Job Creation in the European Information Society

Abstract

If one follows many recent commentaries made by politicians and business representatives, new information and communication technologies (ICT) have great potential in solving the problem of continuously growing unemployment in Western European countries. As a consequence, the European Commission as well as many governments in other highly industrialized countries have launched programs to accelerate the evolution of a global information society. Some important steps in this direction have been:

• The EU white paper on growth, competitiveness and employment published at the end of 1993, which underlines the significance of a fast deployment of advanced communication infrastructures and services for a new sustainable economic growth;

• The action program “Europe’s Way into the Information Society” published in June 1994 by the European Commission. It is based on the recommendations of the socalled Bangemann Group and contains a time schedule for the reregulation of European mass media and telecommunication markets. It also defines ten high priority application fields for pilot projects which are to demonstrate the great benefits of ICT;

• The special G7 conference held in February 1995 on this issue. The seven leading industrialized countries agreed on joint efforts in developing a global information society.