Official title

"Information Society Promotion Office (ISPO)"

Legal references

"Towards the information society: an action plan" COM (94) 347 final of 19/7/94;
"Europe and the global information society" Recommendations to the European Council (Corfu Summit, June 1994).

Objectives

In order to improve the coordination of its initiatives in the area of the Information society, the Commission has created the Information Society Activity Centre (ISAC), under the responsibility of the Directorate General for the Information Society. Within the activity centre, the Information Society Promotion Office (ISPO) acts as an interface between the Commission and those undertaking projects and initiatives in the area of the Information Society.

Beneficiaries

• heads of SMEs;
  
• local and national authorities;
  
• industrialists of the information technologies sector;
  
• suppliers of the information content;
  
• the most innovative universities and research centres;
  
• users and associations.

Nature of the activities

The main activities of ISPO include

• the management of Information Society Multiannual Programme (PROMISE programme 1998-2002);
  
• one-stop-shop provision of information services through electronic and traditional media;
  
• Information Society awareness and promotion actions;
  
• inventories of Information Society projects and actions;
  
• best practices identification and brokerage;
  
• promotion of networking between European Information Society actors;
  
• targeted Information Society projects and promotion actions such as the Global Inventory Project (GIP), G7 Global Inventory and European Survey of Information Society and events like Internet Fiesta.

Communication means:

• ISPO Help and information desk (free phone service)
  
• Information pages on the Internet (http://www.ispo.cec.be)
  
• ISPO monthly Newsletter - IS news - available on the Internet or on request from the ISPO Office, free of charge
  
• "Introduction to the Information Society: the European Way"
  
• "How to benefit from the Information Society"
  
• ISPO press book illustrates several innovative applications in the area of the information society, December 1998
  
• Financial instruments of the European Union for Information Society projects and actions

Sources of additional information

• European Commission
  Directorate General Information Society
  BU 24 0/74
  Rue de la Loi 200
  B-1049 Brussels
  Tel: +32-2-296 88 00
  Fax: +32-2-299 41 80
  Email: ispo@ispo.cec.be
  Internet: http://www.ispo.cec.be

ISPO InfoDesk Free phone Service:

Austria: 0800 295835
Belgium: 0800 13891
Denmark: 800 18888
Finland: 0800 113635
France: 0800 917227
Germany: 0800 1821943
Greece: 00800 3212 635
Ireland: 1800 553224
Italy: 800 876790
Luxembourg: 0800 2929
The Netherlands: 0800 0222086
Portugal: 8008 32 635
Spain: 900 993290
Sweden: 020 791 635
UK: 0800 962114