Brussels, 21/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has launched a wide-ranging consultation on benchmarking of national and regional e-business policies in support of SMEs. This consultation should allow, on the one hand, better to target these policies to the real needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe, and, on the other, to define yardsticks against which success can be measured. It is open from 18 February to 31 March 2002 on the site: http: //europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/benchmarking.htm
An initial synthesis report, providing a snapshot of the current national and regional e-business policies has already been established following the first phase of the e-business benchmarking initiative. More than 150 policy initiatives specifically addressed to some SMEs have already been identified, mainly in the areas of raising awareness and information technology skills, promoting SME support networks and helping SMEs to participate in e-marketplaces. The assessment of these policies against the ultimately agreed benchmarking criteria is expected to be completed by June, providing examples of good public sector practice in developing e-business policies. A high-level conference will beheld by the end of June to present the results of the benchmarking initiative. November's Industry Council will turn to this issue, in the context of an examination of the progress report on the "GoDigital" initiative.