i2010 - A European Information Society for Growth and Employment

On 1 June 2005, the Commission today adopted the initiative “i2010: European Information Society 2010” to foster growth and jobs in the information society and media industries. i2010 is a comprehensive strategy for modernising and deploying all EU policy instruments to encourage the development of the digital economy: regulatory instruments, research and partnerships with industry. The impact assessment of the i2010 initiative identifies options for policy actions in the field of ICT beyond 2005. It is based upon extensive consultation and empirical evidence. In the context of the renewed Lisbon strategy for European growth and employment, it offers a timely opportunity to assess information society initiatives to follow the current eEurope Action Plan which comes to an end in 2005. This Extended Impact Assessment [513 KB] is presented as a supporting document to a forthcoming Communication which will take into account the following assessment and go one step further to deliver the policy strategy for the next five years

CIP ICT PSP (Policy Support Programme)

Dedicated page

On 24 October 2006 the European Parliament and the Council adopted the first "Competitiveness and Innovation framework Programme (CIP)". Together with the EU Decision establishing the CIP ( decision 1639/2006/EC [165 KB] of 9/11/206), a staff working paper with Impact Assessment was simultaneously published ( SEC(2005)433 [552 KB] ). The CIP is a coherent and integrated response to the objectives of the renewed Lisbon strategy. Running from 2007 until 2013, with a budget of nearly  EUR 4 billion over the 7 year period.  The Programme builds on three specific programmes (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Intelligent Energy-Europe Programme) and the ICT Policy Support Programme (ICT-PSP) .

The ICT-PSP builds on the aims of the previous eTEN, MODINIS and eCONTENT programmes. With a budget of 730 million EUR, ICT-PSP aims at stimulating innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of the ICT by citizens, governments and business.

The new evaluation strategy of the Commission (SEC(2007)213) [270 KB] requires improved planning of evaluation activities. The same requirement is stated in the decision establishing the legal base, which stipulates that the Commission shall regularly monitor the implementation of the CIP and its specific programmes. Accordingly, the following activities are taking place to monitor the CIP ICT Policy Support Programme: In 2006 a study was contracted supporting the fomulation of an evaluation and monitoring strategy for the CIP-ICT PSP. The final report [385 KB] was provided by RAND Europe in March 2007.

DG INFSO adopted on 4 September 2007 a Multi-annual Plan [128 KB] for Evaluation and monitoring of the ICT-PSP of the CIP. The evaluation of the first CIP ICT PSP call was monitored and a report [403 KB] produced in December 2007. The interim evaluation of the CIP-ICT-PSP [353 KB] was completed in 2009. It was supported with a study [181 KB] and an impact observatory.

The final evaluation of CIP is due by the end of 2011. With that target in mind, an evaluation panel will start working in 2010 with the support of a study.

eContent Programme Evaluation

Final Evaluation of the eContent Programme (2001-2005) - Dedicated Page

The eContent Programme which covered the period 2001-2004, is now closed. The Final Evaluation of the eContent Programme started in February 2006. The eContent Programme was subject to a mid-term evaluation which provided inputs to the following eContent plusProgramme. Following a vote by the European Parliament on 27 January 2005, the EU Council on 28 February reached political agreement on the eContentplus Programme, which aims to support the development of multi-lingual content for innovative, on-line services across the EU. The 4-year programme (2005-08), proposed by the European Commission in February 2004, will have a budget of € 149 million to tackle the fragmentation of the European digital content market and improve the accessibility and usability of geographical information, cultural content and educational material.

Safer Internet Programmes Evaluation

Final Evaluation of the Safer Internet Action Plan - Dedicated Page

The Final Evaluation of Safer Internet Programme started in February 2006. The Safer Internet plus Decision was signed by the Presidents of the European Parliament and the Council in Strasbourg on 11 May 2005, after formal adoption by the Council on 12 April 2005. See the text of the Decision. The 4-year programme (2005–08), proposed by the European Commission in March, will have a budget of € 45 million to combat illegal and harmful internet content. The new programme also covers other media, such as videos, and explicitly addresses the fight against racism, and also “spam”. It will focus more closely on end users: parents, educators and children. For the ex-ante evaluation of Safer Internet plus and other relative documents, click here

eTEN Programme Evaluation and Monitoring

The eTEN Programme supports the roll-out of operational trans European ‘e’ services in the public interest and is a key instrument of the eEurope Action Plan 2005. An independent mid term evaluation of eTEN Programme was commissioned in 2004 and has been carried out by the consultants, PLS Ramboll and IDATE. The final report was prepared in December 2004 and is available by following the link below. This major assessment was conducted at a particularly important time for the Programme as new policy directions signal the importance of this kind of initiative in the deployment of European information society services and networks. The evaluation examined:

i) the implementation, performance in relation to objectives and results of the programme over the period 2000 - 2004. Report [720 KB]

ii) options for programme re-orientations in the near future and for a new phase of the programme from 2006. These assessments will included an analysis of potential implications and impacts. Report [187 KB]

The principal message is that eTEN remains relevant and can make a hugely important contribution to the deployment of the information society. However, under its present form, it is only capable of delivering modest impacts and it therefore should be considerably re-structured > Report Executive Summary [120 KB]

An independent external monitoring of the eTEN Call 2003/1 took place at a critical time for the programme, a time of transition

MODINIS Programme - PROMISE Programme Evaluation

MODINIS is intended to follow up the eEurope 2005 action plan by disseminating good practices, comparing performances of the Member States and supporting action to raise awareness in order to enhance the security of networks and information. Previous to MODINIS, the PROMISE programme was used to monitor progress towards the objectives of the eEurope 2002 Action Plan by benchmarking Member States’ performance in the objective areas. Also included in PROMISE were identification and dissemination of best practices, the contribution to the eGovernment 2001 and 2003 and the eHealth 2003 Conferences, information services and the Information Society Forum (ISF). PROMISE was adopted on 30th March 1998, covering a 5 year period starting 1st January 1998 and ending 31st December 2002. A total of €25 million was allotted for PROMISE. In response to the mid-term review and prompted by political developments in the area of IS in the first half of the year 2000, the Commission re-focused the activities of PROMISE in support of the eEurope 2002 Action Plan. The final Promise Evaluation [714 KB] report presents the findings of the final evaluation of the multi-annual Community programme to stimulate the establishment of the Information Society in Europe, PROMISE. The evaluation was undertaken between August 2003 and November 2003 by EIM Business & Policy Research on behalf of the European Commission and under guidance of a Steering Committee appointed by the Commission. The final evaluation is used to provide ex post information on the performance and value of the programme and present lessons for the MODINIS programme which succeeds PROMISE.