Brussels, 31/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU telecommunications ministers met in Brussels on Tuesday 31 March at the 2935th session of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council under the chairmanship of Ivan Langer, Czech Transport Minister. The Council adopted conclusions on an accessible information society on the basis of a Commission communication of December 2008 and in the context of the Riga goals set out in June 2006. The impact of the economic crisis on information and communication technologies (ICT) was the second point on the ministerial agenda.
“This is a theme that continues to have our full attention. (…) There are still obstacles to overcome”, Minister Langer said on the subject of an information society accessible to all. Stressing that ICT can considerably improve the daily lives of older people and persons with disabilities, ministers agreed it was necessary to deploy more initiatives in order to make new technologies more accessible. Initiatives are still too rare in the member states which fail to agree on best practice due to the lack of communication between them, the Council stressed. The conclusions invite member states to stimulate access to public services through various channels and to generally make new technologies financially affordable for all citizens. Efforts must also be made to set up campaigns to heighten awareness, and there must be better targeted learning programmes. The Commission is invited to retain digital accessibility as one of its priorities in the context of the i2010 initiative and to set up a group of experts as promised in order to continue work in this field.
Given the impact that the economic crisis will have on the different sectors of activity, ministers also made an assessment during their exchange of views of the specific impact that the economic crisis will have on new technologies. There is strong growth in the sector, which so far seems to have resisted the effects of the crisis, the European Commission was pleased to say last week (see EUROPE 9869). Better still, the new technologies can help member states overcome the crisis, if their potential is correctly used. Minister Langer stressed that “the new information and communication technologies have been and will remain one of the driving forces for growth. They should not be neglected”. Viviane Reding, Commissioner for the Information Society and Media, put in: “New technologies are a tool that will allow fresh impetus to be given to the economy, and step up energy production”. During the discussions, member states all underlined the need to reach a maximum foothold for broadband internet use, including in rural areas. The often fastidious administrative constraints for citizens and enterprise must also be reduced as far as possible and member states must implement adequate policies to achieve this, including by making a maximum number of online services available in order to lighten procedures, the ministers also stressed. Points of consensus broadly shared by member states include investment in infrastructure, continued research and development in new technologies, and ensuring continuous training for ICT personnel. (I.L./transl.jl)