Rec to the EU Council Europe and the GII -- sorry for the format but ..

[David Farber <farber () linc cis upenn edu>]

   transport industry and unions byend 1994. Definition of standards for
   communication procedures and the exchange of data and voice messages
   between ATC-centres as well as between ATC-centres and aeroplanes.
   
   A functioning trans-European system before the year 2000.
   
   
   
Application Seven
HEALTHCARE NETWORKS
Less costly and more effective healthcare systems for Europe's citizens


   
   
   What should be done? Create a direct communication "network of
   networks" based on common standards linking general practitioners,
   hospitals and social centres on a European scale. 
   
   
   
   Who will do it? The private sector, insurance companies, medical
   associations and Member State healthcare systems, with the European
   Union promoting standards and portable applications. Once telecom
   operators make available the required networks at reduced rates, the
   private sector will create competitively priced services at a
   European level, boosting the productivity and cost-effectiveness of
   the whole healthcare sector.
   
   
   
   Who gains? Citizens as patients will benefit from a substantial
   improvement in healthcare (improvement in diagnosis through on-line
   access to European specialists, on-line reservation of analysis and
   hospital services by practitioners extended on European scale,
   transplant matching, etc.). Tax payers and public administrations
   will benefit from tighter cost control and cost savings in healthcare
   spending and a speeding up of reimbursement procedures.
   
   
   
   Issues to watch? Privacy and the confidentiality of medical records
   will need to be safeguarded.
   
   
   
   What target? Major private sector health care providers linked on a
   European scale. First level implementation of networks in Member
   States linking general practitioners, specialists and hospitals at a
   regional and national level by end 1995. 
   
   
   
Application Eight
ELECTRONIC TENDERING
More effective administration at lower cost


   
   
   What should be done? Introduction of electronic procedures for
   public procurement between public administrations and suppliers in
   Europe followed by the creation of a European Electronic Tendering
   Network. This programme will function as a strong enabling mechanism
   for attaining critical mass in the telematic services market in
   Europe.
   
   
   
   Who will do it? European Council and Member States decide to agree
   on common standards and to introduce a mandatory commitment to
   electronic handling of information, bidding and payments related to
   public procurement. Telecom operators and service providers will
   enableusers to access to the European Electronic Tendering Network.
   
   
   
   Who gains? PublicAdministrations will benefit from cost savings in
   replacing paper handling with electronic handling and from the more
   competitive environment between suppliers drawn from the wider
   internal market. Small and medium sized enterprises will benefit from
   participating in trans-European public procurement and from the
   diffusion of telematic services.
   
   
   
   Issues to watch? Data security, the need to ensure open access
   particularly for SMEs, to avoid electronic procurement developing
   into a hidden form of protectionism. Take proper account of similar
   programmes developed in third countries, particularly the US (CALS).
   
   
   
   What target? A critical mass of 10% of awarding authorities using
   electronic procedures for their procurement needs could be attained
   in the next two to three years.
   
   
   
Application Nine
TRANS-EUROPEAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION NETWORK
Better government, cheaper government


   
   
   What should be done? Interconnected networks between Public
   Administrations networks in Europe, aiming at providing an effective
   and less expensive (replacement of paper by electronic means)
   information interchange. Subsequently extended to link public
   administrations and European citizens.
   
   
   
   Who will do it? European Union and Member States should strengthen
   and speed up the implementation of the programme for Interchange of
   Data between Administrations (IDA). The private sector will increase
   its co-operation with the European Union and Member States in
   defining technical solutions for the provision of interoperable
   services and interconnectable networks, while supporting national and
   local authorities in the testing and implementation of networks and
   services for citizens.
   
   
   
   Who gains? The unification process for the single market, with
   general benefits in lower costs and better relations between public
   administrations and European citizens.
   
   
   
   What target? Implementation of interconnected networks allowing
   interchange in the tax, customs and excise, statistical, social
   security, health care domains, etc., by 1995-96. 
   
Application Ten
CITY INFORMATION HIGHWAYS
Bringing the information society into the home


   
   
   What should be done? Set up networks providing households with a
   network access system and the means of using on-line multimedia and
   entertainment services on a local, regional, and national and
   international basis.
   
   
   
   Who will do it? Groups of content and service providers
   (broadcasters, publishers), network operators (telecoms
   organisations, cable), system suppliers/integrators (e.g. consumer
   electronic industry). Local and regional authorities, citizens
   groups, chambers of commerce and industry, will have very important
   roles to play.
   
   
   
   Who gains? Consumers will enjoy early experience of complex new
   services, particulary multimedia services, and will be able to
   express their preferences in the fields of entertainment (video on
   demand), transaction-oriented services (banking, home shopping etc.)
   as well as gaining access to information services and teleworking or
   telelearning.
   
