Presentation by the Chief Negotiator Petras Auštrevičius “EU Integration and Information Society Development in Lithuania” The 4 th International Conference on Information Society “Developing an Innovative Trade and Work Area” October 21, 2002

EU membership encourages ICT-related investments, expanding infrastructure, exchanging skills, ideas and professionals Knowledge is becoming one of essential factors of production alongside capital and labour Digital inclusion is a major challenge for new and old Member States EU Integration and ICT

Avoiding the digital divide is a major challenge Structure of industry by intensity of production factors (%, 1998) *Data for Lithuania has been calculated according to production volume; data for other countries has been calculated according to the value-added

Making eEurope a reality Avoiding the digital divide in present Member States... eEurope2002 : An Information Society For All: a wake-up call for Europe eEurope 2005: by 2005, Europe should have: modern online public services; a dynamic e-business environment; a widespread availability of broadband access at competitive prices; a secure information infrastructure.

Making eEurope a reality …and in the future ones eEurope+ Action Plan: clear and tangible political commitment is there, but many problems are still to be addressed (Internet access, computerisation of schools, creation of Public Internet Access Points) Dialogue between business and the Government “Window to the Future” businesses contributing to computerisation of schools National Agreement on Economic and Social Progress

Making eEurope a reality …and in the future ones Closer regional co-operation: Northern eDimension Plan, aiming to accelerate the Northern region’s transition to the information society © European Communities,

Making eEurope a reality …and in the future ones Commitments undertaken and implemented by Lithuania: Liberalised telecommunications market Independent Communications Regulatory Authority National Telecommunications Numbering Plan Law on electronic signature Concept of the Lithuanian Information Society Development Strategy on ICT in Education Connecting to Europe in literal (digital) sense of the word

Making eEurope a reality …and in the future ones Some figures for Lithuania: ICT market increased by 28% in ,8% of Lithuanians used internet at least once in 6 months Internet penetration in Lithuanian companies was 49% 13% of citizens and 67% of companies had computers

Making eEurope a reality Key objectives for the nearest future Advancement of ICT literacy Liberalisation, modernisation and increased accessibility to the modern means of telecommunications Further strengthening of the administrative capacities; Promoting e-commerce Making e-Government a reality

Making eEurope a reality Transition to the digital economy can be managed successfully ICT is the best long-term investment Lithuania can make

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