A multiannual programme (2003 to 2005) for the monitoring of the eEurope 2005 action plan, dissemination of good practices and improvement of network and information security (hereafter referred to as ‘the programme’) is hereby adopted.

The programme shall have the following objectives:

1. (a)

   to monitor performance of and within Member States and to compare it with the best in the world by using, where possible, official statistics;

2. (b)

   to support efforts made by Members States in the framework of eEurope, at national, regional or local level, by analysis of eEurope good practices and by the complementary interaction of developing mechanisms of exchange of experiences;

3. (c)

   to analyse the economic and societal consequences of the information society with a view to facilitating policy discussions particularly in terms of industrial competitiveness and cohesion as well as in terms of social inclusion; to provide the eEurope steering group with the necessary information for it to be able to assess the appropriate strategic direction of the eEurope 2005 action plan;

4. (d)

   to prepare for the establishment of the future structure at European level for network and information security issues, as envisaged by the Council resolution of 28 January 2002 and in the eEurope 2005 action plan, with a view to improving network and information security.

The activities of the programme shall be actions of a cross-sectorial nature, complementing Community actions in other fields. None of these actions shall duplicate the work being carried out in these fields under other Community programmes. The actions taken under the programme on benchmarking, good practices and policy coordination shall work to achieve the objectives of the eEurope 2005 action plan, to promote network and information security and broadband, and to promote eGovernment, eBusiness, eHealth and eLearning.

The programme shall also provide a common framework for complementary interaction at European level of the various national, regional and local levels.