   Public authorities will gain experience with issues such as privacy,
   IPR protection, standardisation which will be helpful in defining a
   single legal and regulatory environment.
   
   Private sector participants will gain early hands-on experience of
   consumer preferences for programmes, software and services. User
   interfaces can be tested and improved in practice.
   
   
   
   What target? Install and operate in up to five European cities with
   up to 40,000 households per city by 1997.
   
    
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
   
   
   
   
                                  CHAPTER 5
      FINANCING THE INFORMATION SOCIETY - A TASK FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR
                                       
   
   
   It is neither possible nor necessary at this stage to be precise
   about the amount of investment that will be generated by the
   development of the information infrastructure and related services
   and applications. Analyses made of the US market remain highly
   questionable, although there is no doubt that the total investment
   required over the next 5 to 10 years will be considerable.
   
   The Group believes the creation of the information society in Europe
   should be entrusted to the private sector and to market forces.
   
   
   
   
   
     The Group believes the creation of the information society in
     Europe should be entrusted to the private sector and to market
     forces.
     
   
   
   
   
   Private capital will be available to fund new telecoms services and
   infrastructures providing that the different elements of this
   Report's Action Plan are implemented so that:
   
   
   
     * market liberalisation is fast and credible
       
       
     * rules for interoperability and reciprocal access are set
       
       
     * tariffs are adjusted
       
       
     * the regulatory framework is established
       
       
       
       
       
   There will be no need for public subsidies, because sufficient
   confidence will have been established to attract the required
   investment from private sources.
   
   
   
   Ultimately, it is market growth that is perceived as the real
   guarantee for private investors, rendering subsidies and monopolies
   superfluous.
   
   
   
   Public investment will assume a role, but not by any increase in the
   general level of public spending - rather by a refocusing of existing
   expenditure. Indeed, some of the investment that public authorities
   will have to undertake to develop applications in areas of their own
   responsibility will generate productivity gains and an improvement in
   the quality of services that should, if properly handled, lead to
   savings.
   
   
   
   In addition to some refocusing of expenditure on R&D, modest amounts
   of public money may also be useful to support awareness campaigns
   mainly directed at small and medium sized businesses and individual
   consumers.
   
   
   
     
     
     The Group recommends refocusing existing public funding more
     specifically to target the requirements of the information
     society. At the Union level, this may require some reorientation
     of current allocations under such headings as the Fourth Framework
     Programme for research and development and the Structural Funds.
     
   
   
   
   
   The same is true for expenditure at the European Union which can
   achieve important results by a better focusing of existing resources,
   including finance available under both the Fourth Framework Programme
   funding R&D, and under the Structural Funds. 
   
   
   
   The Commission has also proposed limited support for some of the
   services and applications included in the Group's Action Plan from
   funds linked to the promotion of trans-European networks. These
   proposals deserve support.
   
    
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
   
   
   
   
                                  CHAPTER 6
                                  FOLLOW-UP
                                       
   
   
   With this Report the Group has completed its mandate and provided
   recommendations for action. Our recommendations should be regarded as
   a coherent whole, the full benefits of which can only be reaped if
   action is taken in all areas.
   
   
   
   
   
     Given the urgency and importance of the tasks ahead, the Group
     believes that at Union level there must be one Council capable of
     dealing with the full range of issues associated with the
     information society. With this in mind, each Member States may
     wish to nominate a single minister to represent it in a Council of
     Ministers dedicated to the information society. The Commission
     should act similarly.
     
     
     
     The Group calls for the establishment by the Commission of a Board
     composed of eminent figures from all sectors concerned, including
     the social partners, to work on the framework for implementing the
     information society and to promote public awareness of its
     opportunities and challenges. This Board should report at regular
     intervals to the institutions of the Union on progress made on the
     implementation of the recommendations contained in this report.
     
   
   
    
     _________________________________________________________________ 
   
   
   
   
   
                 AN ACTION PLAN - SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
                                       
   
   
   
   
Regulatory Framework


   
   
   Evolving the regulatory domain
   
   
   
   Member States should accelerate the ongoing process of liberalisation
   of the Telecom sector by :
   
     * opening up to competition infrastructures and services still in
       the monopoly area
       
     * removing non-commercial political burdens and budgetary
       constraints imposed on telecommunications operators
       
     * setting clear timetables and deadlines for the implementation of
       practical measures to achieve these goals.
       
   An authority should be established at European level whose terms of
   reference will require prompt attention.
   
   
   
   Interconnection and Interoperability
   
   
   
   Interconnection of networks and interoperability of services and
   applications should be primary Union objectives. The European
   standardisation process should be reviewed in order to increase its
   speed and responsiveness to markets. 
   
