FITUG e.V. Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft

Access to the Internet for all

CORDIS RTD-NEWS/© European Communities, 1999.

Record Control Number: 13634

Date: 1999-09-16

Category: General policy

General Information:

The Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on 9 September that encourages Member States to make new communications and information services such as the Internet more easily available to citizens, especially by providing public access points.

This is in line with a policy of 'universal community service', and Member States are called upon to invite public authorities and relevant industries to promote access whilst encouraging individual users to get connected.

The recommendations include guidelines for a coherent European policy that would see educational and cultural institutions promoting the use of new information technologies. Governments are encouraged to develop financing strategies in partnership with the private sector. The ultimate aim is to prevent the division of society into 'information-rich' and 'information poor' citizens.

This recommendation is in line with the commitment 'to develop a European policy for the application of the new information technologies', undertaken by the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government in 1997, and at the Fifth European Ministerial Conference on 'Mass media policy' also in 1997.

Data Source Provider: I*M Europe Newsdesk

Document Reference: Council of Europe press release.

Subject Index Codes: Information Processing, Information Systems

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