Fifth Framework Programme: Working Paper

Key Action 1:
Systems and Services for the Citizen

One of a set of pages forming the text of Annex 2 to a European Commission letter inviting early inputs regarding the workplan for the Fifth Framework Programme. For background and overall structure of the text see the letter and associated documents. [Text in square brackets = comments by European Telework Online].

We regret that we are not able to answer individual questions about the Fifth Framework Programme; we do monitor and respond to discussion in the European Telework Online discussion list, please see http://www.eto.org.uk/discuss/discuss.htm for details of how to participate in this. Please report any errors in these pages to eto-info@eto.org.uk.

Rationale

Given the significant weight of general-interest services in its GDP, a key challenge for the European Union is to

• improve their quality while
• containing their costs.

[There is a useful report on general interest services from the TAP programme (Telematics Applications), we are trying to obtain an electronic version that can be shown here]

• the overall competitiveness of the EU economy and
• the visibility and social impact of the information society

• flexible access to them by everyone and of
• improved quality and efficiency of service delivery.

RTD is needed to support the transition towards new paradigms that affect the evolution of sectors of general interest.

In the field of health the new paradigm includes the informed citizen caring for his/her own health and the stakeholders responsible for the continuity of health services in a regional setting.

In the field of persons with special needs, including the elderly and the disabled the new paradigm aims at ensuring full access, participation and equality for all citizens.

In the field of administrations [administrations is the term used to denote governments at all levels, including national government departments, local government etc], citizens have come to expect the provision of a transparent and efficient one-stop-shop for individually tailored services oriented towards their everyday life.

In the field of environment, what is at stake is to support sustainable development through the harmonious co-existence, including health, between further competitive economic development, the optimal use and re-use of what essentially are limited natural resources, and the environment.

In the field of transport, the vision is one of building the mobile society within the information society through the introduction and use of information society technologies to improve effectiveness and safety of all transport modes and provide new mobility options in a sustainable way.

If a European approach to research, technological development, take-up and standardisation is maintained, the total potential general-interest services market (equipment, systems, services) in Europe will be substantially in excess of 1,000 Billion ECUs.

Objectives and RTD priorities

This work would foster the creation of the next generation of

• user-friendly,
• dependable,
• cost-effective and
• interoperable

Work would cover RTD addressing the whole of the key action, as well as specific RTD in the following fields:

• health;
• special needs, including ageing and disability;
• administrations;
• environment; and
• transport.

• the user-friendliness and acceptability of new services, including
• the socio-economic and ethical aspects.

Health and ageing, disability and other special needs

• new generation computerised clinical systems,
• advanced telemedicine services and
• health network applications to support health professionals,
• continuity of care and
• health service management, and
• intelligent systems allowing citizens to assume greater participation and responsibility for their own health.

• person/system interfaces and
• adaptive and assistive systems

• intelligent systems and services to support
  • autonomous living,
  • social integration and
  • participation in the information society.

Administrations

• support the widening and deepening of the EU, and
• offering interactive services to citizens and/or
• making them available at natural meeting-points for people, especially in remote and rural areas.

RTD priorities

• technologies and systems for
  • on-line democracy and for
  • improved, distance- and language-independent, access to information and services,
  in order to support
• one-stop service access and transaction handling for
  • citizens and
  • businesses;
• multilingual personalised services and
• intelligent multi-functional systems
  facilitating interaction between citizens and Community and national administrations, including
• the development of virtual fora (public hearings, opinion polling, etc.);
• systems and tools for
  • enabling statistics to play their role in enhancing the transparency and accessibility of administrations and for
  • promoting multimedia data interchange between administrations;
• the innovative applications to support the adaptation of Community and national administrations to the information and processing systems needs of Community policies.

Environment

• monitoring,
• forecasting and
• decision-support

• administrations,
• industries and
• the public,

• advanced systems and services for the
  • identification,
  • assessment,
  • monitoring and
  • prevention
  of risks, and for the
• management and mitigation of emergencies, both natural and man-made (including anti-personnel landmines).

RTD priorities:

• monitoring, forecasting and decision support:
• intelligent information systems on
  • air/water/soil quality and for
  • monitoring and management of natural resources;
• advanced systems for water/air/sea/soil/waste pollution monitoring, prevention and warning;
• high-performance systems and advanced tools for
  • environmental data fusion,
  • data mining and
  • modelling,
  including geo-referenced data;
• integrated information tools and support systems for
  • sustainable development and to
  • improve ecological and resource efficiency;
• risks and emergencies:
  • advanced management systems exploiting
    • satellite imagery,
    • remote sensing,
    • sensor systems,
    • real-time systems, and
    • communication networks.

Transport

• intelligent infrastructure and
• vehicle systems

• intermodal operations and
• "mobility chains" for
  • freight and
  • passengers,
  for
• safety and
• operational efficiency

• actions in Programme 3,

• information,
• mobility and
• tourism

RTD priorities:
surveillance, positioning and guidance systems and the necessary enhancement of

• space and ground-based communication and positioning infrastructures,
• fixed, on-board and portable
  • interactive multimedia devices, and
  • tele-payment systems
  - in particular for
  • traffic and demand management,
  • collective transport,
  • fleet and freight operations supporting the whole logistics chain,
  • telepayments and
  • user information;

new traffic control systems
with

• advanced interfaces,
• environment, simulation and prediction tools;

on-board human-centred systems for safety and efficiency
including

• vision enhancement,
• obstacle detection and
• advanced warning,
• crash-avoidance,
• driver impairment watch;

telematic systems
for intelligent vehicle and autonomous aircraft operations;

personalised travel information systems
including

• tele-reservation and payment;
• multimedia systems and services on
  • weather,
  • tourism, and
  • leisure;
• on-board "info-mobility" services, including
  • infotainment;
  virtual mobility services.