Information Society Activities > Overview

Information Society Activities at a Glance

The EU's Information Society activities translate its policies into progress 'on the ground'. Taken together, they are improving quality of life and stimulating growth, competitiveness and jobs across Europe. Activities range from basic and applied research into tomorrow's cutting-edge Information Society technologies to stimulating the take-up of these technologies in different sectors of the economy and across Europe's regions.

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Naturally, policies and activities are two sides of the same coin, so apart from implementing policy, many of these activities contribute significantly to further policy development.

This menu has been divided into the following overviews, although you can also jump straight to the activities' sites using the tabs below:

Research and Innovation: developing tomorrow's Information & Communication Technologies and making sure they improve innovation throughout European industry - see the Research & Innovation theme;
Building Europe's Digital Infrastructure: from satellite systems to the world's fastest international research network, the EU is helping build the infrastructure upon which Europe's Information Society is based;
Stimulating Digital Applications and Uptake: action at the European level is often necessary to help Europe develop compelling content and services, particularly those beneficial to Europe's society, healthcare sector and environment, and making sure that all Europeans benefit from these new digital services;

Finally, European international cooperation programmes in the Information Society area can be found in the International Relations site, while an A-Z list of all EU Information Society activities is also available.

Further Details and Quicklinks

Research
Digital Infrastructure
Digital Applications
International

Research and Development

Europe must master advanced Information & Communication Technologies if it is to stay competitive in the 21st Century.

Go to the Research & Innovation theme for an introduction, or jump straight to the following sites:

ICT research activities under the Commission's new Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7, 2007 to 2013), which got underway at the end of 2006;
IST research activities under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6, 2002-2006), which are still ongoing;
ICT Results: a news service from the above research programmes;

Digital Infrastructure

Europe's Information Society cannot deliver its benefits without a world-class infrastructure.

Read the Overview or jump straight to the following sites:

GEANT: the world's fastest education and research network;
Galileo satellite navigation system: enabling space-based services;
Structural Funds and the Information Society: see the Regions theme
Standardisation System for the Information Society.

Europe's pro-competition regulation of the electronic communications industry, finally, stimulates vigorous investment in infrastructure: see the Policies > Regulation overview.

Digital Applications

The benefits of the Information Society are delivered by compelling digital content and services. Action at the European level is needed to overcome obstacles in their development and delivery, particularly in areas beneficial to European society.

Read the Overview, or jump straight to the following sites:

ICT Policy Support Programme: the "ICT PSP" (2007-2013) stimulates innovation and competitiveness through the wider uptake and best use of ICT by citizens, governments and businesses. It builds on the work of the eTEN programme (which ended in 2006) and the eContentplus programme (which ended in 2008).
Improving trust and confidence:
- ENISA: an EU Agency focusing on network and information security;
- Safer Internet plus Programme: fighting illegal/unwanted internet content;
- eTEN > Trust and Security services;
- Privacy Enhancing Technologies are being developed to minimise risks such as identity theft, discriminatory profiling, continuous surveillance or fraud;
- Research: Pervasive and Trusted Network and Service Infrastructures (FP7, 2007-2013);
Europe's cultural industries:
- the eContentplus programme;
- MEDIA 2007 programme, particularly its pilot projects;
- Research: Digital libraries and content (FP7, 2007-2013);
Education and training:
- eLearning programme;
- eTEN > eLearning
- eSkills Forum;
- Research: Digital libraries and content (FP7, 2007-2013);
Public administration and government:
- IDA programme (Interchange of Data between Administrations);
- eTEN > eGovernment
- Research: eGovernment R&D (FP6, 2002-2006);
Saving Lives and the Environment:
- i2010 Flagship on Intelligent Cars;
- eCall - read the press pack;
- eTEN > eHealth
- Global Monitoring Environment and Security
- Research: Mobility, environmental sustainability and energy efficiency (FP7, 2007-2013);
- Research: eHealth: Better Healthcare for Europe;

International

The European Commission runs a range of cooperation programmes targeting different areas of the world.

See the International Relations site for an overview, or jump straight to:

Asia Invest: The programme aims to facilitate business co-operation between the EU and Asia. One of its priorities is to promote integration of Asian countries into the Information Society through business orientated information technologies.
@LIS (Latin America): The programme aims to reinforce the partnership between the European Union and Latin America in the field of the Information Society.
EUMEDIS (Euro-Mediterranean)
NeDAP (Baltic Sea States)

Wider context: see the EU in the World portal

Last Updated March 2007