The shift to a digital, knowledge-based economy, prompted by new goods and services, is a powerful engine for growth, competitiveness and jobs. In addition, it is capable of improving citizens' quality of life and the environment. To make the most of this opportunity, the Council and the Commission were invited to draw up a comprehensive E-Europe Action Plan. This Action Plan (E-Europe 2005 - An Information Society for All) was presented to and adopted by the Seville European Council in June 2002. The strategy is to ensure businesses and citizens have access to an inexpensive, world-class communications infrastructure and a wide range of services. Every citizen should be equipped with the skills needed to live and work in this new information society. Different means of access should prevent info-exclusion. The proposal is to combat illiteracy and promote e-Inclusion.

(Lisbon European Council: Presidency conclusion. http://ec.europa.eu/growthandjobs/index_en.htm)

Synergies and Trade offs

E-Europe is intended to pay special attention to disabled people; information technologies can be used to renew urban and regional development and promote environmentally sound technologies; content industries create added value by exploiting and networking European cultural diversity.

The risk of this policy is that the more e-Europe is fostered, the more the ones who are e-illiterate become excluded, increasing the digital divide. A U.S. Department of Commerce report (Falling through the Net II: New Data on the Digital Divide, 1998) showed that although more Americans now own computers, certain groups are still far less likely to have computers or online access. Lack of such access affects the ability of children to improve their learning with educational software, adults to learn valuable technology skills, and families to benefit from online connections to important health and civic information. A follow-up study documents that the "digital divide" continues to grow. Similar data gathered by the U.S. Department of Education highlights a "digital divide" in U.S. schools, with children attending high poverty schools less likely to have access to computers, the Internet, or high quality educational technology programs. (U.S. Department of education, ED Programs that Help Bridge the Digital Divide, http://www.ed.gov/Technology/digdiv.html)

Social Capital

An example comes from The Global Digital Divide Initiative (GDDI), which builds partnerships between the public and private sector to bridge the divide between those who can make effective use of information and communication technology (ICTs) to improve their lives and those who cannot. The Global Digital Divide Task Force was launched in 2000 with a three year mandate to develop and transmit creative public and private sector initiatives to transform the digital divide into an opportunity for growth. The Task Force has initiated and supported education and entrepreneurship projects as well as raised awareness of the issue through its policy advocacy efforts. The World Economic Forum will continue to facilitate private, public and NGO partnerships that use information communication technology to address social and economic development. (World Economic Forum, Global Digital Divide Initiative, http://www.weforum.org/en/knowledge/KN_SESS_SUMM_10353?url=/en/knowledge/KN_SESS_SUMM_10353)