   
   
   Tariffs
   
   
   
   As a matter of urgency the international, long distance and leased
   line tariffs should be adjusted to bring these down into line with
   rates practised in other advanced industrialised regions. The
   adjustment should be accompanied by the fair sharing of public service
   obligations among operators.
   
   
   
   Critical Mass
   
   
   
   Public awareness should be promoted. Particular attention should be
   paid to the small and medium-sized business sector, public
   administrations and the younger generation.
   
   
   
   Worldwide Dimension
   
   
   
   The openness of the European market should find its counterpart in
   markets and networks of other regions of the world. It is of paramount
   importance for Europe that adequate steps should be taken to guarantee
   equal access.
   
   
   
   
   
Completing the agenda


   
   
   The Information Society is global. Union action should aim to
   establish a common and agreed regulatory framework for the protection
   of intellectual property rights, privacy and security of information
   in Europe and, where appropriate, internationally.
   
   
   
   IPRs 
   
   Intellectual property protection must rise to the new challenges of
   globalisation and multimedia, and must continue to have a high
   priority at both European and international levels.
   
   
   
   Privacy 
   
   Without the legal security of a Union-wide approach, lack of consumer
   confidence will certainly undermine the rapid development of the
   information society. Given the importance and sensitivity of the
   privacy issue, a fast decision from Member States is required on the
   Commission's proposed Directive setting out general principles of data
   protection.
   
   
   
   Electronic protection, legal protection and security
   
   
   
   Work at the European level on electronic and legal protection as well
   as security should be accelerated.
   
   
   
   Media ownership 
   
   Urgent attention should be given to the question of how we can avoid
   divergent national legislation on media ownership undermining the
   internal market. Effective rules must emerge to protect pluralism and
   competition.
   
   
   
   Competition 
   
   Competition is a key element in Europe's strategy. The application of
   competition rules should reflect the reality of the newly emerging
   global markets and the speed of change in the environment.
   
   
   
   
   
Building blocks


   
   
   Networks
   
   
   
   Priority has to be given to the extension of the availability of
   EURO-ISDN, in line with current Commission proposals, and reductions
   in tariffs to foster the market.
   
   
   
   The Council should support the implementation of the European
   Broadband Infrastructure and secure its interconnectivity with the
   whole of European telecom, cable television and satellite networks.
   
   A European Broadband Steering Committee involving all relevant actors
   should be set up in order to develop a common vision and to monitor
   and facilitate the realisation of the overall concept through, in
   particular, demonstrations, and choice and definition of standards.
   
   
   
   With regard to mobile and satellite communications :
   
     * tariffs for mobile communications should be reduced
       
     * GSM should be promoted in Europe and internationally
       
     * a regulatory framework for satellite communications should be
       established
       
     * the European satellite industry should be urged to develop common
       priority projects and to participate actively in the development
       of world-wide systems.
       
   
   
   Basic services
   
   
   
   The provision and widespread use of standard trans-European basic
   services, including electronic mail, file transfer, video services,
   should be promoted by urgent and coherent action at both the European
   and Member State levels.
   
   
   
   The Commission should initiate the creation of a " European Basic
   Services Forum" to accelerate the availability of unified standards
   for basic services.
   
   
   
   Applications
   
   
   
   Initiatives in the application domain are the most effective means of
   addressing the slow take-off of demand and supply. They have a
   demonstration function which would help promoting their use. The Group
   has identified the following initiatives :
   
     * Teleworking
       
     * Distance learning
       
     * University and research networks
       
     * Telematic services for SMEs
       
     * Road traffic management
       
     * Air traffic control
       
     * Health care networks
       
     * Electronic tendering
       
     * Trans-European public administration network
       
     * City information highways.
       
   
   
Financing


   
   
   The creation of the information society should be entrusted to the
   private sector and to the market forces.
   
   
   
   The existing public funding should be refocused more specifically to
   target the requirements of the information society. At the Union
   level, this may require some reorientation of current allocations
   under such headings as the Fourth Framework Programme for research and
   development and the Structural Funds.
   
   
   
   
   
Follow-up


   
   
   Given the urgency and importance of the tasks ahead, there must be, at
   Union level, one Council capable of dealing with the full range of
   issues associated with the information society. With this in mind,
   each Member State may wish to nominate a single minister to represent
   it in a Council of Ministers dedicated to the information society. The
   Commission should act similarly.
   
   
   
   A Board composed of eminent figures from all sectors concerned,
   including the social partners, should be established by the Commission
   to work on the framework for implementing the information society and
   to promote public awareness of its opportunities and challenges. This
   Board should report at regular intervals to the institutions of the
   Union on progress made on the implementation of the recommendations
   contained in this Report.