Guiding Principles/Objectives

Programmes

While ICTs are not to be seen as a priority sector as such for Community development co-operation, they do provide, however, an important tool for more efficient and effective aid delivery and need to be recognised as an increasingly important element in the economic and social fabric of countries worldwide.

The Commission recognises that assisting the poor to obtain access to ICTs can indeed contribute to the fight against poverty.

As a donor the EC is gradually enlarging and diversifying its portfolio in ICT and development.

The European Commission coordinates its policy on ICT and development with EU member states, through an experts group that has met five times since its creation in 1999.

Since ICTs and development is a relatively new area of co-operation there is a need to devise a systematic approach with a view to monitoring and evaluating better outputs. It is suggested that the EC and Member States create a knowledge management system in ICT and development.

The EC has, under the leadership of AIDCO, established an internal thematic working group on ICT in order to mainstream ICT in its development portfolio. Other Directorate-Generals involved are: Information Society, Trade, External Relations and Development.

The Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament is available at:
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2001/com2001_0770en01.pdf

Areas of Application:

Historically active in the telecommunications infrastructure, particularly in Africa, the EC has more recently shifted to the broader information society agenda.

The European Investment Bank has lent support to a number of telecommunications projects in developing countries. http://www.eib.org/ 

Further EC action will take place within the strict context of the new EC development policy, and notably its six priority sectors with an overall focus on poverty reduction: trade and development, regional integration and co-operation, macroeconomic policies and equitable access to social services, transport, food security and sustainable development, and institutional capacity building.

► Asia IT&C: co-financing partnerships in ICT
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/asia-itc/html/main.htm 

► Eumedis in the Mediterranean region
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/med/regional/eumedis_en.htm 

► @LIS in Latin America
http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/alis/index_en.htm

► @CP-programme is being designed for the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific countries.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/index_en.htm 

Web page that highlights EU activities in the Information Society within the global context:
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/international/index_en.htm

Participation in Multi-donor Programmes:

► WSIS
► UN ICTTF
► WEF
► GKP
► infoDev

African-Caribbean-Pacific countries (ACP), Mediterranean Region, Asia, Latin America

► ASI@ITC 30M€
► EUMEDIS 65M€
► Latin America 63.5M€
► African-Caribbean-Pacific
► ICT embedded in projects: no figures available

Mr. Harry De Backer, harry.de-backer@cec.eu.in