European Telework Agenda 1999

Main Threads of Developments on a European Level in 1999

1. Social and labour market policy context
• The annual Employment Guidelines, first adopted by the European Council in November 1997, are incorporated in national employment Action Plans, and implementation reports are updated every year. In the 1999 National implementation reports, Information Society Job Creation Prospects will be addressed at all levels. The specific focus on telework is mainly related to the "Adaptability" pillar in the Action Plan priorities.
• A Communication on Work Organisation (Modernising the organisation of work - A positive approach to change - COM(98)(0592) was adopted in November 1998. The Communication aims at stimulating and strengthening partnership for the modernisation of work organisation. It suggests a number of issues, which the Commission believes it would be helpful for the social partners to address. These issues include:
• facilitating the diversification of working relations as well as new forms of work;
• ensuring the optimum conditions for the introduction and uptake of new technologies, particularly information and communication technologies
• social and labour market policy initiatives with a focus on telework

• Follow-up to the Communication on Work Organisation: the European social partners will organise a seminar on telework on May 31^st, 1999. The social partners will discuss the possibilities for addressing telework under the partnership approach and how this can be done in ways that are most beneficial to all actors involved.
• Follow-up to the Communication "The Social and Labour Market Dimension of the Information Society; People First - The Next Steps": The action plan in the communication has not been updated as such. Instead a new initiative has been launched connecting the Information Society directly to the employment strategy. To this end a report: "Job opportunities in the Information Society" was presented by the Commission to the European Council in Vienna in December 1998. In the report, the issue of teleworking is addressed under the heading "Promoting organisational change". In general, the report called for action at the levels of the EU Member States, the IS industries and the Social partners with the Commission services as facilitators. The actions have already begun with the Member States appointing high level representatives to follow these issues. The Commission convened a first meeting of this group on March 16^th 1999.

2. European R&D
• For the first time, the Fifth Framework Programme brings together in one Key Action within the Thematic Information Society Technologies Programme (further referred to as: IST) all work related to helping individuals improve the quality of their working lives and helping companies operate more efficiently, as well as in trading goods and services ("New Methods of Work and Electronic Commerce"). The 1999 Action Lines related to telework, for which project proposals can be submitted, are related to improving understanding the changes and new opportunities in ways of working and doing business, together with development of new technologies, methods and services - for the workplace and for support of teamwork, within and across the boundaries of organisations. In addition, support for development of telework applications, with a focus on production process innovation, can be found in the Calls related to the Key Action "Innovative Products, Processes and Organisation" under Theme 3: "Competitive and Sustainable Growth", and in the joint call for proposals on intelligent manufacturing systems (IMS), particularly the theme "Human/organisational/social issues".
• The 5^th Framework RTD IST Programme reflects and supports emerging policy issues, notably fostering the convergence of information processing, communications and media, and the need for interoperability and coherence at a global level. The Specific Programme therefore foresees "close articulation between research and policies needed for a coherent and inclusive Information Society".

3. European Structural Funds
• Support for improving the socio-economic structure of regions and sectors is strongly supported through the European Structural Funds. More then ever before implementation of telework jobs and services has been able to profit from support, particularly in the ADAPT and EMPLOY frameworks. Often projects under these programmes profit from experiences and developments emerging from European RTD projects.

The Events

1. European Telework Information Day

1 June 1999, Brussels, Belgium

A briefing day at which the European Commission outlines its current and planned telework activities and discusses policy issues with interested parties. Specific focus will be given to European Telework Week, with a flashback to what happened during ETW98, and with a presentation of the plans for 1999.
People interested in the Commission’s telework activities in general, and/or interested in contributing to a successful Telework Week are most welcome. Since participation is limited, it is necessary to register beforehand in order to have guaranteed access.

