The report on new working environments and practices illustrates developments towards new information and communication technology supported working environments and processes. It gives a view on collaboration in the working environment, in Europe and in the world.

A short (16 page) brochure on the impact of Information and Communication Technologies on European employment, competitive ness and inclusion. Available in English.

This publication analyses the high tech trade in the EU Member states, the United States and Japan. In 2004, the EU-25 was the leading economy in the world when looking at the value of high tech exports and imports. Good progress was in particular observed in the new EU Member states. Products related to electronics and telecommunications had the highest trade share in all the three economies of the triad.

This report, making a comparison of the current situation with that in the rest of the Community and neighbouring countries, shows that an access gap exists both in terms of service quality and in terms of tariffs. It analyses the handicaps and recommends action to be taken in specific areas by the Commission, the Member States and the regions concerned.

The publication presents data showing the importance of R&D and Human Resources in Science and Technology (HRST). HRST represented 47% of total employment in services, but only 29% in the manufacturing sector in 2004, the share of Scientists and Engineers (S&E) among HRST varying markedly across sectors. In the total services sector the proportion of women among HRST was higher than in the manufacturing sector. In 2003, the proportion of researchers among business enterprise R&D personnel was generally higher in the high tech manufacturing sector than in the manufacturing sector as a whole.

This publication takes a look at the specific usage the accommodation sector makes of information technologies in general and of the internet in particular, using the results of the 2005 Community surveys on ICT usage. While the accommodation sector is largely ahead of other sectors in its usage of information technologies for managing client relationships, it lags behind other sectors as regards the full implementation of e-business. One explanatory factor might be the low uptake of broadband technologies that would allow more information to be conveyed at a faster speed.

The proposal provides for the establishment, on the basis of the 'European Home Market Approach’, of common, Community-wide maximum price limits on the charges that mobile network operators may levy for the wholesale provision of mobile roaming services for mobile voice telephony calls made from a visited network in the Community and terminating on a public telephone network also located within the Community.

The conference held in Vienna last month was aimed at stimulating an exchange of good practice. Workshop 4 focussed on successful e-business models, especially measures to support the uptake of e-business by SMEs: 5 initiatives were presented.

This newsletter provides updated information on the activities organised in Communications Technologies in the framework of the Information Society Technologies research of the European Commission. The June 2006 issue is now available.

The eContentplus programme focuses on stimulating the development of digital content for services in areas of public interest - geographic information, cultural, scientific and educational content.

The European Charter for Small Enterprises supports small enterprises, in particular by improving their legislative and administrative framework. During its six years of existence, the Charter has become a core document of SME policy. It is now the reference frame for 44 countries and it is also used at regional policy-making level. The Commission has produced an electronic catalogue and brochure containing 40 examples of good practice to promote entrepreneurship, whittled down from the 155 submitted by Member States, Norway, Bulgaria and Romania.

This report provides a description and comparative assessment of the national legal rules in force that apply to unfair commercial practices in B2B e-markets, with a special view to on-line auctions and reverse auctions. The aim of the study is to facilitate cross-border sales within the EU by informing enterprises about the legal situation in other Member States. Several case-studies are analysed in a dedicated section: e.g. unfair price-setting mechanisms (puffing, auction rings, bid shielding, identity theft).

“Dialogue, partnership and empowerment” - the Communication on a strategy for a Secure Information Society – was adopted by the Commission on 31 May 2006. It calls for a structured process of consultation and dialogue on network and information security to be established with relevant stakeholders, including public administrations, private sector and individual users, and ENISA, as appropriate.

The Information sheets outline the key findings of the first i2010 Annual Report, adopted on 19 May 2006. The information sheets summarise the first year's policy results, data on key ICT developments and actions planned for 2006-2007.

The last report from the Expert Section of the eEurope Advisory Group deals with the second pillar of the i2010 strategy ‘Innovation and Investment in research’.

Review of report “Creating an Innovative Europe” issued in January 2006. The report states that current trends are unsustainable in the face of global competition and calls for a European pact for research and innovation, urging rapid, collective action and a new vision to address Europe’s productivity and social challenges.

The access to high speed internet through "broadband" connections is opening up huge possibilities and constitutes concrete evidence of the promises of the "information society". The benefits of broadband are such that the inability to have access to it is an issue which should be addressed urgently. This Communication focuses on the territorial divide regarding broadband access.

Main vision of this report: The totality of the manufacturing network has to be considered with respect to its scale and scope to enable better modes of collaboration between all facets of a network and with the externals in the context of its operations.

The 5th issue of Synergy analyses how European public bodies may benefit from Open Source Software. Its main actions focus on saving on license costs and potentially on administration and development costs. Collaboration, sharing of ideas and code also constitute an integral part of it. Synergy is the quarterly publication of IDABC, the Community programme that focuses on the cross-border dimension and interoperability of e-government services in Europe.

Projects stories on the cars exhibited at the launching event of the "Intelligent Car Initiative" on 23 February 2006 in Brussels