eEurope+ 2003

The paper summarises the overall situation of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the new EU member states from a global perspective. It provides a set of indicators to benchmark the introduction of new technologies into education and everyday life. The data gathered by the eEurope+ final progress report shows that considerable progress has been made in many areas related to the information society in the recent years. All the new member states and candidate countries have made significant efforts towards the implementation of the knowledge-based society. Among several actions recommended for the future, the report highlights the need to stimulate the development of interactive, multimedia-rich and multilingual content as a driver for broadband deployment. The implementation of e-government services, the integration of ICT training into every pupilsu0092 education or the deployment of lifelong ICT training are other measures recommended.