities and adopt electronic commerce.
The information campaign on e-commerce run by the 282 Euro Info Centres (EIC), which constitute one of the European Commission's networks devoted to supporting business, is one of the first operations launched as part of the Go-Digital initiative. The EICs are situated in the countries of the European Union, Norway, Iceland and some countries in Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin. They provide businesses with information, advice and assistance. Each national e-business campaign will offer a range of targeted services tailored to the needs of businesses in the country concerned, such as talks and workshops on the practical aspects of electronic commerce, audits, advice on strategy, the establishment of pilot groups of businesses and other forms of assistance to tackle the problems encountered. Some of these activities will be targeted at particular fields or sectors. In addition, follow-up for each operation will be provided for a period of six months, during which SMEs will have the benefit of supplementary information and services. This will enable them to examine new options or rethink their approach.