European Commission 19 May 2006, Commission staff working paper - i2010 - First Annual Report on the European Information Society {COM(2006)215}

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This Commission Staff Working Paper constitutes the annex to the first Annual Report under the i2010 European Information Society strategy (launched June 2005), reporting on market developments, policy initiatives, and Member State progress across three pillars: creating a single information space (including regulatory responses to digital convergence, broadband expansion, and the proposed revision of the Television without Frontiers Directive); research and innovation (including proposals for the 7th Research Framework Programme and measures to address the EU–US productivity and R&D investment gap); and inclusion, better public services, and quality of life (encompassing eInclusion, eGovernment, eHealth, and flagship initiatives on digital libraries and intelligent transport). The document identifies persistent structural deficiencies, notably insufficient ICT investment by EU businesses (2.4% of GDP versus 4.2% in the US, 2000–2004), fragmented national R&D funding landscapes, and inadequate uptake of advanced eBusiness solutions, particularly among SMEs. It provides the evidentiary basis for the policy proposals set out in the associated Commission Communication COM(2006)215.AI