Decision No 2256/2003/EC was amended by Decision No 787/2004/EC in order to adapt the reference amounts to take account of the enlargement of the European Union.

The Commission Communication of 19 November 2004, entitled ‘Challenges for the European Information Society beyond 2005’, analyses the challenges that a European information society strategy up to 2010 must address. It argues for wider use of ICTs and for continued policy attention to ICT-related issues, which involves the need for monitoring and exchange of good practices. That Communication was the starting point for a reflection process that led to a new Information Society initiative in 2005, to start in 2006.

The new initiative, entitled ‘i2010: European Information Society’, was announced in the Commission Communication of 2 February 2005 to the Spring European Council, entitled ‘Working together for growth and jobs – A new start for the Lisbon Strategy’, aiming at stimulating the take-up of ICTs.

The Commission Communication of 1 June 2005, entitled ‘i2010 – A European Information Society for growth and employment’, outlines the key policy priorities of a five-year strategy to promote an open and competitive digital economy. The promotion of exchange of good practices and the monitoring of the take-up of ICT-enabled services will continue to support the dialogue with stakeholders and Member States, notably in the context of the open method of coordination.

In the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a competitiveness and innovation framework programme (2007 to 2013), a framework programme for Community action in the field of competitiveness and innovation, covering the period 2007 to 2013, is proposed which brings together specific Community measures contributing to entrepreneurship, SMEs, industrial competitiveness, innovation, information and communication technology, environmental technologies and intelligent energy, including those measures provided for in Decision No 2256/2003/EC.

In the 12 months between the expiry of the eEurope 2005 Action Plan and the anticipated start of the Framework Programme in 2007, the take-up of ICTs across the economy needs to be monitored and supported through continuation of benchmarking and statistical analysis based on structural indicators, and the exchange of good practices. The actions taken under the programme on benchmarking, good practices and policy coordination in 2006 will support the achievement of the objectives of the abovementioned Commission Communications of 2 February 2005 and 1 June 2005.

The mechanisms for monitoring and for the exchange of experiences, benchmarking activities, dissemination of good practices and analysis of economic and societal consequences of the information society should be continued in 2006 to achieve the objectives of the Commission Communication of 2 February 2005, aiming at stimulating the take-up of ICTs as a continuation of the eEurope agenda, and those of the Commission Communication of 1 June 2005.

Decision No 2256/2003/EC should therefore be amended,