Information Society in Europe: multiannual community programme 1998-2002 PROMISE

The Commission has decided to propose a legal basis for a number of budget lines and has addressed a communication on this subject to the budgetary authority (see COS0382). The present proposal, submitted pursuant to this communication, relates to budget line B5-331 and concerns a multiannual Community programme to stimulate the establishment of the information society in Europe. The activities envisaged under the proposal include three lines of action: a) measures to raise awareness: - dissemination of information and promotion of actions aimed at a better understanding of the opportunities of the information society; - surveying and identification of citizens' needs and measures to stimulate the interest of industry (especially SMEs) in proposing services and applications to meet these needs; - demonstration of potential impacts of the information society at regional level; - organization and follow-up of fora. b) measures to help establish the information society: - analysis of the technical, economic, social and regulatory aspects and optimization of the socio-economic benefits; - assessment of the opportunities and barriers which disadvantaged social groups and less-favoured regions may face in accessing and using information society products and services; - permanent inventory of projects which facilitate the deployment of the information society; - contribution, on the basis of identified best programmes and practices, to the Europe-wide application of successful projects and services; - identification and evaluation of the financial mechanisms needed to develop the information society; - identification of obstacles to the functioning of the internal market; - launching of actions to ascertain the priorities of SMEs. c) measures to take into consideration and make use of the global dimension of the information society: - inventory of initiatives taken worldwide, exchange of information with third countries and developing countries, collaboration with international organizations on the preparation of demonstration actions. For the adoption of this decision, the EC Treaty does not provide for any powers other than those defined in Article 235. �