[eccr] Commission calls on Member States to adapt e-business policies to Europe's changing environment

Title: Commission calls on Member States to adapt e-business policies to Europe's changing environment

Brussels, 28 March 2003

Commission calls on Member States to adapt e-business policies to Europe's changing environment

The European Commission has adopted a communication calling upon Member States and regions to review their e-business strategies in support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to help them adapt to a continuously changing e-business environment. As part of the method of policy adopted at the Lisbon summit in March 2000, the Commission invites Member states to adopt voluntary e-business policy targets to accelerate the shift from e-commerce (buying and selling) to e-business (using e-tools to integrate all business processes). Voluntary targets should also help Member states to assess progress and impact of their e-business strategies. The Communication emphasises the importance of the take-up and diffusion of ICT among SMEs for enhancing the competitiveness of European enterprises and raising productivity and growth.

Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen said: "This Communication is an important step to accelerate progress towards the Lisbon target of making Europe a more competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy. The policy emphasis in Europe is shifting from e-commerce to a more holistic approach of e-business. This includes the effective and productive integration of ICT into all business processes. I believe that this Communication is timely in alerting Member States to the need to shift their policy focus and set clear objectives and quantitative targets, as an efficient mechanism for assessing the progress and impact of their e-business strategies."

Following two previous Communications, one on the "Go Digital" initiative and the other on the "e-Economy", this "Communication on Adapting e-business policies in a changing environment: The lessons of the Go Digital initiative and the challenges ahead" reviews progress in taking up information and communication technologies (ICT) and e-business by European enterprises, and notably SMEs, and the policy challenges that emerge from this picture. It shows what has changed in recent years and what needs to be done in the future to help SMEs to "go digital".

As SMEs face particular difficulties in integrating new technologies and re-organising their business processes, and as the overall e-business environment is changing constantly, e-business policies should be re-oriented towards enabling SMEs to use e-business tools to rationalise their existing business processes.

The most important challenges here are to improve managerial understanding of e-business processes and skills in SMEs, to promote the availability of SME friendly e-business solutions, and to facilitate effective participation of SMEs in electronic market places and business networks.

Moreover, the efficiency of e-business policies would undoubtedly benefit from setting SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-related), as these would facilitate the assessment of the practical impact of e-business policies and the identification of good governmental practice.

Finally, the communication also calls on Member States and regions to step up e-business policy networking and further promote the European E-Business Support Network for SMEs, as part of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan.

For further information:

The European E-Business Support Network for SMEs

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/e-bus-snfsme.htm

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions: "Enabling SMEs to GoDigital"

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/godigital.htm

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: "The impact of the e-Economy on European enterprises: economic analysis and policy implications"

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/policy/godigital.htm

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, "eEurope 2005: An information society for all"

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/eeurope/news_library/eeurope2005/index_en.htm

Communication "Industrial Policy in an Enlarged Europe"

http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/enterprise_policy/industry/policy.htm