For more information:


European Commission DGXIII Telework Secretariat BU 9 2/82 Avenue de Beaulieu 9 B - 1160 Brussels, Belgium

Tel: +32 2 295 98 52 Fax: +32 2 296 29 81 e-mail: telework@dg13.cec.be

Agenda and Registration at: http://www.eto.org.uk/agenda/telework

2. Telework Strategies for the New Workforce

31 August - 3 September 1999, Tokyo, Japan

This 4^th International Workshop will bring together an international and interdisciplinary gathering of researchers, academics, students and practitioners (from both employee and employer communities), policy-makers and market-regulators, and suppliers of related services and products. The European Commission DGXIII has supported this International Workshop from the start in 1996, since it promised (and proved!) to bring together a more academic, and very international, multi-disciplinary set of people for in-depth discussions of key contemporary issues in Teleworking, alternative officing, virtual organisations, Internet-based working and computer-supported distributed work.
The theme of the 1999 workshop is "Telework Strategies for the New Workforce". Demographic trends, technological innovation and a greater global focus in business are some of the factors behind the emergence of an increasingly diverse workforce. A major challenge today is how individuals, organisations and regions can leverage human talent.
This workshop looks to examine telework strategies and how they impact on the new workforce in the following areas: Human Resources Management (diversity, professional development, participation, lifestyle, retention); Innovative Work Processes (decision-making, motivation, trust/loyalty); Technology (platforms, collaboration); Workspace Design/Facilities; and Regional Development (social infrastructure, job creation, community viability, national policy)

For more information:


International Flexwork Forum Dr. Wendy A. Spinks Dept. of International Studies Josai International University 1 Gumyo, Togane, Chiba-ken Japan 283-8555

Tel/Fax: 0475-72-3499 e-mail: inquiry-tw99@iff.org

Programme and Registration at: http://www.iff.org

3. Telework’99: Making Telework Work for All

22 – 24 September 1999, Aarhus, Denmark

This 6^th European Assembly on Telework and New Ways of Working will again bring together politicians, representatives from unions, employers, industry and academia, telework pioneers, and others. DGXIII initiated this event in 1994 in order to broaden the understanding and consensus on new ways of working amongst decision-makers, and as a platform to meet people interested in this area.
Telework ’99, making use of the opportunity of being in Denmark, will focus on two broad themes:
• New ways of working and quality of life, family and community. These are typical Danish concerns, alongside social inclusion and environmental sustainability, which are essential in a prosperous and democratic human-centred Information Society.

• The business case for telework in the new Network Economy. For example, Denmark is home to many "gazelles": new, small, rapidly growing and changing firms (often as virtual organisations), and typically built around the technology itself, where telework and electronic commerce are taken for granted.

Around these themes, focus workshops will be organised on the following subjects:
• Towards a new societal framework for work
• Enhancing the enterprise beyond the office walls
• The new enterprise and the new entrepreneurs
• New work opportunities
• Technologies enabling new ways to work
• Technology and infrastructure challenges

For more information:


Telework’99 Office C/o TeleDanmark Consult A/S P.O. Box 2245 DK-8260 Viby J Denmark

Tel. +45 8628 6455 Fax +45 8628 6499 e-mail: mail@telework99.dk

Programme and Registration at: http://www.telework99.dk

4. 5^th European Telework Week

1 – 7 November 1999, featuring events all over Europe.


European Telework Week now in it's 5^th consecutive year, has the slogan: "For a Competitive and Sustainable Europe".

Telework Week offers platforms for debate for citizens and organisations from all over Europe. It has resulted in new telework initiatives and has triggered broad media attention. It is expected that over 200 events organised on local, regional and national level will bring the debate where it belongs, with citizens, employers and employees in their own environment.
To support organisers of events, there are several support mechanisms in place at European level: a dedicated WEB-site; a network of correspondents; and access to information and reports on developments from the European Commission and other European activists.
Following its successful introduction in 1998, a European Telework Award contest will take place for the 3^rd time, which will culminate in an Award Ceremony on 5 November 1999, in Brussels. This, and other events from all over Europe, will be broadcast on the Internet (Webcast).

For more information:


Telework Week Co-ordination Office c/o Martech International sa Place Favresse 45 B - 1310 La Hulpe Belgium

Tel.: +32.2.65.22.227 Fax : +32.2.65.32.486 e-mail: info@etw.org

Programme and Registration at: http://www.etw.org

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For general information about the European Telework Agenda and European Telework Events:
European Telework Online - http://www.eto.org.uk

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Last updated 16th April 1999